Sunday, February 26, 2012

Sine Qua Non

Translated "without which not". The sense is something like: This is the thing without which you will not succeed. It is an absolutely indispensible thing or condition.
Desert Mistletoe
.....or "most essential requirement".  When one or more of those things disappear in nature, the chain is affected.   Take for example the relationship between Desert Mistletoe and the Phainopepla.  The Mistletoe spreads by seed with the help of this bird and the bird benefits from the berries in the wild.
Phainopepla

             You can't have one without the other.  

9 comments:

  1. Another example of a perfect ecosystem!
    Your mistletoe has red berries, ours has white! Adaption to its surroundings, different species!? don't know, but very pretty!
    Wishing you a great Sunday!

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  2. hmmmm...DESERT mistletoe and PHAINOPEPLA...i've never heard of either! nice pic's.

    just like all things in nature...a matter of balance...the web of life...connectedness! (is that even a word?! ha)

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  3. I had not heard of desert mistletoe before now. Hope you get some season photos in bloom and post this year.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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  4. And how sad it would be to not have each of them.

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  5. that bird is so cool! great shot of him!

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  6. Like Tea and biscuits Rohrerbot!! Hmmmm.....I guess not really :-)

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  7. But doesn't the mistletoe kill the trees?

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    Replies
    1. Eventually it does. Out in the wild it's okay. But for homeowners, it's not a very popular plant:)

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  8. What a great post--and so true.... I worry about humans cutting down trees and clearing land so that they can build new homes/buildings... I wonder what this does to our birds and other wildlife... We all need to be aware of nature ---and be careful what we humans do to disturb it.... As you said, it all works together. One thing relates to something else... Like a domino!!!!

    Betsy

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