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| Isolated Parasitic Plants; (Island Continent of the West Pacific) | |
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| Topic Started: Dec 24 2009, 12:17 PM (1,168 Views) | |
| KayKay | Dec 24 2009, 12:17 PM Post #1 |
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..................... ...................... Edited by KayKay, May 16 2010, 04:41 PM.
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| Venatosaurus | Dec 24 2009, 12:43 PM Post #2 |
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HAUS OF SPEC
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Impressive ! I really love your descriptive, imaginitive and plausible ideas ... You Rock ! |
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| KayKay | Dec 24 2009, 12:56 PM Post #3 |
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Thanks. ![]() I'm looking for some input as to what may sound implausible, or even unlikely, or any other subject or aspect that could be worth discussing. If you think of anything, please let me know? |
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| ATEK Azul | Dec 24 2009, 01:14 PM Post #4 |
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Transhuman
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IT all sounds very good to me accept I was wondering why the Conifers aren't effected? Also I would love to see how this effects life on your continent. |
| I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's! | |
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| KayKay | Dec 24 2009, 02:07 PM Post #5 |
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Well, I wanted there to be one group of trees who would be able to resist parasitism from the grasses, and I figured it be the conifers because the bark is not as firm and the tree body such as the limbs and trunk could evolve to produce the same acidic substances as its needle-like leaves protecting it for the time being. |
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| ATEK Azul | Dec 24 2009, 02:13 PM Post #6 |
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Transhuman
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Okay well that makes sense. So when are you posting the species of this time period? |
| I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's! | |
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| KayKay | Dec 24 2009, 02:30 PM Post #7 |
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For the fauna, currently I'm in the process of scanning the Early Cretaceous animals. I'll scan epoch by epoch up to what I have so far, but it may take a while. I am currently working on the Eocene before this extinction event takes place. It may be a while before I begin speculating the after-event fauna. I'm sorry.
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| Vultur-10 | Dec 25 2009, 02:51 AM Post #8 |
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I really like this part: how one, superficially minor, change can cause huge ecological repercussions. As for albedo effects: tropical rainforests are darker (lower albedo) than grassland/savanna, so you will see some cooling from that ... but the lesser CO2 absorption may counteract that, not sure. However, that CO2 will still be *available* for photosynthesis. So I think giant fast growing grasses are likely to develop - essentially bamboo analogues. Things that can grow to tree heights, but aren't really woody in the way that a tree is, and can grow to that size in a couple years; maybe less. Sure, they might die soon from parasitism (if they're not too different for the parasites to attack) but they could get around this with a 'live fast/die young' life cycle - grow fast, make lots of seeds. |
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| ATEK Azul | Dec 25 2009, 02:11 PM Post #9 |
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Transhuman
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I agree with the idea of a Bamboo like Plant taking over the habitats. |
| I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's! | |
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| KayKay | Dec 26 2009, 01:36 PM Post #10 |
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.......................... ........................ Edited by KayKay, May 16 2010, 04:42 PM.
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| Venatosaurus | Dec 26 2009, 02:01 PM Post #11 |
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HAUS OF SPEC
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I was also going to suggest that this "plague" could also influence the evolution of locomotive plants, which either in seed form or as adults could relocate depending on how highly infected their environment is, but I think it's too radical to have evolved in such a short time. |
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| Ànraich | Dec 27 2009, 01:10 AM Post #12 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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I've been thinking about this for a while; what about a fruit bearing tree that grows fruit that can be carried by the wind, like the seeds of a dandelion? Parachute fruit, riding the wind to a less infected area, and to the mouths of specialized birds and animals. In fact you could see many more fruit-bearing trees, as animals would eat the fruit and likely deposit the seeds in a less infected area via defecation. I was also thinking that you might get symbiotic relationships with specialized grazers that devour the grass. A kind of vertical ecosystem might develop, based around these enormous "pasture-trees." Of course that would come quite some time after the Eocene, but I think it's still an interesting idea. All in all I like this idea. It's a fascinating speculation and well thought out. But I think you're not giving the trees enough credit. You could end up with some that have incredibly strong bark, like great iron trees or steel barks or something. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| KayKay | Dec 27 2009, 04:16 AM Post #13 |
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..................... .................... Edited by KayKay, May 16 2010, 04:42 PM.
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| Ànraich | Dec 27 2009, 11:27 AM Post #14 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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I didn't mean actual minerals, I just meant like, the bark is so hard they call it an iron tree. But it probably wouldn't be too hard to absorb minerals and reinforce your bark with it. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| ATEK Azul | Dec 27 2009, 01:19 PM Post #15 |
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This is an interesting topic. 1 idea I have for this is perhaps these Tree's could develope a Cellulose and mineral based sugar inorder to reinforce themselves? Also another possibillity for offspring cound be fruit where the seed has already started growing inside of it. The baby Tree in the fruit would need to develope a form that can easily survive digestion with out killing the animal that eats it though. Oh and what if the "Bamboo" developes Cactus like adaptations for the new dry season? |
| I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's! | |
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7:19 PM Jul 10