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2 66 Biodiversity is an important part of this rainforest ecosystem. An ecosystem is made up of living and non-living things, like plants and animals and weather and landscape. Biodiversity is the variety or number of different kinds of living things within an ecosystem. The more variety of living things an ecosystem has, the healthier it is. In other words, an ecosystem’s biodiversity helps it stay strong. The animals you see in this rainforest are part of its biodiversity. The rainforest animals need each other in order to survive and keep their ecosystem in balance. How does that work? The monkey uses the trees in the forest for shelter and to find the fruits he eats. In return, the monkey helps the trees reproduce by eating its fruit and dropping their seeds. The frogs in the forest find shelter in the trees, too. They protect the trees by eating the insects that may make the trees sick. The leopard needs the trees to hide and give her shelter when she hunts or rests. She helps the trees by controlling the number of monkeys that swing through its branches. Capuchin monkeys spend most of their time in the trees of the rainforest and only come down to find drinking water. Poison dart frogs, at only 1-2 inches big, are so poisonous they only have one natural predator adapted to resist their poison–the Fire-bellied snake. The More,

3 Picture what you might see when you step outdoors. Do you see houses or buildings? Are there cars in the streets? What about traffic lights and electricity cables? Do you see or feel the grass beneath you? Are there birds perched in the trees nearby? Our cities and neighborhoods are made up of many different things. Some of those things give us a place to live and work. Like houses and buildings. Other things allow us to move from one place to another, like roads and cars. Traffic lights and electricity cables keep our cities running smoothly. What about the grass, trees, and other living things in nature? How do they help our cities? In this issue, we take a little peek into how nature is the reason we are able to live the way that we do. From being able to build our cities safely to keeping our neighborhoods clean and healthy, nature is the fuel we need to power our lives on Earth. Everything in nature, from tall trees to little bees, has a purpose that supports our way of life. We hope you enjoy reading Maritimus! Editor and Author: Aasya Peera / aasya@maritimusmagazine.com Illustrations: Adriana Guillén / aguillendg@gmail.com Maritimus Magazine © 2024 by Aasya Peera is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 7 The Meier The rainforest ecosystem is one of hundreds of ecosystems on Earth. There are desert, arctic, ocean, and prairie ecosystems. Each of them depends on the health of the other in order to thrive. The variety of ecosystems and the variety of living organisms within them are what allow our planet Earth to be a healthy place for us to live. Cities often have weak biodiversity. The lack of natural habitats like trees and grasslands has led to the disappearance of a variety of living things from city ecosystems. Without proper food and shelter, cities can be challenging places for wildlife to survive. In the Spring, this Indigo Bunting, a small blue-colored songbird, will migrate from the rainforest in Brazil to the woodlands in Canada to lay her eggs and raise her chicks. As migrating animals, birds are bridges between ecosystems that are thousands of miles apart. The Indigo Bunting is a part of the rainforest ecosystem in Brazil, the woodlands ecosystem in Canada, and any ecosystem she stops in during her migration–including cities. Macaws are part of rainforest ecosystems. They are very social and will hang out in flocks of 10 to 30 birds. Different types of trees make up most of the rainforest ecosystem. Because almost all the living things in the rainforest need the trees to survive, trees are considered a keystone organism.

4 Great Protectors Trees and plants are great protectors. They are our guardians against erosion. Erosion is when the ground crumbles and shifts because of a disturbance. Disturbances can be forces of weather, like wind and rain, or even construction. Trees and plants have roots that grow deep and wide into the ground. They hold the dirt in the ground together and keep it firm and stable. Without roots in the ground, erosion would happen too quickly. With roots, our ground stays firm and makes it easier and safer to build houses and roads on top. Roots also protect us from erosion during storms. The ground around trees and plants take in water when it rains. Their roots reduce floods and keep the dirt in the ground from turning into a sandy slip and slide! Trees can also act as windbreakers, like the jackets we wear when it gets windy or rainy. Their long sturdy branches slow down strong winds and prevent them from damaging houses and cars. Roots keep our ground firm so we can build on top... and prevent floods and land slides. Trees slow down strong winds so they cause less damage. Billions of trees and plants grow in forests and parks around the world. They also grow near our homes, in cities and neighborhoods, between roads and buildings. No matter where they are, trees and plants are an important part of our environment or home. How do trees and plants help us in the way we live? 8 world, they are a big part of an ecosystem’s biodiversity. Like other living things, they help their ecosystems by keeping them in balance. Birds help pollinate plants, control insect, snake, and rodent populations, and serve as food for other wildlife. Cities across North America are following the actions designed by the Lights Out campaign to help make their cities safer for birds. These actions can help increase a city’s biodiversity, making the city ecosystem healthy and strong. The first major action is to switch off lights to reduce light pollution. From sunset until sunrise during migration seasons in the Fall and Spring, cities should switch off all unnecessary lights. Homes can draw curtains and blinds As the Indigo Bunting flies through this city, she faces threats she is not familiar with. During the day, as she looks for a place to rest, the city buildings covered in glass reflect the sky. She finds it difficult to avoid flying into the buildings, mistaking them for what she sees in the reflection. At night, the Indigo Bunting continues her migration as the city begins to glow with thousands of lights from streetlamps, store signs, and windows. The glow from the city lights is distracting and makes it difficult for the Indigo Bunting to stay on her migration path. Birds can be found in almost every ecosystem from ocean caves to bare deserts to freezing glaciers. With over 10,000 bird species in the Every year in North America, 3.5 billion birds die from flying into reflective buildings and windows. Light pollution can disrupt our bodies' internal clock, affecting our quality of sleep and, for nocturnal animals, their ability to survive. LIGHTS. GLASS.

5 Trees and plants are important to many living things, not just us! In cities and neighborhoods, trees and plants are food and shelter to many urban wildlife. Urban wildlife are animals that have adapted or learned how to live near people. Like trees and plants, these animals are important to our way of life, too. How do they help us? Hungry HeBirds of prey are birds that hunt or eat other animals. They help keep our environment clean and safe. Birds such as red taillpershawks and owls feed off of rats, mice, and snakes. Other birds, like turkey vultures, eat dead animals called carrion. Vultures protect our neighborhoods from carrion that can carry diseases. Pollinators are urban wildlife, too. Pollinators are small animals and insects that help trees and plants to reproduce, or multiply. Bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies are all examples of different pollinators. They fly to different trees and plants to find food. In return, they help trees and plants grow new seeds, nuts, or fruits and vegetables. Many of the foods we eat are because of pollinators. One third of the food we eat comes from a pollinator’s work! 9 closed to prevent indoor light from shining outside. Safety lights can be attached to timers or motion detectors to only switch on when they are needed. Street lamps should be covered with shades to direct light downward, away from the sky. To prevent bird strikes against buildings, glass windows can be covered in patterned film or stickers. The film breaks up the reflection on the windows, preventing birds from flying into them. Increasing the natural habitat in cities by adding trees, parks, and nature preserves will provide birds with safe places to shelter and find food. With these changes, the Indigo Bunting is able to migrate safely through the city. Providing birds with the things they need to survive creates a city that is safer for other wildlife, too. A city ecosystem that has food and shelter for wildlife and other living things will have stronger biodiversity and be a healthier home for people and wildlife. Eighty percent of migrating birds travel at night and rest during the day. Birds are considered keystone organisms so building environments that protect birds can benefit the entire ecosystem. This article is based on the elementary curriculum created by the Lights Out, Texas! team: Audubon Texas; Defenders of Wildlife; Texas Conservation Alliance; and Travis Audubon. ACTION! To subscribe to Maritimus Magazine, visit www.maritimusmagazine.com.

6 Helping nature helps us! Have you noticed how the trees, plants, birds, and pollinators all help each other? The trees and plants provide shelter and food for the birds and pollinators. The birds keep dangerous animals and diseases away. The pollinators help the trees and plants to grow. All parts of nature work in a perfect web so that every part can benefit. We are also a part of that cycle. We benefit from the trees, the plants, the birds, and the pollinators. In return, we help nature by taking care of it and protecting it from harm. Grow plants in your backyard, in a community garden, or on your balcony that will provide food and shelter for different urban wildlife. Keep a distance from the urban wildlife you spot, and do not disturb or bother them without need. Maritimus is a children's seasonal magazine that explores the natural world through the lens of urban life and aims to reframe our perspective of the role nature plays in our lives. Our mission is to help young readers (and their adults!) better understand our relationship with the natural world. If you would like to see more content from Maritimus, subscribe today at www.maritimusmagazine.com. Subscribe!