Gaia Strikes Back !

Gaia Strikes Back !
Andre Willers
14 Nov 2010

Synopsis :
The success-rate of angiosperm reproduction has fallen due to reduction in Gaiean non-angiosperm reserves . This has major consequences for human food supplies .
(Indeed , alarm bells should be ringing loudly.)

Discussion :
See :
NewScientist 11 Sept 2010 p6 "Pollen crisis"
http://andreswhy.blogspot.com : "The Flower , the Dinosaur and Puff" , "Tunneling Nanotubes ." and "Death of the Dinosaurs"

The effects of the decrease in Gaiean non-angiosperm reserves (mainly gymnosperms and fungi) was discussed at length . The decrease in pollinator numbers (ie bees and dependant species like frogs) was expected .

However , a new effect has appeared from 1999 onward .
(See "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B , vol 365 ,p3187)
Naturally pollinated plants fared consistently worse compared to artificially pollinated plants (the effects of insect scarcity was eliminated : there was no pollinator scarcity in the test system .)

There are three possible explanations
1.Plants are producing less pollen .
2.Angiosperm double-fertilization has been reduced .
3.A combination of both .

The second possibility is truly worrisome .

The mechanism :
Some factors produced by gymnosperms and/or fungi were in balance with the angiosperm double-fertilization trick . The balance was at the discussed 1/3 non-angiosperm , 2/3 angiosperm level . This was the level about 90 million years ago .

(Typical evolutionary would be : inhibitors (A) of angiosperm double-fertilization would be inhibited by gymnosperm inhibitors(B1) and fungi inhibitors(B2) .
The success of angiosperms would then occur if B1<>B2 .
Angiosperms sort-of wriggled their way into exploiting the inequalities between the two systems .)

As the gymnosperm forests shrink (eg human deforestation , global warming) and fungal mass shrink (eg draining of marshlands , sequestering of sulfur-bearing biomass) , double-fertilization becomes rarer . B1 and B2 both shrink , leading to increased inhibition A .

The effects should be more pronounced at the borders of the three biomes .

Quorum mechanisms .
These most likely have been established , as this process has been around for about 130 million years .

This means that a sudden , catastrophic reduction of angiosperm reproduction to gymnosperm reproduction is not only possible , but likely .
Crop yields would fall by factors of 100 – 10 000 within a season .
(Something like a natural version of Monsanto's Terminator gene)

The resultant die-off of over-successful dependant species would re-establish business-as-usual from Gaia's viewpoint .

Artificial pollination in agricultural enclaves (like agricultural towers) is possible if they survive the warfare . (Cf ants and termites , who seem to have been here before)

Or else , the genetic- and bio-engineers could get off their duff .

It is doubtful if any political solution except war is possible . (Tragedy of the Commons argument)

We could awaken Gaia .
The Sleeping Princess with a vengeance .
It is definitely possible (probability about 80% in 2010)
This might happen in any case given present technology . Humans would be part of the gestalt .
(As discussed in http://andreswhy.blogspot.com : "Death of the Dinosaurs" )

This might seem like a political solution , but is it really ?
Does a weed negotiate with the gardener ? Only if it is smart weed and can be useful .
But autonomy would be limited .
(On the other hand , I have had spirited negotiations with crabgrass , and usually came out on the losing end.)

Interesting times in the gardens of Sol .

Andre