EVOLVE | CATEGORIES
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RESILIENCE:
NATURE VERSUS CITY
Resilience has different ways of developing and can take very different forms: this is demonstrated by some animal and tree specimens capable of surviving in extreme conditions, but also by some urban areas that have modified their organizational structure to cope with climatic stress or factors of other kinds.
The most resilient animals TARDIGRADE Also called the “water bear”, it is a tiny marine invertebrate that can reach a maximum of half a millimeter: it has 8 legs, inhabiting the ocean floor and some humid environments (rocks and reefs). It can survive up to 30 years without food or water and is capable of withstanding temperatures ranging from -272° C to 150° C. Scientists say it could live for over 10 billion years, much longer than life has on Earth. ANOLIS SCRIPTUS This is a common lizard found throughout the archipelago of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Harvard University scholars compared the characteristics of these specimens before and after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and found that the surviving lizards had smaller bodies and longer, more gripping legs. This is why they have been renamed as “the lizards that defy hurricanes”.
The most resilient trees in the world DESERT ROSE Defined as a “wondrous tree” - not only because it manages to survive, but also to bloom in conditions of extreme drought - it is a tall shrub native to the Middle East and tropical and sub-tropical Africa. It has a unique appearance due to its swollen bottle-shaped trunk and thick branches arranged in a spiral. TREE BENT BY THE WIND IN AUSTRALIA The saying “I bend but I don’t break” is perfectly suited to this particular shrub found in Western Australia in the Yalligup steppes. For centuries, its trunk has been completely bent sideways due to the strong wind. Regardless of this, it quietly carries on growing.
N° 6 - DECEMBER 2020
TREE OF LIFE IN KALALOCH The roots of this tree rest on two strips of land separated by a deep chasm, but despite the emptiness below, the Tree of Life of Kalaloch in Washington State (USA) continues to sustain its precarious balance and germinate every year. THE “CROOKED FOREST” IN POLAND The Crooked Forest got its name from its 400 pine trees, all of which have a strange northward curvature at the base of their trunk. And yet they have managed to grow in height throughout their development without any problems.
Resilience in the language of flowers LOTUS FLOWER This flower symbolizes the power of resistance because it shows how to transform adversity into potential: it is similar to a water lily but sinks its roots into the mud of lagoons and lakes. It retains its seeds much longer than all other flowers, so long that it can last up to 30 centuries before blooming without losing its fertility. DANDELION The dandelion is also called taraxacum, or lion’s tooth, due to the serrated and jagged shape of its leaves. It blooms annually in spring, producing beautiful yellow flowers. It can proliferate anywhere, even in the most adverse conditions and in the tightest spaces. This is why the dandelion symbolizes strength, hope and trust. In fact, legend has it that Theseus ate exclusively dandelions for 30 days straight in order to become strong enough to face and defeat the Minotaur.
