Healing Grounds Introduction and Chapter 1

     I found the introduction to be extremely helpful because it really sets the stage for the rest of the book by mentioning some of the main ideas (regenerative agriculture, carbon stocks, microbes, etc.) that will most likely be explained in greater detail later on.  An idea in the introduction that really stuck out to me was the idea of microbes relying on a diverse diet of plant roots present in the soil.  When we as a society talk about biodiversity and moving away from the idea of a monoculture, our first thoughts tend to be about the impacts we see above the surface.  How will this increase crop yield?  Are these crops growing in their native environment?  But what people may overlook is the complex system of fungi and bacteria that are hard at work below the surface providing services like water retention, nutrient cycling, and helping store atmospheric carbon inside the soil.  However, if we continue with the current methods of producing monocultures through fossil fuel-based inputs like tilling and plowing, our soils' carbon stocks will eventually be depleted.  Not only will this result in infertile soil but will also contribute even further to the CO2 that is causing our global climate to drastically shift.  

    Chapter one gave me a lot of insight into the relationships between plants, animals, soil, and the Indigenous communities that are working to strengthen them.  I've taken many classes related to biology and environmental science, and the idea of the keystone species is always mentioned which is always followed by the example of the otter and its importance towards its ecosystem.  If you asked me to name another keystone species, I probably wouldn't be able to.  This is why I found the first chapter to be so interesting.  The buffalo plays such an important role in its ecosystem by selectively grazing and migrating through the plains.  However, as European settlers invaded Indigenous lands and forced their own agricultural methods upon the natives, buffalo populations were reduced, subsequently reducing their keystone role in the ecosystem.  This inevitably led to the once prosperous and highly productive farm lands losing much of their viability.  This chapter also shines some light on this situation by talking about the various methods and efforts used by the Blackfeet Nation and surrounding areas to restore the relationship between buffalo and the agricultural land.  Reading about the history of these Indigenous communities, their practices, and what they went through is extremely inspiring and one of the keys to improving our agricultural methods for the future.