Manilpulated nature: Bonsai

[Moontanman]

:hyper: Beautimous!

 

I read an account of a Bonsai master in Japan who after the war could find no pots so he started growing trees on the low-curved roof tiles from the bombed out buildings and essentially started a new tradition. Does your book refer to this story too?

 

That should have read because the book said it couldn't be done :singer: No my book didn't tell that one but I have never cared much for tradition for traditions sake. When I get the pots and bowls done I'll post some pics, they really are quite wild looking.

[Turtle]

That should have read because the book said it couldn't be done :singer: No my book didn't tell that one but I have never cared much for tradition for traditions sake. When I get the pots and bowls done I'll post some pics, they really are quite wild looking.

 

:hyper: looking forward to your photos. i went and found an attachment here of the only photo i still have of what i consider my "last" Bonsai. it is a Varigated Cypress, and in spite of my earlier spitting on tradition, in this case I used spit & polish to construct the shallow container myself of Redwood. (i took my jab by putting the tree off-center. :eek2: :eek2: ) the tree died a couple Winters ago. :hihi: :hihi:

 

[Moontanman]

looking forward to your photos. i went and found an attachment here of the only photo i still have of what i consider my "last" Bonsai. :singer: it is a Varigated Cypress, and in spite of my earlier spitting on tradition, in this case I used spit & polish to construct the shallow container myself of Redwood. (i took my jab by putting the tree off-center. :eek2: :hyper: ) the tree died a couple Winters ago. :hihi: :eek2:

 

 

Great looking tree dude, My last tree was a beech tree collected in WV from a hill side on my cousins farm. I gave it to my son b ut it died shortly afterward. I like the water trees, besides being easier they are really cool. You should give it a go dude.

[HydrogenBond]

The bonsai tree is an example of using external potentials to differentiate the DNA. One can take cuttings from a full grown tree, to assure the same DNA, grow one normal and make the other into a bonsai, to get what appears to be two separate species (if we didn't analyze the DNA). Fossil evidence does not always have the DNA to analyze, so to assume only DNA changes might be over simplified.

 

If we look at this in terms of selective advantage, the same DNA can have selective advantage in two different states, if the cuttings from a particular plant are able to do well in both environments. Some cuttings may only have selective advantage, in only one of the two states. To make evolution more flexible, we need to take into consideration the bonsai effect of environmental manipulation of DNA.

 

The simplest model looks like a cross with the zero point, selective advantage. On the vertical axis we can alter the environment to get deviations plus and minus using a fixed DNA. For example, an animal can wander into better or worse feeding grounds, making it larger or smaller without any change to the DNA. Fish will often grow to the size of their container with the same DNA, etc.

 

On the horizontal axis is the DNA and mutations. Given a fixed environment, some genetic changes may improve food utilization for a positive gain, for example. A negative gain may be a modification of a gene that has a negative impact on digestion of the food.

 

When both affects are working together, an initial zero point, can end up in any of the four quadrants. It can end up with both positive genetic and environmental changes. It can end up with both negative genetic and negative environmental changes, positive genetic but negative environment, or positive environment and negative genetic. Whatever the situation, stabilization will define a new zero point called selective advantage.

 

The bonsai affect is also evident within the gestation cycle of animals. The growing fetus and embryo is dependant on the external environment which is controlled by the mother. For example, if the mother drinks too much alcohol or does drugs this can affect the final DNA differentiation of the DNA. But this is only part of the affect, since the combination of mother (environment) and child (any genetic changes) will define a new point within any of the four quadrants; new zero point.

 

An interesting affect are virus. They affect the environment of cells while also altering the genetic material. As a first guess, these may be clustered around an dashed line that is 45 degrees about the zero point. Medicine tries to shift the affect away from 45 degrees by adding more environmental potential.

[Turtle]

The bonsai tree is an example of using external potentials to differentiate the DNA. One can take cuttings from a full grown tree, to assure the same DNA, grow one normal and make the other into a bonsai, to get what appears to be two separate species (if we didn't analyze the DNA). Fossil evidence does not always have the DNA to analyze, so to assume only DNA changes might be over simplified.

 

If we look at this in terms of selective advantage, the same DNA can have selective advantage in two different states, if the cuttings from a particular plant are able to do well in both environments. Some cuttings may only have selective advantage, in only one of the two states. To make evolution more flexible, we need to take into consideration the bonsai effect of environmental manipulation of DNA.

 

You're really stretching the Bonsai into another topic that is for other threads. ;) Rather than follow you I will only say that if you plant a Bonsai back into the wild, it resumes its normal growth pattern. :) :confused:

[Moontanman]

Many people don't understand that bonsai are no less man made than a hedgerow that is trimmed to grow into the shape of an elephant.