Niche


Pertama kali saya belajar konsep niche adalah 2 tahun lalu, ketika mengambil mata kuliah ekologi, bidang yang akhirnya saya pilih sebagai konsentrasi saya untuk tugas akhir. Niche atau kalau dalam bahasa Indonesia bisa diartikan sebagai relung adalah konsep dasar ilmu ekologi, konsep dasar bagi setiap spesies yang ada di bumi ini.

In other words, a species niche consists of all the factors necessary for its existence - approximately when, where, and how a species makes its living (Molles, 2009)

Ada beberapa definisi niche yang berbeda dari beberapa pakar ekologi. Namun akhirnya sampai pada suatu pernyataan bahwa pada 2 spesies dengan niche yang identik, maka kedua spesies tersebut tidak akan koeksis, artinya akan terjadi kompetisi dan hanya salah satu yang akan survive.

"When two species compete, one will be a more effective competitor for limited resources, that is, will be more effective at converting resources into offspring. As a consequence, the more effective competitor will have higher fitness."

Jadi setiap spesies, kalau menurut saya, sudah punya niche masing-masing, karena itu dasar, semua faktor yang mendukung hidup dan kehidupan kita, itu adalah niche kita. Tentu faktor-faktor tersebut berbeda antar satu spesies dengan spesies lain, atau mungkin antara satu individu dengan individu lain. 

Masalahnya adalah, resources terbatas, dan sudah jadi kodrat setiap yang bernyawa di bumi ini, kita akan berjuang untuk mempertahankan eksistensi kita, itulah mengapa ada kompetisi, so that we can survive. Oke, mungkin skala pengertian niche disini adalah antar spesies, jelas niche kita, manusia dengan pohon pasti berbeda. Tapi kalau menurut saya, kadang konsep ini bisa appropriate juga untuk antar individu.

Ambil contoh manusia, memang benar kita sudah punya niche masing-masing, path kita masing-masing, fate atau apalah. Kalau begitu kenapa terjadi kompetisi?
  • Pertama, back to the concept, resource terbatas, akan ada irisan kebutuhan, maka akan terjadi kompetisi, salah satu akan menang.
  • Kedua, tidak semua dari kita yakin dengan apa yang kita tuju, tidak semua dari kita konsisten dengan apa yang kita jalani. Ini bagian tersulit, masalahnya adalah sangat sulit memastikan apakah kita sudah ada di path yang tepat atau belum. Mengutip dari salah satu quote : "The most difficult thing about finding your own path is that you're already on it", kadang kita tidak sadar bahwa (sebenarnya) kita sudah ada di jalan yang tepat.
  • Poin nomer 2 diatas menuju pada ketidakkonsistenan, contohnya begini : kita belum yakin benar dengan cita-cita kita, bakat kita dimana, lalu dalam perjalanan, kita melihat orang lain, dia sudah yakin benar dengan bakat dan cita-citanya. Lalu kita terinspirasi, kita mulai mengikuti jejaknya, namun pada akhirnya dia berhasil kita tidak. Lalu kita berhenti sampai disitu, dan terpengaruh lagi dengan orang lain, lalu kita ikuti lagi , lalu gagal lagi. Begitu seterusnya
The point is, kompetisi itu menurut saya pasti, yang terpenting adalah kita tahu apa yang menjadi kebutuhan kita (dan bukan hanya sekedar keinginan), menulusuri path kita, niche kita. Every creature has their own niche, masalahnya ya itu tadi seperti yang sudah disebutkan diatas.

Ini menurut saya, saya bukan ahli ekologi, lulus juga belum, tapi kalau boleh berpendapat, inilah pendapat saya.

Anonymous Post


We cannot change what's already in place but it doesn't happen to the dawn which replacing the night
I started thinking that every day always begin with the darkness, then sun appears, warm at first, burns later. 
then it calms down slowly, makes beautiful scenery if we're lucky enough to see and it vanished, at last.

Then it comes to the part, the most hated for some people, the night, darkness again and the day ends.
A simplification of life, let say an analogy, merely but actually not that simple. We should not ignore the cloud, lightning, rain, or rainbow. They might be warning, they might not.

So If I may conclude, in general, we all started the same journey, same pattern of life. There will be the dark, there will be the light, there will be warning.
We cannot refuse when the rain comes, no one to blame, but we can think how to survive.
We may cry, we may be angry but it won't change anything or it just drown you into deep slums you dont like.

So, now the question is, where are we now?

Rocky


Once again, I find myself being inspired by this movie. I remember the first time my Dad introduced me to this Sylvester Stallone's masterpiece. I thought this is just an ordinary-action-movie, very common. But it was totally wrong. There's something we can learn behind every scene and conversation. 

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth."
-Rocky Balboa-

A Plain Morning

and the people here are asking after you, it doesn't make it easier
it doesn't make it easier to be away

I'd like to hire a plane, I'd see you in the morning

Prayer of The Woods

"I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights, the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun, and my fruits are refreshing droughts quenching your thirst as you journey on"


"I am the beam that holds your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you lie, and the timber that builds your boat."

"I am the handle of your hoe, the door of your homestead, the wood of your cradle, and the shell of your coffin."

"I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty"

YE Who Pass by, listen to my prayer : "Harm Me Not"


source : tumblr

a contemplation

The story I'm going to share here is quite personal but let's find there are some notes to learn in order to contemplate life.

Here, in the last months to stay, when I've done almost all the academic stuffs, when my final project done and started to write, this contemplation comes. I've been through a process,  a phase in life. My final project is about mountain, forest, and its dynamics. I have to walk for hours to reach my plot, I don't even need a GPS to guide or lead me home. This place turns to be the place I love the most, the place where I (and we) truly belong.


There are no disruption, distraction, confusion, all dissapear as the signal slowly go and I enjoyed it. I am not a person who's physically strong but I know how to enjoy every trip. When mother nature speaks, cold air, bad weather or even gale can't bring me down, they taught me how to appreciate life, to be grateful for all the blessings.


How the smell of trees, a sprawling bush, a petrichor after the rain, a clean sky, stars and moon within work together, build the atmosphere, indescribable feeling. Looks tiring for some people, why don't you just working in a lab or somewhere looks fun? no, it's not me. That is for some people, but not for me.


This isn't a first mountain, every place made a history, a story, but Papandayan has become a part of my journey. How every single thing related to it has given many lessons about time-management, respect, self-confidence, decision, courage, maturity and other things. I feel honed, physically and mentally.


"Do not complain", if one thing life has successfully taught me, it must be that.

The goal itself is not about graduation but how many things we can learn from time to time. It's not about to be graduated on time or late. It's about how things can make yourself unbreakable. It is not about leaving or being left, it is you making a decision, it is you create your own fate. It is not about perfection, it is how much you can learn perfectly. 

So as this contemplation comes, I deserve a contemplation of yours :)