KAPOTNYA

 
This educational initiative was created to give the city's residents an understanding of the value, beauty and amazing structure of urban natural systems. The program is an exciting hands-on workshop where students of the course will get acquainted with the amazing variety of life forms that live in the city - from bacteria and viruses to reptiles, birds and mammals. Students will learn to distinguish between species diversity, understand the change in seasonal processes and natural cycles, and actively participate in local practices to restore local ecosystems. In our cities, we coexist with millions of species, some of which are yet to be discovered. What are they? How do they live? And what evolutionary paths did they take to adapt to life in the city and become what they are? How important are the "green" parts of the city for us? How do they work and what can we do to make the city a single home for all of us, which preserves the health of the planet, and therefore our own?

This exhibition was a part of our bigger concept Atlas, where we are trying to discover how the relationship between humans and the biosphere will change.

We are planning to show the unique biodiversity of different regions in different countries.. 

The city is one of the main models for studying the global changes that occur in nature in connection with human activity. In its space, we coexist with millions of different species, some of which have yet to be discovered. How did they adapt to life in the city? And how is the ecosystem around us organized? The project "Atlas of Kapotnya: Nature" offers to take a closer look at the world of creatures that live very close by, to show the value and amazing structure of natural systems that are well known to us. 15 stands feature macro shots of the heroes of nature - our neighbors: they can be found in Kapotnya and other districts of Moscow. Each of them has adapted to the urban environment and has become an important part of the ecological reality of our city.

WATER

Fresh water is one of the most vulnerable ecosystems. They make up only 2.5% of the total water on the planet, but life on Earth depends on fresh water.

The health of the surrounding landscape is determined, among other things, by the purity of the water, one of the indicators of which is the species diversity of its inhabitants. The species composition of the Moscow River is changing, but some species have been living in it for centuries, adapting to changing conditions. Rivers, lakes and ponds are valuable ecological systems of our planet. Wetlands are considered to be one of the most biologically diverse types of ecosystems and are home to unique plant and animal species. They filter surface and ground waters and regulate the climate. Previously, swampy areas could be found throughout Moscow, but today there are only a dozen of them left in the city.

MEADOW

Biodiversity is a term that describes the wealth of all living organisms around us.

There are almost no meadows in the city, instead of them there are neat lawns, but the biodiversity of the meadow is many times higher. The more different species of plants, animals, birds, insects and microorganisms coexist in one area, the more complex the connections between them and the more stable the entire ecosystem. The forb meadow is home to dozens of plant species that need pollination in order to set seeds. Some plants reproduce by self-pollination, others by wind, but most need helpers - pollinator insects that carry pollen between flowers on their bodies. If you mow the grass regularly, then the plants will not have time to bloom, insects will disappear and pollinators will disappear. Decades are required for the natural restoration of meadow ecosystems.

SOIL

The soil is a living substance: the density of organisms in it exceeds the density of the most densely populated cities on the planet.

In one handful of earth, there are tens and hundreds of millions of living beings, most of which cannot be seen without a microscope: bacteria, fungi and algae, protozoa, insects. The soil layer is permeated with thin filaments of fungal hyphae: they form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots for the exchange of nutrients and information. The health of various organisms, and hence the state of the environment, directly depends on the quality of the soil. The organic and mineral composition of soils must be constantly replenished. Various invertebrates are the main ones in the decomposition of organic matter, with them the fallen leaves will be processed in a few weeks.

ALIEN

Common praying mantis
Mantis religiosa

Seeing a praying mantis in Moscow is not so easy yet, but these southern predatory insects are getting better at home in the capital. Praying mantises come in three colours: green, yellow or brown. Colouration depends on the conditions in which the larvae developed. To produce offspring, female praying mantises need a lot of protein food, so they often eat males after mating - simply because it is the nearest prey.
The expansion of the habitat of praying mantises is associated with global climate change: frost periods are becoming shorter, which allows clutches of this species to winter safely. Being by nature a resident of the steppe areas, the praying mantis gradually penetrates into new types of environments for itself: a stranger from the south can be found in glades, forest edges, and even in city parks.

CITIZEN

Red fox
Vulpes vulpes

Urban growth is leading to the destruction of wildlife habitats.
In the territories developed by man, wild species either disappear or adapt to new conditions - they become townspeople. In the city, they can get important benefits: plenty of food, less threat from predators, and milder winters. So, for example, it happened with foxes. Forests, large parks and sanitary protection zones within the city are quite suitable for a red-haired predator that preys on small rodents, destroys bird nests, and can also feed on garbage dumps. The introduction of wild species into the city increases the biodiversity needed for ecosystem resilience. And people are required to keep the city green and environmentally friendly so that the maximum number of wild animals can safely and comfortably coexist with humans.

THE POND KEEPER

Grass frog
Rana temporaria

Frogs can be called sensors of ecological well-being:
they are sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, chemical composition of water. Frogs regulate the number of insects, and their tadpoles, which feed on algae, restrain the flowering of water bodies.
The common frog differs from its relatives in the marble pattern on the abdomen. This species lives mainly on land: adults live both under trees and in clearings, and they winter in the water. In April, frogs go to shallow water bodies, where they spawn. Common frogs are rare in cities: roads and cars interfere with their migration from wintering grounds to spawning grounds. The conservation of ponds and swamps is important for maintaining amphibian populations and the balance of the urban ecosystem.

CITY EXPLORER

Blue dove
Columba livia

We don't know much about those we meet every day. Many will be surprised to hear that grey pigeons have an excellent memory: they are able to distinguish not only geometric shapes but also people's faces. The blue dove is a synanthropic, that is, a bird that has adapted to life next to a person. Our common history goes back at least 6,500 years: pigeons were domesticated in antiquity and then turned wild again.
The current city pigeons are distant descendants of domestic birds.
Pigeons form pairs for a long time, until the death of one of the partners. Since there is enough food and warm shelters in the city, Moscow pigeons breed chicks up to 6 times a year, even in winter. They build nests in the niches of buildings and in attics - such places are similar to shelters in coastal rocks and gorges, the original habitat of these birds.

SOIL ENGINEER

Earthworm
Lumbricina

Earthworms are one of the most important participants in the ecosystem.
They mix the soil, break down and mineralize plant residues, providing the entire ecosystem with nutrients. At least eight species of earthworms live in Moscow, almost indistinguishable from the outside. Worms live in the soil, digging passages up to a meter deep, and different species stay at different depths. In the process of digging holes, they also loosen the soil, saturating it with oxygen. In addition, worms are also food for many animals, birds and predatory insects.
The health of the fertile layer directly depends on the number of earthworms, so it is necessary to ensure that the worms have enough food, if possible, leave fallen leaves.

BIOSPHERE HERO

Honey bee
Apis mellifera

The honey bee has five eyes - two large ones on the sides of the head and three small ones at the top. Bees see ultraviolet, inaccessible to us, but do not distinguish red, they are attracted to blue shades, which are less common in nature than others. Some plants are thought to have evolved blue flowers to attract pollinating bees. The well-being of 80% of plants on Earth depends on the industriousness of bees. But in recent decades, the number of these insects has declined sharply. Main causes: pesticides, parasites, urban expansion and climate change. The fewer bees, the fewer flowering plants, which, in turn, leads to the further extinction of the former. To restore their population in cities, it is recommended not to mow the grass, plant mixed grass meadows, flower beds and flower beds.

CLIMATE MACHINE 

Norway spruce
Picea abies

Trees are very important for maintaining urban biodiversity. They improve air quality, provide plants and animals with a favourable habitat, food and protection. Conifers are rarely used in urban landscaping, as they are more demanding on conditions, but nevertheless, in Moscow there are about 20 different types of conifers in forests and artificial plantings of different years. In the city, you can find Siberian cedar, larch, juniper, fir, thuja, and different types of pines and firs. Proper placement of various types of green spaces, both coniferous and deciduous, in cities can help cool the air by several degrees, reducing the effect of the “thermal dome”, and mitigating the effects of climate change.

NEW NEIGHBOUR

Ogar
Tadorna ferruginea

In their way of life, these red ducks are more like geese: they feed not only in water, but also on land, and they take care of their offspring as a couple. Ogars appeared in Moscow in the post-war years, when the wings were not clipped at the zoo and they scattered around the city. Now the shelducks roam the football fields, boulevards, squares and even hippodromes, and nest in the attics of houses near water bodies. Ogars are migratory birds, but Moscow Ogars do not fly away for the winter: they are warm in the city. Ornithologists suggest that soon they will acquire even more differences from their relatives and become a separate subspecies of Muscovites. Larger and more aggressive shelducks crowd out the mallards familiar to us in places, but since their lifestyle is somewhat different, a balance of species will be established over time.

PREDATORY FILTER

Pemphigus
Utricularia vulgaris

Carnivorous aquatic plant without roots: pemphigus stems drift through a body of water, preferably a swampy one. Green bubbles on the stems are traps. They are equipped with sensitive hairs that react to small living creatures passing by insects, larvae, and small crustaceans. If the hairs give a signal, the valve on the vial swings open and sucks the victim inside. Pemphigus is the fastest plant on Earth: prey is drawn into the trap in a thousandth of a second. Also, pemphigus cleans reservoirs of heavy metals well -
zinc, copper, and lead, which in high concentrations are dangerous for animals and plants. The presence of this plant in the aquatic environment is a good sign that the flora and fauna of the reservoir are under control and are out of danger.