Human & Plant Migration Research
Humans
As previously stated, I am using seed encapsulation, dispersal and putting down roots as a metaphor for human migration.
It is a hot topic right now, and has been for several years as many British people are concerned about the influx of Eastern Europeans coming in search of work and Syrian refugees seeking asylum and a peaceful life away from the war zone at home. Many British people are concerned about the effect of the increase in population of the UK - specifically employment opportunities, salaries, strain on the NHS and benefits systems.
The opinions and arguments go back and forth:
Eastern Europeans take all our jobs versus Eastern Europeans take all the manual labour jobs that British people aren't prepared to do such as fruit picking and chambermaid work.
Syrians come over here and scrounge off our benefit system or are terrorists themselves versus Syrians who are coming over here are often doctors, university lecturers, lawyers etc...just looking to start a new life, contribute to society and live in peace.
Feelings are strong on both sides of the argument and emotions are running high, as was evidenced with the EU referendum. Immigration seemed to be the main focus of the debate, dividing the country - friends and families fell out over their leave or remain stance. It's not just in the UK either - xenophobia and racism have become prominent once again in many countries that migrants aspire to reach.
I don't mean to be a fence sitter - artists are supposed to be opinionated, right?! But I can see both sides. I sympathise with immigrants - they have every right to make a better life for themselves, whatever their reasons for migration - economic, climatic, escape from war. On the other hand, population explosions do have a knock on effect on a countries economy, housing, health and benefits systems and employment.
The definition of migration is any change in spatial distribution of a species or other taxon through time.
The following statistics are from the Office of National Statistics:
Long-Term International Migration
Age distribution of the UK population, 1976 to 2046 (projected)
If immigration continues at a rate higher than emigration, and the population continues to rise and age, then the UK infrastructure may face difficulties as pressure is put on the country's economy, housing, health and benefits systems and employment. It will probably still be a desirable destination for people living in warzones, extreme poverty, drought etc...though.
We are looking at a tiny moment in history, and whilst I appreciate the importance of looking at contemporary issues and current affairs for artists, for my project I want to step back from this and look at the bigger picture. I believe that the current preoccupation with controlling immigration is very short sighted and doesn't take into account the social and economic benefits that can arise from a diverse population, and how historically immigration has often proven to be a beneficial force.
Human migration is one of the great driving forces of world history, creating and destroying nations and empires for better or worse and spreading ideas and technology.
The first humans evolved in Africa, emigrating from Africa into Asia and eventually all continents (excepting Antarctica) around 125,000 - 100,000 years ago, so anyone living outside of Africa has ancestrally migrated at some point.
We all carry in our genes a record of our ancestry, and in our teeth and bones a record of where we have lived in our own lifetimes - what we eat, the climate we live in and the air we breathe all makes its mark on us.
Whilst people migrate on an individual basis for many reasons, there have also been many mass migration events through history, a few notable examples include:Roman Colonialism, Jewish Diaspora, Viking Invasions, the African slave trade, the Irish during and after the potato famine and the aftermath of the second world war. These can be broadly divided into 2 groups - voluntary migrations or invasions and involuntary migrations/dispersions or diasporas. These are just a few examples of hundreds of events through history. Migration and immigration is nothing new, and not reserved for humans either - plants do it too.
Plants
There are many parallels between human and plant migration. The reasons for and methods of migration in humans and plants have a lot in common. They can be divided into similar groups - voluntary migrations or invasions and involuntary migrations/dispersions or diasporas.
The main difference is that humans generally migrate as an adult or in a family group. Plants generally migrate as seeds, except in the case of the Victorian plant hunters where adult plants were sometimes dug up and transported. The numbers would not have been sufficient to create a significant migration, however when they produced seeds, those who found their new climate and environment favourable, could reproduce and colonise areas.
There are around 250,000 living species of seed plants worldwide, each with a unique present geographical distribution and migrational history. There are a few plants which have attained a stable equilibrium - Canavalia Maritima, a pantropical seashore vine, hasn't changed it's range in over 200 years.
Just as when humans are in times of economic boom there is often a population explosion, the same can be said of plants - when the growing conditions are good, there will be an explosion in the plant population in that area.
When a new environment is created - such as the abandonment of a previously human inhabited area, an area of deforestation, the site of a natural disaster or bombing or a drained lake, plants will move in very quickly to establish themselves in this new environment, where they will have more space to grow and the potential for access to otherwise un-tapped resources. After the drainage of Northeast Polder in the Netherlands (48,000 hectares), seeds that had been at the bottom of the seafloor in sediment suddenly burst into life and the population explosion caused such quantities of wind borne seed that new colonies started, some over 300km away. (Bakker & Zweep 1957, Schroeder 1969 - Plant Migration - Jonathan D Sauer - University of California Press 1988)
A historical human equivalent would be the discovery of new lands, such as the development of the American West or the populating of Australia - the £10 Poms!
£10 Poms
We can consider the artificially controlled migrations of plants - plants cultivated by humans, taken from their natural environment and grown in new, foreign environments for our pleasure. Sometimes unsuccessfully - they die, sometimes artificially - they have to be kept in artificial climates in glass houses with heat and steam to create a suitable environment for them to live. Sometimes too successfully - they thrive in the new environment and overpower the native species in the fight for resources such as light, water and nutrients.
An obvious comparison can be drawn here with human slavery.
Human intervention can be devastating - not only can invasive species be imported in such a way, but as with genocide where there is an attempt to destroy a certain group of people, we do the same with plants, attempting to eradicate a certain type of plants that we call weeds. This brings to mind Hitler and the Nazi's desire to create the master race, which smarts of plant hybridisation.
General practise in botanical literature is to consider a species native wherever it is believed to have arrived and established itself without human 'help'.
The word native or indigenous are often used to indicate the place of origin for humans and plants. In this sense, Britain would have almost no native flora or fauna, or indeed humans! Much of the natural flora of California, too, would have to be classed as immigrant. For many plant species, even the general region of origin is unknown - same with human families!
Parallels can even be drawn with the types of migrants. In plants and humans there are 3 distinguishable groups:
a reproductive core in which plants are producing seed, or young and thriving human families looking to improve their lifestyle,
a marginal establishment zone where plants are not reproducing, this brings to mind refugee camps and settlements where the future is unstable and uncertain.
an outer seed shadow where seed germination is suppressed or aborted. This brings to mind British OAP's moving to Spain to enjoy the sun in their twilight years.
It's such a huge topic that there is no way I can cover it all, all I want to do is remind people that migration is as natural to human beings as it is to plants - it is nothing to fear.
For the record, I think we should show compassion to refugees - at some point the war will cease and many will return to their homeland. In the meantime, many are contributing to our society rather than taking benefits and adding further cultural diversity to our already varied society.
I also think we should be grateful that Eastern Europeans are willing to come over to do low paid work that British are loath to do - the employers are benefiting from getting their work done cheaply and as their home economy improves, at some point it will cease to be economically viable for them to come over so they will stop coming.
As previously stated, I am using seed encapsulation, dispersal and putting down roots as a metaphor for human migration.
It is a hot topic right now, and has been for several years as many British people are concerned about the influx of Eastern Europeans coming in search of work and Syrian refugees seeking asylum and a peaceful life away from the war zone at home. Many British people are concerned about the effect of the increase in population of the UK - specifically employment opportunities, salaries, strain on the NHS and benefits systems.
The opinions and arguments go back and forth:
Eastern Europeans take all our jobs versus Eastern Europeans take all the manual labour jobs that British people aren't prepared to do such as fruit picking and chambermaid work.
Syrians come over here and scrounge off our benefit system or are terrorists themselves versus Syrians who are coming over here are often doctors, university lecturers, lawyers etc...just looking to start a new life, contribute to society and live in peace.
Feelings are strong on both sides of the argument and emotions are running high, as was evidenced with the EU referendum. Immigration seemed to be the main focus of the debate, dividing the country - friends and families fell out over their leave or remain stance. It's not just in the UK either - xenophobia and racism have become prominent once again in many countries that migrants aspire to reach.
I don't mean to be a fence sitter - artists are supposed to be opinionated, right?! But I can see both sides. I sympathise with immigrants - they have every right to make a better life for themselves, whatever their reasons for migration - economic, climatic, escape from war. On the other hand, population explosions do have a knock on effect on a countries economy, housing, health and benefits systems and employment.
The definition of migration is any change in spatial distribution of a species or other taxon through time.
The following statistics are from the Office of National Statistics:
Long-Term International Migration
UK, 2007 to 2017 (year ending September 2017)
Immigration
Emigration
Net Migration
Revised Net Migration
Dec 07Dec 08Dec 09Dec 10Dec 11Dec 12Dec 13Dec 14Dec 15Dec 16
Year ending
0200400600800
Thousands
Sep 11
● Immigration: 581
● Emigration: 339
Immigration
Emigration
Net Migration
Revised Net Migration
Dec 07Dec 08Dec 09Dec 10Dec 11Dec 12Dec 13Dec 14Dec 15Dec 16
Year ending
0200400600800
Thousands
Sep 11
● Immigration: 581
● Emigration: 339
● Immigration: 581
● Emigration: 339
Source: Long-Term International Migration, Office for National Statistics
Notes:
- Figures for 2017 are provisional. In this chart provisional estimates are shown in a shaded area.
- Figures for 2017 are provisional. In this chart provisional estimates are shown in a shaded area.
| 0 to 15 years (%) | 16 to 64 years (%) | Aged 65 and over (%) | UK population | |
| 1976 | 24.5 | 61.2 | 14.2 | 56,216,121 |
| 1986 | 20.5 | 64.1 | 15.4 | 56,683,835 |
| 1996 | 20.7 | 63.5 | 15.9 | 58,164,374 |
| 2006 | 19.2 | 64.9 | 15.9 | 60,827,067 |
| 2016 | 18.9 | 63.1 | 18.0 | 65,648,054 |
| 2026 | 18.8 | 60.7 | 20.5 | 69,843,515 |
| 2036 | 18.0 | 58.2 | 23.9 | 73,360,907 |
| 2046 | 17.7 | 57.7 | 24.7 | 76,342,235 |
| Source: Office for National Statistics | ||||
| Notes: | ||||
| 1. Population estimates data are used for 1996 to 2016, while 2014-based population projections are used for 2026 and 2036. | ||||
If immigration continues at a rate higher than emigration, and the population continues to rise and age, then the UK infrastructure may face difficulties as pressure is put on the country's economy, housing, health and benefits systems and employment. It will probably still be a desirable destination for people living in warzones, extreme poverty, drought etc...though.
We are looking at a tiny moment in history, and whilst I appreciate the importance of looking at contemporary issues and current affairs for artists, for my project I want to step back from this and look at the bigger picture. I believe that the current preoccupation with controlling immigration is very short sighted and doesn't take into account the social and economic benefits that can arise from a diverse population, and how historically immigration has often proven to be a beneficial force.
Human migration is one of the great driving forces of world history, creating and destroying nations and empires for better or worse and spreading ideas and technology.
The first humans evolved in Africa, emigrating from Africa into Asia and eventually all continents (excepting Antarctica) around 125,000 - 100,000 years ago, so anyone living outside of Africa has ancestrally migrated at some point.
We all carry in our genes a record of our ancestry, and in our teeth and bones a record of where we have lived in our own lifetimes - what we eat, the climate we live in and the air we breathe all makes its mark on us.
Whilst people migrate on an individual basis for many reasons, there have also been many mass migration events through history, a few notable examples include:Roman Colonialism, Jewish Diaspora, Viking Invasions, the African slave trade, the Irish during and after the potato famine and the aftermath of the second world war. These can be broadly divided into 2 groups - voluntary migrations or invasions and involuntary migrations/dispersions or diasporas. These are just a few examples of hundreds of events through history. Migration and immigration is nothing new, and not reserved for humans either - plants do it too.
Plants
There are many parallels between human and plant migration. The reasons for and methods of migration in humans and plants have a lot in common. They can be divided into similar groups - voluntary migrations or invasions and involuntary migrations/dispersions or diasporas.
The main difference is that humans generally migrate as an adult or in a family group. Plants generally migrate as seeds, except in the case of the Victorian plant hunters where adult plants were sometimes dug up and transported. The numbers would not have been sufficient to create a significant migration, however when they produced seeds, those who found their new climate and environment favourable, could reproduce and colonise areas.
There are around 250,000 living species of seed plants worldwide, each with a unique present geographical distribution and migrational history. There are a few plants which have attained a stable equilibrium - Canavalia Maritima, a pantropical seashore vine, hasn't changed it's range in over 200 years.
Just as when humans are in times of economic boom there is often a population explosion, the same can be said of plants - when the growing conditions are good, there will be an explosion in the plant population in that area.
When a new environment is created - such as the abandonment of a previously human inhabited area, an area of deforestation, the site of a natural disaster or bombing or a drained lake, plants will move in very quickly to establish themselves in this new environment, where they will have more space to grow and the potential for access to otherwise un-tapped resources. After the drainage of Northeast Polder in the Netherlands (48,000 hectares), seeds that had been at the bottom of the seafloor in sediment suddenly burst into life and the population explosion caused such quantities of wind borne seed that new colonies started, some over 300km away. (Bakker & Zweep 1957, Schroeder 1969 - Plant Migration - Jonathan D Sauer - University of California Press 1988)
A historical human equivalent would be the discovery of new lands, such as the development of the American West or the populating of Australia - the £10 Poms!
£10 Poms
We can consider the artificially controlled migrations of plants - plants cultivated by humans, taken from their natural environment and grown in new, foreign environments for our pleasure. Sometimes unsuccessfully - they die, sometimes artificially - they have to be kept in artificial climates in glass houses with heat and steam to create a suitable environment for them to live. Sometimes too successfully - they thrive in the new environment and overpower the native species in the fight for resources such as light, water and nutrients.
An obvious comparison can be drawn here with human slavery.
Human intervention can be devastating - not only can invasive species be imported in such a way, but as with genocide where there is an attempt to destroy a certain group of people, we do the same with plants, attempting to eradicate a certain type of plants that we call weeds. This brings to mind Hitler and the Nazi's desire to create the master race, which smarts of plant hybridisation.
General practise in botanical literature is to consider a species native wherever it is believed to have arrived and established itself without human 'help'.
The word native or indigenous are often used to indicate the place of origin for humans and plants. In this sense, Britain would have almost no native flora or fauna, or indeed humans! Much of the natural flora of California, too, would have to be classed as immigrant. For many plant species, even the general region of origin is unknown - same with human families!
Parallels can even be drawn with the types of migrants. In plants and humans there are 3 distinguishable groups:
a reproductive core in which plants are producing seed, or young and thriving human families looking to improve their lifestyle,
a marginal establishment zone where plants are not reproducing, this brings to mind refugee camps and settlements where the future is unstable and uncertain.
an outer seed shadow where seed germination is suppressed or aborted. This brings to mind British OAP's moving to Spain to enjoy the sun in their twilight years.
It's such a huge topic that there is no way I can cover it all, all I want to do is remind people that migration is as natural to human beings as it is to plants - it is nothing to fear.
For the record, I think we should show compassion to refugees - at some point the war will cease and many will return to their homeland. In the meantime, many are contributing to our society rather than taking benefits and adding further cultural diversity to our already varied society.
I also think we should be grateful that Eastern Europeans are willing to come over to do low paid work that British are loath to do - the employers are benefiting from getting their work done cheaply and as their home economy improves, at some point it will cease to be economically viable for them to come over so they will stop coming.
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