Дюна
Appendix I: The Ecology of Dune
Ifsomethingdamsthatflow,ordercollapses.Theuntrainedmightmissthatcollapseuntilitwastoolate.That’swhythehighestfunctionofecologyistheunderstandingofconsequences.”
Hadtheyachievedasystem?
Kynesandhispeoplewatchedandwaited.TheFremennowknewwhathemeantbyanopen-endpredictiontofivehundredyears.
Areportcameupfromthepalmaries:
Atthedesertedgeoftheplantings,thesandplanktonisbeingpoisonedthroughinteractionwiththenewformsoflife.Thereason:proteinincompatibility.PoisonouswaterwasformingtherewhichtheArrakislifewouldnottouch.Abarrenzonesurroundedtheplantingsandevenshai-huludwouldnotinvadeit.
Kyneswentdowntothepalmarieshimself—atwenty-thumpertrip(inapalanquinlikeawoundedmanorReverendMotherbecauseheneverbecameasandrider).Hetestedthebarrenzone(itstanktoheaven)andcameupwithabonus,agiftfromArrakis.
Theadditionofsulfurandfixednitrogenconvertedthebarrenzonetoarichplantbedforterraformlife.Theplantingscouldbeadvancedatwill!
“Doesthischangethetiming?”theFremenasked.
Kyneswentbacktohisplanetaryformulae.Windtrapfigureswerefairlysecurebythen.Hewasgenerouswithhisallowances,knowinghecouldn’tdrawneatlinesaroundecologicalproblems.Acertainamountofplantcoverhadtobesetasidetoholddunesinplace;acertainamountforfoodstuffs(bothhumanandanimal);acertainamounttolockmoistureinrootsystemsandtofeedwateroutintosurroundingparchedareas.They’dmappedtherovingcoldspotsontheopenbledbythistime.
