Nature: Observations and a bit on Natural Selection

As I sit on the concrete bench adjacent to the lake, I look to the left and right of my feet. I see leaves, mulch, and clumps of grass, both healthy and dead. Extremely close to the water lies a plant with long, slender leaves. Its location suggests that its roots are directly obtaining nutrients from the lake. I then begin to wonder how its seed reached this destination. Did a bird deposit the seed, or was it planted by a human, or did the plant over gradually move to this location. Currently the plant appears mostly green with a hint of brown on the ends of its long slender leaves. On the leaves also appear hole where bugs have eaten the plant, but the plants seem not to be thoroughly plagued by the bugs. As I look more closely at the grass surrounding my feet, I see traditional grass, a patch of clover, some weeds stemming from the grass, and many leaves turning brown as they are no longer attached to their source of life. They appear crisp, and cracks are present throughout most. As my eyes progress from the landscaped area to the naturally formed woods, I see less definition in the placement of different plants types. They all seem to be bunched together. When nature controls the placement of plants, only the strong survive. The area directly below the tress have much more dirt than vegetation as the sun seldom reaches these areas. It also appears that the tops of the trees are greener than the middle and bottom. As I examine the tree from top to bottom, the leaves appear more red, brown, and yellow the farther I look down the tree. As I search for animals, I am unable to find any squirrels but I do see ants hiding beneath the dried leaves, and other insects climbing to the peaks of different pieces of grass for a purpose I don't know. Concerning natural selection, its seems that the grass surrounding the brick base upon which I am sitting has not been able to successfully adapt to the constant treading it receives from humans every day. It appears brown and is flatter, and has less body than the green grass. In the distance I hear a cricket. I don’t know why it chirps, but it ceases to stop as I listen. As the mild wind blows, the vegetation surrounding me moves back and forth. It amazes me that the vegetation does not break with the resistance from the wind. It has truly been engineered to withstand the breeze that is generated across the surface of the pond. In the mulched areas around the bench, there exists a stray weed here and there. These weeds are special because they have to beat the power of weed killers and survive on their own merit, in the absence of proper nourishment . It is also amazing to consider the strength of the ants that budge the leaves that appear fifty or sixty times larger than they do. From my time reflecting on nature, two major questions emerge in my though process. First, how can ants possess enough strength to lift objects up to sixty times their own weight? Second, what is in the composition of most forms of vegetation that allows them to bend, but not break in the wind? Though I do not know the formal answers to these questions, I am aware that natural selection has played a role in how these plants have the characteristics they have and need in order to survive.