terrarium research |
find a solution |
Terrarium Supplies 1. Selecting a container - The container can be almost anything at all. You can choose something dish like to create an open air container or something bottle like to create a closed environment terrarium which is a bigger challenge to make and to maintain. 2. A Layer of course sand or pebbles is placed in the bottom of the container. This allows for good drainage of the water in the terrarium. 3. Activated Charcoal - If you are making a closed container terrarium you should next place a layer of activated charcoal over the pebbles/sand layer. In a closed environment this charcoal will filter the air and keep it fresh. This is the type of charcoal used in aquarium filters so you can purchase it at any pet shop with aquarium supplies. If you are making an open top terrarium there is no need for this charcoal. Amazon.com has it right here: Hoffman 17502 Charcoal Soil Conditioner, 24-Ounce 4. Add a layer of Spaghnum Moss on top. This prevents the soil in your terrarium from settling down into the pebbles. It is kind of a like a filter that will allow the water to filter down but not the soil. If you don't have spaghnum moss a very fine screen will work well here but over time the screen will rust and need to be replaced. 5. Add Soil - Regular potting soil works fine. There is no need to try a fancy mix. But if you are creating a desert scene and using cactus you may want to get potting soil specifically designed for them. 6. Add the plants and or seeds. Care should be taken in this step. You want to arrange things in a way that is pleasing to the eye. You may want to make sketches before you plant. Or you may want to dig some small holes and move the plants around -trying different locations and arrangements. I have a list of common terrarium plants here 7. Finishing touches - Add ornaments or other decorations. These add a nice touch to your terrarium. Plants Multiple Plants - When I am shopping for plants I also look for multiple plants in the same pot. This picture here shows an abundance of stalks in the pot. These can be separated and planted in smaller groups or even as individual plants. This gives you good artistic control over your terrarium. It also allows you to get good variety without overcrowding. Coastal forests[edit]The coast of California north of San Francisco contains the Northern California coastal forests (as defined by the WWF) and the southern section of the Coast Range ecoregion (as defined by the EPA). This ecoregion is dominated by redwood forest, containing the tallest and some of the oldest trees in the world.[21] The redwood forests thrive in a thin belt up to 35 miles (56 km) wide next to the coast, where the trees are kept moist by winter rains and summer fog.[21] The redwood forests are also notable for having the highest forest productivity in the world.[21] Consumer- The consumer we chose to put into our terrarium are worms. We chose to put worms in our terrarium because the are native to the region or terrarium is based off of. In Addition worms like to eat scraps of fruit and vegetables, which would help compost old scraps of food our classmates have. Producer- The producers we chose for our terrarium are coastal oak and pine saplings, along with spanish moss. Not only are these plants native to coastal forest but there plants that worms eat and decompose. We think that these would be some good plants to start out with and we hope to add more during the project. Project Proposal For our project we are choosing to build a terrarium from materials that we find locally. our terrarium is going to be based on a damp forest setting and will include, gravel, charcoal, nutrient enriched soil, and various plants that are found around california. the main ecosystem of california that we will be focusing on is the coastal forest. What You Do:
materials list: .worms .selected glass or plastic container: Paige .gravel: provided .activated charcoal: provided .moss: nursery .soil: provided .plants: moss, coastal plants . sticks and twigs: found outside CCD Reflection: For the CCD research lab we divided up the questions and used the reading packets and internet to find the answers. I answered the questioned that had to do with what other factors could be causing CCD besides pesticides. I concluded that CCD could have to do with changing weather patterns and how humans could be affecting bees. All these factors affects are always changing but the ones that are beginning to stabilize are pesticides and changing weather patterns. Humans affects are constantly changing depending on how many people are educated on their affect on bees. In addition ton learning about CCD in this lab we also learned about graphing and curve fits. We graphed our data in a scatter plot and looked at different curve fits to best represent our data. Video Reflection: The problem we decided to look into was the seniors chalking mt. Burdel and how its been affecting that part of the hill. The proposal we created was to use alternate markers to mark the hill so that the ecosystem would not have such a negative affect on it. We collaborated with the National Parks service to find out what animals live on mt.Burdel. After acquiring this information our team researched the affects of chalk and other marks on plants and animals. I felt that I took leadership on figuring negative affects on animals and plants and finding different options. Two things that I could have done better would be helping more with the creation of the video and delegating the research. I learned that it is important to have a goal of what problems you want to solve in your life time. This will not only better yourself but better your community and the people around you. |
Problem: The problem that our group has chosen to identify is the chalk on senior hill. This is a problem that not only the students have identified but the national parks service. The problem with marking the hill with chalk is that it kills the the plants under the chalk. It kills the plants by shielding them from the sun and realizes chemicals from the chalk. Also there are endangered animals that call this hill their home. These animals have been living in these hills for years digging burrows to get away from the hot sun in the summer and the rain in the winter. The chalk has covered up these burrows and forced these endangered animals to move away from their natural habitat in this hill and move on to greener pastures. Solution: Although we won't be able to solve the problem of shielding plants from the sunlight we will be able to solve the chemical issue. It would be nearly impossible to take all the chalk out of the burrows so we decided to make a new solution. We can use alternative resources such as colored rocks and lights that would not only reduce yearly waste but also provide room for plants to keep growing. Even though there would be a high initial cost it would be a good long term investment. If we could not afford the lights or rocks than we could use straw wattles. we could purchase these and paint them white and use them for a couple years. Each class would at the beginning of the year go up to the hill and take out the past years wattle and put up one of their own. We would make this an annual event let's say the first friday of every school year. Say you were the junior class you could rearrange the wattles or paint new parts of the wattles. Since the senior class hates when the juniors put up their number they could flip the wattle so it looks unpainted. Once the paint fades the seniors then would repaint the wattle. Materials: 1.Straw wattle 300ft- $300 2.Lights 3.White paint 5 Gallons- $50 Movie Plot: 1.Introduction to problem 2.Talk about the organisms being harmed by the chalk 3.Explain what we can do to help 4.talk about the solution being the wattle 5.explain how the wattle will work 6.tell the viewers how the seniors will be able to make this work 7.conclusion Native Animals: Grasshopper Sparrow see link… mammals http://wild.enature.com/guides/index.php?partner=mcosd&guideID=1723&groupID=5 birds http://wild.enature.com/guides/index.php?partner=mcosd&guideID=1723&groupID=1 butterflies http://wild.enature.com/guides/index.php?partner=mcosd&guideID=1723&groupID=2 amphibians http://wild.enature.com/guides/index.php?partner=mcosd&guideID=1723&groupID=7 SOCRATIC seminar reflectionI do think humans are responsible for global warming, but a very very small amount. I don't believe if humans make huge efforts to decrease their "carbon footprint" will do much of anything because of our constant need for these green house gasses. it would be almost impossible to find an alternative for the more than 80% things we use gas, oil, or coal to power. short or long term. But this doesn't mean we shouldn't make efforts to decrease them. the main cause of global warming is our treatment of nature. we have been ignoring climate changes for the last 20 years and have failed to do anything about it. We cut down our forests and force animals into more competitive situations. As a society and as a to stop global warming we can use less energy around the house. Try replacing your standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. When you come to buy a new car, choose one that offers good mileage. Kitchen appliances now also come in a range of energy efficient models. We can also try to put an end to deforestation. As individuals we should make a routine of turning off all your lights and unplugging outlets when not being used. something you can do is something you've heard many times, reduce ,reuse, recycle. One more thing you can do is very simple, plant a tree! They are a significant part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle on Earth. Just one tree can absorb one ton of CO2 in its lifetime. little things like this can make a huge difference. everyone should make efforts to decrease their carbon footprints and help save our earth. :) Terrarium Reflection: 1st week: There was really no change this week because we were still trying to get the plants some light and remembering to water. 2nd week: We noticed some growth in the fern and water starting to form pools in some areas. Also worm died. 3rd week: The fern started to grow upwards out of the jar and we watered it a little less so water wouldn't make pools. 4th week: The fern did not grow any taller but the dead fern started to decay into the terrariums soil. |