During the five weeks that the project has lasted for, we had a few changes:
The first one was changing the project, deciding to make a biosphere instead of evaluating the water cycle in a controlled area, a thing which we finnally were able to observe though,
The second one was due to an organisation problem; we were not able to find the little animals and insects that we were going to put into the bioshpere. Because of the fact that its winter and the temperature is cold, it was quite difficult to achieve this task. Animals and insects we wanted to complete the project don't really appear in winter so it is very hard to find some.
But even if the principal objective was not acomplished, some of the hypothesis that we asked ourselves were answered:
- The water cycle was completed, the water didn't completelly evaporated and that helped the plants grow.
- Even though the main objective wasnt to observe the water cycle in a controled environment, we were able to see this happen in the background.
- The second observation was that, the plants were constantly looking for the natural light instead of following the lamp's light, this may be one of the errors that we made because we put the tank near a window where light passed through directly and we didnt succesed to have the blinds down because they kept lifting them.
- The third observation that we saw was that the majority of the nicely grown plants were under the lamp, this is, probably, caused by the temperature changes between the not directly illuminated part and the illuminated part. This was a bit of a strange reaction, knowing that all plants moved to the window to have natural light.
miércoles, 25 de febrero de 2015
miércoles, 18 de febrero de 2015
Fourth Week Updates
The plants have been growing sideways because the blinds were up and they were getting more light from one side of the tank than the other.
We will change that before introducing the heterotrophic lifeforms into the environment.
On the other hand, the water source in our ''biosphere'' i still capable of providing enough water for the plants to continue living.
These obsevations prove that water cycle is happening in our tank and that it is capable of suplying sustainable life into a biosphere.
We will change that before introducing the heterotrophic lifeforms into the environment.
On the other hand, the water source in our ''biosphere'' i still capable of providing enough water for the plants to continue living.
These obsevations prove that water cycle is happening in our tank and that it is capable of suplying sustainable life into a biosphere.
Biosphere Project
Today we started changing and updating the actual body of the project, the writen part.
Having started the project in the first trimester with a different point of view on our project, we now have to change practically everything. The work load has been doubled for our group because of this direction change in the investigation.
With only two or three weeks remaining in the second trimestre we have to hurry up and at least start the observations of sustainable life in the biosphere and not just...plants and water.
Having started the project in the first trimester with a different point of view on our project, we now have to change practically everything. The work load has been doubled for our group because of this direction change in the investigation.
With only two or three weeks remaining in the second trimestre we have to hurry up and at least start the observations of sustainable life in the biosphere and not just...plants and water.
miércoles, 11 de febrero de 2015
Third Week's Observations
After three weeks of observing the factors of the biosphere to better understand how to create a sustainable biosphere, we have decided to start the second phase of the project. We will leave the plants alone one more week and then we will introduce into the environment the different lifeforms: Which will be worms, woodlouse, and more...
(photos)
During this time we have observed a series of things:
-The water in the tupperware is more then enough the be reused through the water cycle,
-During the growth of the plants there has been a positive phototropism in the stalk of the lentils and chickpeas which consists of the stalk growing towards the light source, they have grown in different directions to get to spaces where there is more light for them, meaning more light and less plants around them.
-The plantes on the farther end of the tank and closer to the water soure have grown less and are not in a good condition because of the high concentration of condensated water around them.
-The tank has presented condensation and small clouds mostly on the plastic film on top of the water source and not on the side under the light source, for that condensation has evaporated. There is also a high concentration of condensation on the side of the tank next to the window because of outside factors.
For the next part of the project we will work to level out the outside factors and focus on the factors created by us.
(photos)
During this time we have observed a series of things:
-The water in the tupperware is more then enough the be reused through the water cycle,
-During the growth of the plants there has been a positive phototropism in the stalk of the lentils and chickpeas which consists of the stalk growing towards the light source, they have grown in different directions to get to spaces where there is more light for them, meaning more light and less plants around them.
-The plantes on the farther end of the tank and closer to the water soure have grown less and are not in a good condition because of the high concentration of condensated water around them.
-The tank has presented condensation and small clouds mostly on the plastic film on top of the water source and not on the side under the light source, for that condensation has evaporated. There is also a high concentration of condensation on the side of the tank next to the window because of outside factors.
Front view
Top view
Side view
For the next part of the project we will work to level out the outside factors and focus on the factors created by us.
miércoles, 4 de febrero de 2015
Weekly Observation of Plants
The biosphere has been set up for 2 weeks now. We have been meassuring the length of the plants to have a record of their growth in this time.
During the first week we choose 3 lentil plants and 2 chickpea plants to observe. The chickpea plants didnt grow on the surface during the first week, the lentil plants grow an average of 8cm.
During the second week the lentil plants were at an average of 10.7cm and the chickpeas have many different growth lengths, some reaching up to 8cm and other not surpassing 2-3cm
During the first week we choose 3 lentil plants and 2 chickpea plants to observe. The chickpea plants didnt grow on the surface during the first week, the lentil plants grow an average of 8cm.
Front view
Othe front view
Top view
During the second week the lentil plants were at an average of 10.7cm and the chickpeas have many different growth lengths, some reaching up to 8cm and other not surpassing 2-3cm
Front view
Top view
Second trimester; Biosphere Project
At the beggining of this trimester we started planning how we would develop the actual investigation and experimentation of our project. Thats when we realized that what we had planned to do with controlling the water cycle wouldnt really be possible to meassure and observe. So after much thought, We decided to change the concept of our project to be able have a project which could be investigated and observed fully in the lab.
The backbone of our project will now be to create a sustainable biosphere.
During the first weeks of work, before the start of winter vacations, we started planning how we would set up the experiment in the lab We used a big tank and filled it with soil, We left a space in the center left side of the tank, were we inserted a tupperware filled with water to create a water cycle inside the biosphhere. We planted lentils and chickpeas annd watched them grow during the weeks of work.
The tank is being shined with light by a lamp positioned to the right of it. We have been controlling the light with a timer so that the tank will only get 10 hours of ''sun light'' to simmulate the time of sunlight they would get in an outside environment.
The tank is positioned next to a window, ecause there is no other available space, but this means there is outside factors affecting the biosphere. The humidity and cold from the winter weather outside the lab is causing some sides of the tank to have a higher level of water condensation. And there is also outside light reaching iinto the biosphere.
We also were planning on introducing animals into the biosphere but we havent been able to insert them yet. In the end we have decided to do a first test of the biosphere only with the plants, see how they grow and live in a controlled biosphere all alone. At some point they will start to die and we will calculate how long it took and the possible reasons for this. Then we will repeat the biosphere with different factors inside, and with smalll animals as well.
The backbone of our project will now be to create a sustainable biosphere.
During the first weeks of work, before the start of winter vacations, we started planning how we would set up the experiment in the lab We used a big tank and filled it with soil, We left a space in the center left side of the tank, were we inserted a tupperware filled with water to create a water cycle inside the biosphhere. We planted lentils and chickpeas annd watched them grow during the weeks of work.
The tank is being shined with light by a lamp positioned to the right of it. We have been controlling the light with a timer so that the tank will only get 10 hours of ''sun light'' to simmulate the time of sunlight they would get in an outside environment.
The tank is positioned next to a window, ecause there is no other available space, but this means there is outside factors affecting the biosphere. The humidity and cold from the winter weather outside the lab is causing some sides of the tank to have a higher level of water condensation. And there is also outside light reaching iinto the biosphere.
We also were planning on introducing animals into the biosphere but we havent been able to insert them yet. In the end we have decided to do a first test of the biosphere only with the plants, see how they grow and live in a controlled biosphere all alone. At some point they will start to die and we will calculate how long it took and the possible reasons for this. Then we will repeat the biosphere with different factors inside, and with smalll animals as well.
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