terrarium lab
This lab is part of the Ecology unit.
Introduction/Objective
Design and monitor a successful terrarium, in order to better understand how to create and upkeep an ecosystem.
Hypothesis
All of the organisms in our terrarium will survive until the end of this project.
Materials
-a container with a lid, to open for watering and sunlight and close to protect from angry teens and the cold
-potting soil, bought by Ms. Flasher
-sand
-pebbles
-charcoal
-water
-various plants from sloat, in our case this weird dark moss, sedum, and an iris.
-worms stolen from the ground
Methods/Procedure
-put the pebbles into the container
-put the sand into the container on top of the pebbles
-put the charcoal into the container, on top of the pebbles and sand
-put the dirt into the container, on top of the charcoal and sand
-dig a hole in the dirt large enough for the roots of the moss
-put the moss in the hole and cover the roots with dirt
Results -time point photos
A day later, the one plant we had is alive. These pictures were taken on November 2.
Design and monitor a successful terrarium, in order to better understand how to create and upkeep an ecosystem.
Hypothesis
All of the organisms in our terrarium will survive until the end of this project.
Materials
-a container with a lid, to open for watering and sunlight and close to protect from angry teens and the cold
-potting soil, bought by Ms. Flasher
-sand
-pebbles
-charcoal
-water
-various plants from sloat, in our case this weird dark moss, sedum, and an iris.
-worms stolen from the ground
Methods/Procedure
-put the pebbles into the container
-put the sand into the container on top of the pebbles
-put the charcoal into the container, on top of the pebbles and sand
-put the dirt into the container, on top of the charcoal and sand
-dig a hole in the dirt large enough for the roots of the moss
-put the moss in the hole and cover the roots with dirt
Results -time point photos
A day later, the one plant we had is alive. These pictures were taken on November 2.
We planted the other plants a few days after this. These pictures were taken on November 10 and 12.
The terrarium continued to grow. We found a worm on November 15 and put it in, and took these pictures on November 16.
The pictures below were taken on November 19
I took the terrarium home for 9 days, from November 21 to 29. These pictures were taken December 2.
One day, we checked the terrarium and the worm was next to the clear side of the container. It was good to get confirmation that our worm is alive. These pictures were taken on December 7.
The terrarium continued to grow. We observed this day that the iris had grown taller. These pictures were taken on December 9.
Then on December 11 I took it home because people were throwing trash in it. It is still alive a month later and the iris is really tall.
Analysis
The main limiting factor we had was space, and how much sunlight reaches our terrarium. Another limiting factor was the ground is always wet, and the nature of a terrarium is that it does not have drainage holes, so the plants we chose must be made for marshland and similar soil.
Water Cycle: We put water in the ground when we planted our plants, and several days afterward. After that, the soil was sufficiently watered when we checked our terrarium, demonstrating a working water cycle. Water is taken from the ground by the plants, who bring it to the leaves and use it to make energy. Waste water is expelled out tiny holes in the leaves, and evaporated.
Evaporated water condenses on the lid of our closed container, where it drips back down into the soil. Water can also be evaporated from the soil, where it condenses on the lid and drips into the soil.
Carbon Cycle: Carbon starts in the soil where it is taken by the plants and used to grow. The dead parts of the plants fall onto the soil, where they are eaten by the worm in our terrarium and turned back into soil for the plants to use again.
Nitrogen Cycle: I have no legumes or plants that will use nitrogen, so nitrogen in the atmosphere will stay in the atmosphere. The nitrogen in plant waste will be decomposed and turned into ammonium, then nitrites, then nitrates. From there it is assimilated back into the plants, or else denitrified into the atmosphere.
Results/Conclusion
Just get a normal plant, with drainage holes. And don't put your plant in a public place, where people will fill it with water and put garbage in it. And put spiders in your plant so insects don't infest it and kill everything.
Analysis
The main limiting factor we had was space, and how much sunlight reaches our terrarium. Another limiting factor was the ground is always wet, and the nature of a terrarium is that it does not have drainage holes, so the plants we chose must be made for marshland and similar soil.
Water Cycle: We put water in the ground when we planted our plants, and several days afterward. After that, the soil was sufficiently watered when we checked our terrarium, demonstrating a working water cycle. Water is taken from the ground by the plants, who bring it to the leaves and use it to make energy. Waste water is expelled out tiny holes in the leaves, and evaporated.
Evaporated water condenses on the lid of our closed container, where it drips back down into the soil. Water can also be evaporated from the soil, where it condenses on the lid and drips into the soil.
Carbon Cycle: Carbon starts in the soil where it is taken by the plants and used to grow. The dead parts of the plants fall onto the soil, where they are eaten by the worm in our terrarium and turned back into soil for the plants to use again.
Nitrogen Cycle: I have no legumes or plants that will use nitrogen, so nitrogen in the atmosphere will stay in the atmosphere. The nitrogen in plant waste will be decomposed and turned into ammonium, then nitrites, then nitrates. From there it is assimilated back into the plants, or else denitrified into the atmosphere.
Results/Conclusion
Just get a normal plant, with drainage holes. And don't put your plant in a public place, where people will fill it with water and put garbage in it. And put spiders in your plant so insects don't infest it and kill everything.