Procedure: 1. Locate appropriate container 2. Put rocks in the first layer 3. Put a small layer of charcoal as the second layer 4. Apply soil on the top 5. Plant the moss 6. Plant the grass 7. Add some rocks on the top layer 8. Continue to water as needed
Analysis: Our terrarium had a few limiting factors, both biotic and abiotic. Our biotic factor was our plants. We had a long grass and a moss. Our abiotic factors were temperature, soil, watering, sunlight, charocal, and rocks. The watering, sunlight, and temperature had to be consistent in order to keep the plant's routine undisturbed. If one of these factors were to be interrupted, it could throw off the plant and its growing routine. We put our terrarium close to the window to try to ensure that it got a maximum amount of sunlight. We used just enough water so that it wasn't soaking, but not too little that it dried up.
There were many nutrient cycles that took place in our terrarium. They were the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and the nitrogen cycle. Whenever we would water the environment, the water would slowly evaporate from the bottom of the container, back into the soil, and out the top. When the plants absorb water, they transpire the it, which also gets rid of some of the water. Next was the carbon cycle. The first step was that the plants absorb sunlight through photosynthesis. Next, the plants produce oxygen that could be inhaled by earthworms if there were any. Some of this oxygen also goes into the classroom. The plants also produce energy, also called glucose, that other organisms can eat, and they then gain that energy. The, the plants and organisms die, which adds energy to the geosphere. This cycle continues in this pattern until something dies or thrives unpredictably or out of the ordinary. The final cycle is the nitrogen cycle. Plants absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere, and then expel ammonia. In our terrarium, there is natural denitrifying bacteria, which converts ammonia to nitrates, which is the process of nitrogen fixation. This bacteria absorbs the ammonia, which harms the animals. The ammonia then disappears and the nitrates thrive, which then produces proteins. Other proteins produce nitrogen in the atmosphere, which is a process called denitrification.
Observations: Week 1: The plants are in the terrarium and we are watching the plants closely.
Week 2: We have been watering the plants and keeping an eye on them.
Week 3: Our plants have been doing alright. Our moss is starting to lose some of its color.
Week 5: We forgot our terrarium in the classroom over break and when we came back it was pretty dead.