Our Project
Our project was to find an open area in Novato, California. It had to be the size of a football field or larger. Once we found our area we had to make a policy change to improve our area. We made predictions on what our area would look like in 1000 year with and without our changes, to show why we would need to implement our policy. We would then send it to a representative of California.
Our area was the Hamilton field, where the city of Novato was once going to build a baseball park but decided against it because of the loud noise it would cause and disturb the residence. We wanted to implement a garden and trails to restore the soil and have a relaxing place where citizens can go to relax or de-stress.
Our area was the Hamilton field, where the city of Novato was once going to build a baseball park but decided against it because of the loud noise it would cause and disturb the residence. We wanted to implement a garden and trails to restore the soil and have a relaxing place where citizens can go to relax or de-stress.
Concepts
Ecosystem- biological communities of interacting organisms and their environment.
Biodiversity- The variety of life in the world or in an ecosystem.
Abiotic factor- A non-living factor in an ecosystem.
Biotic factor- A living factor in an ecosystem.
Autotroph- Organisms that make their own energy.
Heterotroph- Organisms that rely on other organisms for food and energy.
Producer- Autotrophs at the bottom of a food web.
Primary Consumer- Primary consumers come after producers in the food web.
Secondary Consumer- Secondary consumers eat primary consumers.
Apex Predator- Apex predators are the very top of the food web.
Herbivore- Animals that feed on plants.
Carnivore- Animals that feed on other animals.
Omnivore- Animals that feed on plants and animals.
Detritivore- Animals that feed on dead material.
Niche- A position or role of a certain type of organism within an ecosystem.
Biome- A large area or group of ecosystems that have the same climate.
Biosphere- All of the ecosystems on Earth.
Climate- The weather conditions in an area over time.
Weather- The state of atmospheric conditions at a place and time.
Food Web- A system of interlocking and independent food chains.
Symbiosis- Interaction between two organisms living close together.
Carrying Capacity- How many living organisms an ecosystem can support.
Resources- Materials needed by organisms to survive such as food, water, and space.
Ecological Succession- Gradual change in an ecosystem over time.
Natural Cycles- There are many cycles in the world around us that explain how things travel such as the: Nutrient, Nitrogen, Water, Carbon, and many more cycles.
Biodiversity- The variety of life in the world or in an ecosystem.
Abiotic factor- A non-living factor in an ecosystem.
Biotic factor- A living factor in an ecosystem.
Autotroph- Organisms that make their own energy.
Heterotroph- Organisms that rely on other organisms for food and energy.
Producer- Autotrophs at the bottom of a food web.
Primary Consumer- Primary consumers come after producers in the food web.
Secondary Consumer- Secondary consumers eat primary consumers.
Apex Predator- Apex predators are the very top of the food web.
Herbivore- Animals that feed on plants.
Carnivore- Animals that feed on other animals.
Omnivore- Animals that feed on plants and animals.
Detritivore- Animals that feed on dead material.
Niche- A position or role of a certain type of organism within an ecosystem.
Biome- A large area or group of ecosystems that have the same climate.
Biosphere- All of the ecosystems on Earth.
Climate- The weather conditions in an area over time.
Weather- The state of atmospheric conditions at a place and time.
Food Web- A system of interlocking and independent food chains.
Symbiosis- Interaction between two organisms living close together.
Carrying Capacity- How many living organisms an ecosystem can support.
Resources- Materials needed by organisms to survive such as food, water, and space.
Ecological Succession- Gradual change in an ecosystem over time.
Natural Cycles- There are many cycles in the world around us that explain how things travel such as the: Nutrient, Nitrogen, Water, Carbon, and many more cycles.
Reflection
This project was challenging, yet a great learning experience. Some things that went well was our model and our plants. I think the model turned out pretty well and it accurately shows all the components of our idea. Our plants were all native to California and resistant to many things that could damage other plants. It would also help attract animals that would help the grounds in the future. Two things that did not go as planned was choosing our site and finding the right things to add in our garden. We had to change our site twice due to another group having the same site and the other being a preserve. Finding the right trash bins and benches was difficult because they were expensive for the nice durable kind but cheap for the kind that would only last a few years. I think I could have had more leadership skill, but did pretty well with other things.