Observation 1: Initial

 

These observation pictures were taken on December 16th, 2016 around 2:00pm in the afternoon once the nutrients were added and the lid was put on the container. These pictures demonstrate the plant's initial look once being enclosed in the container. As one can see, the plant looked healthy, as its green color was still bright. Also, the glass container appears clear, with only a few drops of water from the initial input of water. Initially, the plant was8.4 inches with stems sticking out with various leaves. The second picture demonstrates the location of the plant: near a window where light can hit it.On this first day, it was a sunny day with sun shining bright, therefore the plant was able to receive an abundant amount of light.

Material List: What you need to complete this project

-12 cm ruler
-11.8 in x 3.5 in Sealed Glass Container *note* sizes of container may vary depending on the type of plant chosen to observe
-Measuring spoons (ml)
-Plastic spoons
-Pebbles from River Pebbles
-Miracle Grow Soil
-Purified Water
-Delray plants: Neanthebella Palm

Procedure/How the mesocosm project will be done:

1) Gather/buy your materials
2) In your container, first add approximately one or two handfuls of pebbles to the bottom of the container. These pebbles will help the sustainability of you plant as they retain moisture in the soil.
3) After the pebbles have been added, it is time to add the soil. First you will add approximately five spoonfuls of soil to the container. Then you will place your plant into the soil. Once the plant has been placed, you will add more soil (approximately ten more spoonfuls of soil) around the plant.
4) Now that the pebbles, soil, and plant has been added to the container, your last addition will be the water. With a measuring spoon (or cup), you will add 57 milliliters of water to the soil.
5) Once the nutrients have been added, you will then seal your container with a lid and place it near a window where light can hit it. When the lid is sealed, you will not continue to add nor water nor soil to the plant nor open the lid until the end.
6) For the span of about a month, you will observe the effect on the plant to see if the plant will live or wilt. Observations should take place weekly, as well as measurements to observe any plant growth.

Topic:

In this blog, I will be demonstrating the process of my mesocosm project being done at home. I will be observing a plant in a closed environment, which means that I will only add soil and water for the initial set up and from then on, I will observe if it can sustain itself from those initial nutrients. This means that I will not continue adding soil nor water. The plant will live in a closed container to avoid other materials from entering. This project is being done to investigate how a controlled environment can affect the sustainability of an organism, such as a plant.