TITLE: Lab 1, Scientific Method, seeds and soil

Transcription

1 TITLE: Lab 1, Scientific Method, seeds and soil BACKGROUND, REFERENCES: Urban Tilth is a community organization located in Richmond, CA that is committed to growing food by and for the local population. They use a number of techniques to restore soil to improve productivity, save seeds to ensure self-sufficiency, and employ local workers to keep resources nearby. The USDA is a federally funded agency tasked with ensuring food security for the United States of America. They consider food production and consumption at a national and global scale. Both of these organizations use scientific reasoning and data collection to find out more about how different plant species interact with the soil and other environmental factors to produce food from sun energy, carbon dioxide, water, and molecular nutrients. In this lab, you ll use scientific methodology (including question formulation and gathering of supporting evidence) and mathematical modeling to study energy flow and chemical cycling in ecosystems, classification, chemistry, life-cycles, natural selection and chemical cycling. This should lead to further thought and discussion of long-term sustainability of life on earth. Links to organizations o Urban Tilth Website: Pay special attention to the North Richmond Farm and Adams Crest Farms.! Internship opportunities: o Richmond Seed Library o USDA website: UT_USDA! Pay attention to the mission areas and programs & services Soil types and amendments o North Richmond Farm soil - Time 0 o North Richmond Farm soil Time current o Commercial potting soil without chemical fertilizer (Kellog Patio Plus Premium Outdoor or Annie s Annuals potting mix) o Chemical fertilizer (Miracle Gro all purpose plant food) o Compost (Culinary department garden) o Compost tea (Prepared from culinary compost) Seed types: Visit Cornell University website for planting information: Also check the Old Farmer s Almanac page: o Fall semester! Legume: Fava or pea! High-nitrogen: Broccoli, cabbage! Medium-nitrogen: Kale! Low nitrogen: Beets or swiss chard o Spring semester! Legume: Green beans or peas 1_LabStructure_SciMethod_V1.docx, version 8/11/16 Page 1 of 6

2 ! High-nitrogen: Squash or cucumber! Medium nitrogen: Lettuce! Low nitrogen: Cilantro or onion Tables and references with land area, productivity, calorie needs, etc. o Pre-lab preparation: Research the following topics and summarize your findings as background information for this lab. A draft/outline version should be complete by the start of the lab period, and you will be expected to share information with your lab partners. o Information about Richmond Seed Library (or Berkeley Eco Village) o Information about Urban Tilth, and in particular development of their Richmond Farm o Differences between various soil types and amendments you will be using.! Urban Tilth (various soil restoration processes)! Potting mixes commercially available! Compost/compost tea! Chemical fertilizers o Types of seeds that will be available in class.! Formulate hypothesis (prediction and reasoning) about how these different seed types will interact with their biotic and abiotic environment and what differences you expect to observe. o Mission, structure, and types of projects associated with the USDA o Campus partners: Find out about connections to other departments on campus!! Culinary department has a garden and a compost system! The math department has an open lab and tutoring 1_LabStructure_SciMethod_V1.docx, version 8/11/16 Page 2 of 6

3 OBJECTIVE and PURPOSE: In this lab you will grow different types of seeds on various soils and amendments to compare productivity and types of seeds. You will calculate amount of land needed to feed a family. You will research the motivation, mission, and production techniques of local farming and gardening organizations such as Urban Tilth and the Richmond Seed Library, and compare them with the work of national organizations such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in ensuring food security for human populations. You will vary soils creating comparisons to find out how environment affects growth and development of each plant type. Description of soil types will include percent organic matter in each soil type, ph, and salinity. You will also compare soil amendments, investigating the action of microbes and nutrients with compost tea and chemical fertilizers. Description of amendments will include major nutrients (elements) and microbial activity. You will compare the growth and development of different species of plant seeds in different to investigate how different adaptations play out in a plant s life. Measurements of plant activity will include germination time, appearance of cotyledons and true leaves, leaf size, green-ness, and root mass. In a tabletop exercise you will use publicly available data and mathematical reasoning to calculate how much local land would be needed to feed your family each year. Descriptions of your assumptions, how you used them, and clear illustrations of your calculations will be created. You will create labeled drawings and maps to illustrate your conclusions. In performing this week s lab, you will improve your understanding and/or proficiency in the following topics: o Scientific method o Documentation of observations and measurements o Quantitative reasoning o Soil microbiome o Chemical cycling and energy o Ecosystem biology:! Symbiosis! Adaptation! Succession 1_LabStructure_SciMethod_V1.docx, version 8/11/16 Page 3 of 6

4 LAB ACTIONS Experiments 1 and 2: Comparing Soils, Comparing seeds 1) Design experiment: a) Consider your variables and determine what you plan to measure for data. Here you are comparing soils, and in experiment 2, you may be comparing plant types. b) Determine how many/much of each material you will need to effectively compare your variables (1) Pots (2) Soil: multiple types (3) Soil amendment(s) (4) Seeds: type and number (5) Labels c) Record the way you will label each pot in your data collection page for your lab writeup d) Set up your data table in your data collection page so that it will be easy to record your measurements for each sample/pot you will prepare e) Create a statement for each experiment explaining your thinking (1) The comparison you are making and what you plan to find out from this comparison (2) How the measurements you make will tell you something new about your comparison (if one is bigger than the other, what will that mean?) (3) How these measurements relate to an underlying biological process or phenomenon f) Fill out an Experimental Design Form to let the whole class know what your group is thinking and doing 1_LabStructure_SciMethod_V1.docx, version 8/11/16 Page 4 of 6

5 2) Perform experiment: a) Fill pots with soil and label appropriately (1) Add soil completely to the rim of the pot. Tamp down the soil with the base of another pot. Fill up the pot again, leave this top layer fluffy. (2) Label the pot with soil and amendment type (3) Label the pot with seed type (4) Mix in any amendments that are delivered in granular/solid form b) Pre-wet soil (1) At the outdoor station, use watering can to thouroughly wet the soil (2) Be sure to choose water, compost tea, or chemical fertilizer carefully (a) **Be judicious with the compost tea, it costs $9/gallon! (b) Mix up fertilizer carefully according to instructions (c) Refill watering can when needed using indoor tap. c) Plant seeds (1) Read each seed packet or otherwise obtain information about how plant the seeds (2) Spacing and depth are important (3) Note on your data sheet the expected time until germination d) Make sure pots are ready for the experiment (1) Double-check label on pot and in your data/notes (2) Put pots in class area so they get light and water e) Double-check and submit your Experimental Design Form 1_LabStructure_SciMethod_V1.docx, version 8/11/16 Page 5 of 6

6 Experiment 3: Comparing Soils, Comparing seeds 1) Take stock of data and visualize: a) How much food do we need? (1) Calculate yearly amounts recommended by Dietary Guidelines at Health.gov (2) Compare this to World Resources Institute data. b) Do we have enough food in the USA? (1) Analyze and graph per capita food supply from USDA food availability data sheets c) How much land is needed to produce this food? (Yield) (1) Identify land needed for each resource from USDA Yield data (2) Validate trends by comparing with GRIDA yield increase graph d) How much land do we have in a neighborhood to grow food? (1) Determine land available in local area using property tract maps. (2) Measure area in a particular city, in one neighborhood (block), per parcel (one lot). e) Could we grow every type of crop/food here in the Bay Area? (1) Investigate productivity in our area of the country with Climate zone map, USDA yield maps. 2) Calculations a) Is the US feeding itself? (Too little, too much, just right?) Compare availability of 3 food sources (yours plus 2 other groups) with recommended yearly amounts needed to answer this question. b) How much land would be needed to feed a city the size of Richmond (population 110,000)? Combine diet recommendations with yield data from representative crops to make these calculations. c) Do we have enough land available in Richmond to feed this population? (1) Start with one neighborhood: Calculate how much growing area is available in one neighborhood. Then estimate how many people live there. Use your calculations from b) to see if this is enough land. (2) Use the map of Richmond to make an estimate for the whole city. d) Make sure to take each of these calculations and explain them using complete sentences and paragraphs! (diagrams may be used and are encouraged in these explanations) GRADED DELIVERABLES Instructor will specify 1_LabStructure_SciMethod_V1.docx, version 8/11/16 Page 6 of 6