About this Project "Dare to be a Force of Nature" was about finding an ecosystem or an animal that is in danger due to human impact, and find solutions to the problem. My group, which consisted of me, Tyler Leighton, and Nico Hadiaris, chose to do our project on the Amazon Rainforest. We found that one of the worst problems due to human impact was deforestation, which is the removal of trees in an area in order to make space for something else. This mainly affects the incredible biodiversity of the Amazon, since 1 in 10 species in the world are found there. There are already some solutions already in place such as laws against deforestation and parts of the rainforest being protected, but we also came up with our own solutions. These included possible government protection of much more of the Amazon and re-planting of native trees in the Amazon. To raise awareness, we made an Instagram account and a website. Follow @save.the.amazon on Instagram for information on the issue.
Content Photosynthesis- The process plants use to create glucose using light, CO2, and H2O. Oxygen is a byproduct of this process. Cellular Respiration - The creation of ATP (energy) for cells to use through the breaking down of glucose. This occurs in the cytoplasm and mitochondria. Heterotrophs - Consume other organisms for energy. Autotrophs - Organisms that produce their own energy. Nitrogen Cycle - The environmental process of nitrogen becoming usable for certain organisms. Steps: Nitrogen fixation, nitrification, assimilation, and denitrification. Carbon Cycle - The cycle of CO2 traveling from the atmosphere, to organisms, then back to the atmosphere. Water Cycle - The cycle of water circulating through bodies of water, air, and land. Steps: Evaporation, precipitation, condensation. Biodiversity - Variety of life on the planet. Trophic Levels - Where an organism lies on an energy pyramid depending on its role or what it eats. Biosphere - Where any life on earth resides. Symbiosis - The interaction of two organisms living closely to each other. Types: Mutualism, parasitism, commencalism, and competition. Growth Factors - Factors that cause a population to grow. Limiting Factors - Factors that cause a population to diminish. Carrying Capacity - The amount of organisms an ecosystem can hold.
Reflection I have to say that this project felt a lot more rushed than others. We were assigned other things to do in class at the same time this project was assigned, making the process slightly confusing and longer than it should have been. One peak of this project was time management. We ended up getting everything done in the time we had to work on it and even made time for an Instagram account and website. Another peak was the research. I feel we got a lot of information in our slideshow because of all the extra research we did in order to make our presentation as good as possible. One negative of this project was lack of communication. Although I had tried to assign slides to each member, some group members did not do as many as others while others did more than they needed to and creating extra stress, which is my next negative. There was already enough stress because of AP testing and the Sophomore Speech, and this lack of communication caused a lot of stress that was unnecessary in the long run.