Changes in our Eco-column over 3 weeks

Observation of the Eco-Column when it was finished being built.

Plants:

Terra: In our terra layer, we planted one small, green weed. It was approximately 3.5cm tall. We also planted a small clover plant that was about 4.6cm tall at its peak.

                        On the right is a picture of the clover plant: 

Decomposition: We did not plant anything in our decomposition layer.

Aqua: We did not plant anything in our decomposition layer.

Animals:

Terra: In our terra layer, we placed seven woodlouse in our soil and two rose beetles. We also placed three scarab beetle larvae in.

                             On the right is a Scarab Beetle Larvae: 

Decomposition: The only animals we identified in our decomposition layer were about 11 common earth worms.

Aqua: In our aqua layer we found about four small water snails and one water skimmer.

                        On the right is a picture of a water skimmer:

Predictions for Eco-Column over the three week holiday.

Terra Layer

In our terra layer, judging from our last eco-columns result, The clover will probably wither and die but about three small, green weeds will take its place. The woodlouse will survive, except for one or two which would die from lack of food and space. The two rose beetles will probably not survive as they are not the most aggressive and fast animals and so will die from lack of nutrition. Our Scarab Beetle larvae will probably survive because they feed off soil and we placed lots of healthy soil in. They also do not move much but hatch into three scarab beetles when they are ready.

Decomposition Layer

In our decomposition layer, many small, green weeds will start to grow because their seeds will probably be carried in the compost we put in. Many small insect larvae will also emerge but will be too small to identify. Our earth worms will survive because the soil and compost we put in is healthy and contains lots of nutrition. The level of the soil would have dropped because much of it would be consumed by the earth worms. When we first measured its height, it was about 8cm above the bottom of this layer, it will probably drop by about 3cm.

Aqua Layer

In our aqua layer, we predict that the water level will have dropped by about a centimeter through evaporation through the small air hole we pierced in the side. To counteract this, it may also rise by about the same amount due to the waste products of our earth worms, this is commonly referred to as 'worm tea' and is a very good fertiliser. Our water skimmer will probably not survive due to the lack of space but there will be many more insect larvae which we will try and identify. The small water snails will probably survive and produce because the conditions in this layer seem ideal for them and there are no natural predators to kill them off. The water temperature will probably increase on average due to the waste material and other substances dropped through from the other layers.

Analysis of a actual results:

Terra Layer

Our predictions about our plant life was very accurate, the clover did die and no trace of it can be found. One large, green weeds have grown to take its place, it is  about 10cm tall, there are another three small,green weeds each about 3cm tall. Our animal predictions are a little hard to decide on as we are not sure if the woodlouse are alive but we cannot find any within the eco-column, but there is no evidence that they have died. Our rose beetles have died, the only surviving animals being two scarab beetle larvae. They have grown larger but no beetles are present yet.

Decomposition Layer

In our decomposition layer, as predicted, five green weeds have started growing. One being about 4cm but the other four about 8-10cm. There are many small larvae and insects crawling in the soil but they are too small to identify, so another prediction proved correct. Many of the earthworms have survived and the soil level has dropped by about two centimetres due to the predicted reason.

Aqua Layer

The water level has more or less stayed the same as predicted but has gone much darker in colour and contains many more substances such as rotting bark, soil and worm faeces. There are still many water snails and as we thought the water skimmer has vanished, probably consumed by other bugs.

Before and After

Terra Layer:

Before:                                              After:

Decomposition Layer:

Before:                                               After:

Aqua Layer:

Before:                                                After: