Graphing

Graphics Variety

Germination and Productivity

                                                        Lab # 5

                                     Germination and productivity

Question: 

Can plants germinate exposed to light?

Hypothesis: 
Seeds can germinate when are exposed to light

Treatments:
Light and Dark

Procedure:

• 6 * 6 Trays
• Added special soil until the top
• Put water to each of the trays
• Added four seeds of radishes for every tray spot
• Kept them two weeks for seeing seeds germinate

1) What was our control for this experiment?
Germination and Productivity Experiment controlled with seed of radishes exposed to sunlight and dark. Conducted by seeds and dark soil for experimenting the survival and adaptation of Seeds exposed to sunlight.

2 ) What was the percent germination for the light treatment? For the dark treatment?

Light Treatment  

X= 55/144*100

X= 38.19%

Dark Treatment

50/144*100

X= 34.7%

Marmot Dam Trip

                                                                 Lab # 4

                                                             Marmot Dam

First of all, Being outdoors exploring the nature is something that you won’t never forget . I visited  the Marmot Dam and it was one of the most experience that I have ever had . We met a couple of people and there was a guy with a girl. He told us that the Dam was built in 1913 and  destroyed in 2007, since that day the Dam started to be history. Where the Dam was built there were some buildings that were used for power facility that were destroyed as well. An organization called Western Beaver Conservancy  started to work in planting seeds and do some restoration project. There are some invasive plants such as: Scotch Broom and brinca that need to be pulled out before restoring. Also some people did some experiments for knowing what kind of plants can survive, and some trees have four years that have been planted. We were informed that Sandy River has 4 species of fish which are: Chinook, Salmon, Trout, Spring.

Some of us were close where the Dam was built. A study has shown that a million cubic yard of sediments was found in the river. Spooning is upstream lahars, Always there are sediments on the sandy river, people have measured it how much sediment is inside of it, so this process last 3 to 5 years. When I started to cross the bridge I walked very  close where the Dam was located. The bridge has been there since the Dam was built. The place where the Dam was located is surrounded by tall trees such as: Douglas fir, western hemlock, and also shrubs like vine maple, then I went inside of the forest and I saw a lot of woody debris, sword ferns, and a lot of trees with moss and lichen as well.

There was a tree fallen with a diversity of woody debris. The soil surface inside the forest was covered by decomposing material such as: needles from trees that have fallen off and logs as well, and the trees that I saw were filled with a variety of moss. Shadia Duery told us that when there are trees with 1 meter tall and there are others that are smaller can’t grow because all of them are fighting for obtaining sunlight.

A girl that gave us the tour told us that there is a fern called licorice fern which grows on the upper parts of the trees, and it is a different species. Some of us tasted it and was very sweet like sugar cane. Also the gravel  that is along the bottom was formed after the Dam was removed. To me hear about the Dam is something that amazed me, and as I wrote I have learn many things about it.

Marmot Dam Video

Centro Americas's Forest

                                                                 Lab # 3

                                                               

                              Central America's largest forest under siege by colonist.

"Four years ago, people peasants that live in the area of Bosawas have destroyed 150,000 hectares ( 370,000 acres of rain-forest in Nicaragua’s Bosawas Biosphere Reserve, according to the Mayanna and Miskito indigenous people who call this forest their home.  Even though Nicaragua was recognized the land right of the indigenous people in 2007. The tribes say that the government have not done anything to keep it illegal. This is the largest forest in Central America/ The Bosawas  Biosphere Reserve covers around 7 percent of Nicaragua’s land area and is home to several species of wildlife.

Forest have been cut and burned largely to produce part of the reserve into a sort of wild west. Last month a Mayanna community leader was shot dead when an indigenous scouting party found that illegal settlers clearing forest.

Peasants have called for land reform, but the land in question is already held by indigenous groups. 
Bosawas Biosphere Reserve covers around 1.8 million hectares (4.4 million acres) on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras. It is believed to be home to some of the largest populations of jaguars, giant anteaters, pumas, Harpy eagles, and tapirs in Central America. Researchers estimate that the park is home to some 150,000 insect species and 600 species of birds."(Jeremy Hance, 2103)

 I am interested in this topic because is a rain forest of Nicaragua and it is very important , and now some areas of it have been deforested.

Jeremy Hance, Central America's Largest Forest under siege by colonist. 2013 available on 

http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0506-hance-bosawas.html

Cattle in Bosawás Biosphere Reserve. Photo courtesy of: Independent Mayangna Nation of Nicaragua. 
Read more at http://news.mongabay.com/2013/0506-hance-bosawas.html#UwidxVuiweTH2JG5.99

        Indigenous, Colonist, and Government Impacts on Nicaragua's Bosawas Reserve

"A study was made in Bosawas Nicaragua about the impact colonist which are two groups of indigenous residents. The groups consist  Miskitu and Mayanna managed by Marena Ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources on the international Biosphere reserve of Bosawas, the groups subsist on the natural resources of Bosawas and is the responsible in protecting the area from deforestation . By using geostatical procedures and land slat images at three different times they have compared the deforestation and boundaries stabilization in areas with colonist and areas with indigenous people. They also have examined that the Mayanna was less deforested  than the Miskitu even though the government has defended the Bosawas boundary against the advance of the agricultural frontier. They also have analyzed the distribution of land uses between the reserve and the indigenous area and a supervision of the classification. The indigenous demarcations protected the forest successfully, the Bosawas boundary didn't inhibit the colonization and consequent deforestation. Also the indigenous farmers deforested the areas but less than the colonist, and the two groups Bosawas didn't differ their effect on the forest. The results shows that indigenous common-property institution, and the indigenous of homeland have been factor very powerful that protects Bosawas and that the difficult evolution of a nested cross-scale governance system in Bosawas and under pressure from indigenous people is probably the key to the forest survival." ( STOCKS, A., McMAHAN, B. and TABER, P. (2007).

Methods

Investigators used geostatical procedures and land slat images at three different times to compare the deforestation and boundaries stabilization in areas with colonist and areas with indigenous people

Results

The results shows indigenous common- properly institution and the indigenous of homeland have a been a powerful factor to protects Bosawas.

Conclusion

Investigators have realized that cross-scale governance system in Bosawas is the key to the forest survival.

 Citation

STOCKS, A., McMAHAN, B. and TABER, P. (2007), Indigenous, Colonist, and Government Impacts on Nicaragua's Bosawas Reserve. Conservation Biology,  vol 21, Available online http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2007.00793.x/abstract

Tropical Ecology

                                                         

                                                                   Lab # 2
                                                          Tropical Ecology
                                                   
1) Something that excites me about the tropical ecology class is that I start to learn about the  Biome that I live, which is a tropical rain forest. 

2) One of the environmental issues in my community is the deforestation, which  affects the nature in many different ways where is very difficult to recuperate the amount of trees that have been cut. 

3) First of all, I would like to start working with people from my community in education, reforestation. Also, It will be helpful the experience that I have accomplished  such us : working in teams, and with people  from different ages and background as well.

4) This video will show you about the Ecology of Nicaragua. This makes Nicaragua and ideal place to discover and enjoy the diversity of nature that surround it.

5)This link will show you about the Flora and Fauna of Nicaragua.
Click here Flora y Fauna of Nicaragua