Jacob Sweet
Period 5
10/14/14
Student Blog Post Assignment #3: Biogeochemical Cycles and My Plants10/14/14
This week, our Broccoli Romanesco plants have grown and matured significantly. Their leaves have darkened, widened, and spread out over its stem. It is also now able to support itself vertically with more strength but cannot yet stay completely straight without drooping. The stems have also thickened extremely along with the stems that connect to its leaves. Finally, it was apparent that the plants have gotten much taller than before with the average height being about 15 cm compared to the previous 10 cm.
Our plants alone make a small impact on the entire water cycle but still help to play a keen role. First of all, they soak up the water left in the soil from precipitation. Then, some of that water is brought back to the atmosphere through a process called transpiration. This affects the plants because some water that the plant absorbs is necessary for photosynthesis which creates the energy the plant need to survive and grow all around which our plants have successfully done. In addition, the transpiration causes our plants to grow less because of the smaller amount of water they receive.
Our plants also are part of the carbon cycle in a very important way. The carbon from the atmosphere in taken in by the plants for respiration and in return the plants release oxygen. In addition, once our plants die, if they are left in the soil naturally like wild plants are, they will eventually decompose into natural matter with lots of life materials such as carbon. This natural matter can then be turned into fossil fuels that will eventually be dug up and used in factories, releasing the carbon back into the atmosphere. However, for now our plants' role in the carbon cycle has allowed it to grow taller and wider since it is like the food of plants and is nearly constantly taking in more of it.
Finally, the plants that we are growing are a part of the movement of nitrogen in the nitrogen cycle. They take up nitrogen through soil though bacteria in their roots that fix it so that the plants can use it. Then, once they die, if they are left alone in the soil, they will get decomposed into ammonium which can eventually get nitrified into nitrates. The nitrates can get soaked up by other plants to repeat the process or be denitrified by other bacteria to return to the atmosphere and do the same. Since our plants are still alive, they are currently using their easy access to nitrogen to grow out their foliage and stems. This access has also allowed them to turn green and darker which is clearly evident in our plants.
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| The first two plants |
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| The third and last plant |
Our plants also are part of the carbon cycle in a very important way. The carbon from the atmosphere in taken in by the plants for respiration and in return the plants release oxygen. In addition, once our plants die, if they are left in the soil naturally like wild plants are, they will eventually decompose into natural matter with lots of life materials such as carbon. This natural matter can then be turned into fossil fuels that will eventually be dug up and used in factories, releasing the carbon back into the atmosphere. However, for now our plants' role in the carbon cycle has allowed it to grow taller and wider since it is like the food of plants and is nearly constantly taking in more of it.
Finally, the plants that we are growing are a part of the movement of nitrogen in the nitrogen cycle. They take up nitrogen through soil though bacteria in their roots that fix it so that the plants can use it. Then, once they die, if they are left alone in the soil, they will get decomposed into ammonium which can eventually get nitrified into nitrates. The nitrates can get soaked up by other plants to repeat the process or be denitrified by other bacteria to return to the atmosphere and do the same. Since our plants are still alive, they are currently using their easy access to nitrogen to grow out their foliage and stems. This access has also allowed them to turn green and darker which is clearly evident in our plants.
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