Secretary of the future
The goal of this project was to look into the future and see the affects of our changes to the chosen land area over hundreds of years. My group decided to install a medium sized solar farm on Aberdeen Field. This would help contribute to fixing the growing problem of climate change and ensure the continued success of our planet. Our project will also set the precedent for this scale of solar projects around the world. The solar farm will have a large upfront cost of 10.5 Million USD but will pay for itself after 10 years. After this point, the energy produced will create a revenue of 1.5 Million USD yearly for the next 20-30 years. Our project also has very little affect on the ecosystems and environment in the area. After the initial disturbance, succession can run its normal course.
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Concepts
Biology - The study of living things
Biotic Factors - The living parts of an environment
Abiotic Factors - The non-living parts of an environment
Population - A group of a single species in an area
Carrying Capacity - The amount of organisms an area can support
Climate - The average wether conditions over an extended period of time
Succession - The natural development and growth of organisms in an area
Tropic Levels - Levels of energy use / creation
Autotroph (Producer) - Uses energy from the environment
Heterotroph (Consumer) - Relies on other organisms for energy
Organism Relationships - All organisms affect each other differently
Competition - Fighting between two species for the same resources
Mutualism - Both species benefit from the relationship
Comensialism - One species benefits without affecting the other
Predatorism/Paratism - Harms one species and benefits the other
Nutrient Cycles - Flow of nutrients through the environment and organisms
Food Chain - The flow of energy through organisms in an ecosystem
Biotic Factors - The living parts of an environment
Abiotic Factors - The non-living parts of an environment
Population - A group of a single species in an area
Carrying Capacity - The amount of organisms an area can support
Climate - The average wether conditions over an extended period of time
Succession - The natural development and growth of organisms in an area
Tropic Levels - Levels of energy use / creation
Autotroph (Producer) - Uses energy from the environment
Heterotroph (Consumer) - Relies on other organisms for energy
Organism Relationships - All organisms affect each other differently
Competition - Fighting between two species for the same resources
Mutualism - Both species benefit from the relationship
Comensialism - One species benefits without affecting the other
Predatorism/Paratism - Harms one species and benefits the other
Nutrient Cycles - Flow of nutrients through the environment and organisms
Food Chain - The flow of energy through organisms in an ecosystem
reflection
This project was a very interesting thought experiment but was also very challenging to do properly. We struggled with predicting the future and ended up creating two totally different futures because of it. Our group was able to work very well together and complete the project in a timely manner. This gave us extra time to improve and add new ideas while also letting us work with other groups. We did not do very well changing and adding details when suggested during peer reviews and when being reviewed by our teacher. Overall, our project was a great success and our group performed spectacularly.