1. Artificial Ecosystems

2. An artificial ecosystem meets all the criteria of a natural ecosystem but is made and controlled by humans
Examples:
Orchards
Aquariums

3. Project You will research a type of artificial ecosystem and tell me
What it is
What makes is an artificial ecosystem
You may work in groups of 2
Create a presentation (prezi, google slides, etc)
This is due at the end of class today

4. Hydroponics

5. What is it?
Growing plants in something other than soil

7. Hydroponics Martian Martian clips:
21:00 – 29:00 (cuss word at 23:21-23)
41:20 – 42:00
59:40 – 1:01:30
1:02:35 – 1:11
The 2 videos are ~25 minutes total

8. Why do we need it? Imagine we’re living on the space station… Food Air
Water
What else?
Plants make food – less weight for travel
Plants use CO2 and produce oxygen

9. 6 types of Hydroponic systems

10. Wick
Simplest system
nutrient solution is drawn into the growing medium from the reservoir with a wick
No moving parts
Drawback: plants that are large or use large amounts of water may use up the nutrient solution faster than the wick(s) can supply it

12. Water Culture
platform that holds the plants is usually made of Styrofoam and floats directly on the nutrient solution
An air pump supplies air to the air stone that bubbles the nutrient solution and supplies oxygen to the roots of the plants
Drawback: it doesn't work well with large plants or with long-term plants

14. Ebb and flow (Flood and drain)
temporarily floods the grow tray with nutrient solution and then drains the solution back into the reservoir
This action is normally done with a submerged pump that is connected to a timer
Drawback: vulnerability to power outages and timer failures

16. Drip
Most widely used
a timer controls a submersed pump, it turns the pump on and nutrient solution is dripped onto the base of each plant by a small drip line
Excess solution is collected to reuse
Requires less maintenance

18. NFT (Nutrient Film Technique)
constant flow of nutrient solution so no timer required
nutrient solution is pumped into the growing tray (usually a tube) and flows over the roots of the plants, and then drains back into the reservoir
This is usually the system people think of when they think of hydroponics.

20. Aeroponic Most high tech
roots hang in the air and are misted with nutrient solution
Every few minutes
Timer controlled

22. Your Job: We are going to design a planting system to use in space
You need a
Partner
2 liter bottle
Safety glasses
Xacto knife (Ms Kerr has these, wait until she gets them for you)
Wick material
Lava rocks (10 – 15 of any size rock)
Seed starter (will be here tomorrow)
Seeds (Ms Kerr has – she’ll give them to you tomorrow)