Activity Number & Name |
Description / Rationale |
Manual Page #'s |
|
|
# 1
Habitat 1 |
The data collected for the Habitat Activity will be used for other activities. This lesson also provides opportunities to study the physical characteristics of the Habitat over a continuous period of time. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
1 - 4 |
#2
Habitat 2 |
This activity looks at the data collected for the past six weeks. Careful analysis of the data will provide a foundation for most of the following activities. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
5 - 7 |
#3
Worm Growth |
Much of the success of the Habitat will depend upon continued optimal environmental conditions for the worms. The most important measure would be the increase in worm mass. The change in mass of the worms can be used with other variables, such as a decrease in mass or volume of vermicompost. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
8 - 11 |
#4
Analysis of Worm Growth |
The data collected are important for the success of the Habitat. The analysis of these data will help determine how to modify the environmental conditions, if necessary. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
12 - 14 |
#5
Temperature of Vermiculture |
The temperature of the Habitat is crucial to its success. A data collection system needs to be used to collect data on a continuous basis. The easiest method is to use the system that interfaces with the Texas Instruments graphing calculator TI 83/84. The temperature and changes in temperature will affect the success of all of these activities. A constant (22 +/- 3oC) temperature is optimum.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
15 - 17 |
#6
Smell of the Habitat |
The odor or smell of the Habitat is an extremely good indicator of the heath of the vermiculture. This seemingly unimportant variable's measurement must be collected and recorded each day. Many times the change in odor will be the first signal that something is environmentally amiss. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
18 - 19 |
#7
Humidity of Habitat |
The wetness of the vermicompost is one of the variables that will have the most detrimental effect on the growth of the worms. One way to determine the wetness of the Habitat is to monitor the humidity of the air above the vermicompost. A too wet vermicompost will mask the correct earthy odor associated with a healthy Habitat.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
20 - 22 |
#8
Counting and Classifying Worms |
The number of young worms in the vermiculture is a good indication of the health of the Habitat. The number of new hatchlings can be determined by sorting and counting. If the worms were sorted and counted carefully when they arrived or when a new Habitat was started, then the sizes and numbers at any time after that can be compared. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
23 - 25 |
#9
Carbon Dioxide |
The amount of carbon dioxide is related directly to the metabolic activity. Thus these measurements are a very good indication of the rate of metabolism; that is, growth and reproduction. The amount of carbon dioxide above ambient values (ca. 400ppm) will be a quantitative measurement of the amount of activity by the worms. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
26 - 28 |
#10
Atmospheric O2 of Vermicompost |
The consumption of atmospheric O2 is an indication of the health and rate of metabolism in the vermiculture. This is one more metabolic indicator of the overall efficiency of the Habitat.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
29 - 31 |
#11
Analysis of CO2 Data |
The amount of CO2 produced by the worms can be measured directly and then related to other variables. To some extent non-worm decomposition of the garbage is also taking place and producing CO2. In a later activity, students can pursue this corrective measure to the CO2 collected during these simpler measurements.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
32 - 33 |
#12
The pH of the Habitat |
A healthy Habitat should have a pH that is slightly on the acid side. The optimum is pH of 6.5 +/- 0.2. However, it has been determined that E. fetida can tolerate a very wide range of pH conditions. Any rapid change towards acidic or alkaline conditions does need to be addressed immediately. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
34 - 36 |
#13
Worm Behavior |
The usual species of worms used in vermiculture are considered to be phototropic, that is, they move towards light = positive (+) phototropism or move away from light = negative (-) phototropism. Vermiculture worms move away from BRIGHT light, but may be attracted to dim light. To what extent is the brightness related to the movement of the worms? (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
37 - 38 |
#14
Degree of Avoidance to White Light |
It was determined that worms avoid bright white light in Activity 12. It is also important to know if the brightness has an effect on the worms. The students, with the aid of a light sensor, can determine if the worms react to differing intensities of light.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
39 - 42 |
#15
Worm Behavior with Light |
White light will have a negative effect on worm behavior and it is possible that worms may not react to different colors of light. Counting and sorting worms can be frustrating and if the worms do not avoid one or more colors of light that result could be used to the students' advantages. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
43 - 45 |
#16
Response to Light by Age |
From previous Activities 12, 13, and 14, the phototropic response to light was determined by intensity and by color. A question that remains: Does the response change with age of the worm? If the response is learned, then the older the worm is the quicker it will respond to bright light. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
46 - 47 |
#17
Mass of Input vs. Mass of Output |
The amount of foodstuffs added to the Habitat compared to the mass of runoff water and the increase in the mass of the worms should be related to the health of the Habitat. These data can be used to determine the efficiency of the system. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
48 - 50 |
#18
Analysis of Foodstuffs |
The mass of foodstuff added and the chemical characteristics will help determine the effects of the foodstuffs on the Habitat.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
51 - 53 |
#19
Castings |
The amount of castings (excreta) is an important measure of the overall health of the Habitat. The mass of the castings is also related to the mass and age of the worms present.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
54 - 56 |
#20
Predictions vs. Actual |
The counting/weighing to obtain the actual values for the worms, cocoons, and castings is a tedious and potentially harmful activity. To be able to take samples and accurately predict values is an important part of ecological research. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
57 - 58 |
#21
Determination of Food Choice by Age |
The assumption could be made that all ages of worms prefer all types of food. This activity will take one feeding cycle and the worms need to be observed, sorted, and counted several times a day for the full feeding cycle. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
59 - 61 |
#22
Analysis of Run-off - Leachate or Tea |
The run-off water at the bottom of the bin is an important aspect of the vermiculture. One of the scientific names best ascribed to this liquid is leachate. The traditional name is tea, because of its tea-like appearance. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
62 - 64 |
#23
Tolerance to Sodium Chloride by Weight |
Recently storms have caused fresh water soils to become contaminated with sea water. A recent study by M. Kerr and A.J Stewart in the Journal of Undergraduate Research, pp 21 -25, Volume III, 2003, completed a very straight forward study of salt water and E. fetida. The following activity is an adaptation of that study.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
65 - 67 |
#24
Age Tolerance to Sodium Chloride |
Recently storms have caused fresh water soils to become contaminated with sea water. A recent study by M. Kerr and A.J Stewart in the Journal of Undergraduate Research, pp 21 -25, Volume III, 2003, completed a very straight forward study of salt water and E. fetida. The following activity is an adaptation of that study. The tolerance to salt by differing ages of worms is an important aspect of remediation of NaCl contaminated soils.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
68 - 71 |
#25
Tolerance of Cocoons and Hatchlings to NaCl |
Recently storms have caused fresh water soils to become contaminated with sea water. A recent study by M. Kerr and A.J Stewart in the Journal of Undergraduate Research, pp 21 -25, Volume III, 2003, completed a very straight forward study of salt water and E. fetida. The following activity is an adaptation of that study.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
72 - 74 |
#26
Tolerance to Overcrowding |
At what point in time is the vermiculture too densely populated? Most critters have a tolerance for some overcrowding usually determined by the lack of food and/or abundance of waste.
(Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
75 - 77 |
#27
Mating Size |
Do worms select a particular size mate? This activity will attempt to determine the answer to this question. The activity is adapted from "Size-Assortive Mating in the Earthworm, Eisenia fetida", Japan Ethnological Society, Springer Verlag, October 6th 2004, (on-line), Fernado Monroy, Manuel Aria, Alberto Veland, and Jorge Dominguez. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
78 - 81 |
#28
Growth with Egg Shells |
Many vermiculturists feel that egg shells or fine sand should be part of the diet. Vermiculture worms have a gizzard and small grains of sand or egg shells will remain in the gizzard to help scour/grind food stuffs for digestion. The egg shells (mostly CaCO3) help to sweeten the vermicompost, as well. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
82 - 86 |
#29
Leaf Litter vs. Shredded Newsprint |
In nature leaf litter is a by-product of plant metabolism and can present disposal challenges. If leaves can be ground up into small bits can they be used in the Habitat instead of shredded newsprint? Additionally, will the leaves provide extra nutrients not available in newsprint alone? (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
87 - 90 |
#30
Sterile Leaf Litter vs. Natural Leaf Litter |
To determine whether the microbial life attached to leaves is an important part of the digestive processes for the worms a study must be undertaken. The leaves must be free of microbial life (sterile) that may help in digestion and compared to leaves that are not sterile. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
91 - 94 |
#31
Fast PlantsŪ and Castings |
The castings and leachate may have some nutrient value for plants. The fast growing plants patented by the University of Wisconsin can be used to quickly determine if these vermiculture products have an effect on the growth of Fast PlantsŪ. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
95 - 98 |
#32
Growth of Fast PlantsŪ With Castings |
This Activity will be based on various masses of castings. The optimal mass can be determined by growing plants with differing masses of castings used as fertilizer. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
99 - 105 |
#33
Plant Growth with Leachate or Tea |
This Activity will be based on various masses of castings. The optimal mass can be determined by growing plants with different masses of castings used as fertilizer. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
106 - 112 |
#34
Plant Growth with Aqueous Castings |
This activity will be based on various masses of castings. The optimal mass can be determined by growing plants with differing masses of castings used as fertilizer. (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
113 - 119 |
#35
Coir Vs Shredded Newsprint |
In the food industry, coir (coconut husks) is a by-product of coconut farming and can present disposal challenges. If coconut husks can be ground up into small bits, can they be used instead of shredded newsprint? Additionally, will the coir provide extra nutrients not available in newsprint alone? (Word .doc) – (Adobe .pdf) |
Page
120 - 123 |
