Rainforests & jungles.pdf

Click below to read a summary of the Rainforests & jungles project ideas for Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards; or to go back to project ideas click here.

CREST Bronze
Investigate how changing amounts of various nutrients affects plant growth
Despite the high rate of growth in rain forests the soil in these forests is poor in nutrients. The nutrients have been washed out of the soils by heavy rainfall. In this project you are going to investigate how the nutrients in compost affect the rate of growth of seedlings.

CREST Silver
Investigate how the nutrients in soil affect plant growth
Start by doing some research into the nutrients needed for plant growth. You could find out about the different nutrients required and the different kinds of composts and fertilisers used by gardeners and farmers. You could then research the special case of rain forests. The soil in rain forests is poor in nutrients; you should find out why this is and what effect it has on the plant life. You could also investigate how the indigenous people of rainforests farm the land.

CREST Gold
Investigate how the nutrients in soil affect plant growth and compare the effects on growth of a range of fertilisers, composts and burnt wood ash
You should start by doing some research into the nutrients needed for plant growth. You could find out about the different nutrients required and the different kinds of composts and fertilisers used by gardeners and farmers. You could then research the special case of rain forests. The soil in rain forests is poor in nutrients; you should find out why this is and what effect it has on the plant life. You could also investigate how the indigenous people
of rainforests farm the land. You should find out about “slash-and-burn agriculture” as carried out by both the indigenous people and by migrants to the area.