Land Supply (Gracia Lee)

Why is there land constraint?

• rising demand for land supply

The world population is increasing rapidly and when there are more people, more land is required. This is because of the rising demand for housing, growth of industries, agriculture, recreation and transport. When there are more people, more arable land is needed to grow more crops to supply the growing population with food to eat. Likewise, more people means more houses and the need for more transportation, recreation and jobs which will result in the building of more housing estates, roads and factories. Thus, the constant need for more land.

• limited land supply

Land takes up about 30% of the Earth's surface, which is lesser as compared to water. A lot of land has already been used to meet the rising demands for land supply, thus, leaving very little land left to build even more houses, factories or roads if there is a need again eventually. In addition, there are areas such as swamps, coasts or deserts that are impossible to use due to their conditions. Also, there are land that were previously used for farming or mining that have been destroyed and some restoration work has to be done to it before it can be used once again. Thus, all the above factors contribute to an extremely limited land supply.

What are the responses to land contraints?

• increasing land prices

If costs of buying land is brought up to become even more expensive, this may deter developers from buying a certain piece of land to build houses, factories, shopping centres or recreational areas. Furthermore, if the developers go ahead with the costly expenses, such as building new housing estates on that land, to buy an apartment there will also mean it will be more expensive for people to afford.

• increasing land supply

Increasing land supply can be done by recycling old, unusable land in a few ways, namely deforestation, land reclamation and empoldering. Also, maximising land use for industrial and agriculture can help too. For example, for farming purposes, terracing, irrigation and high-tech farming. However, I feel that deforestation should be a last resort since it destroys nature though other methods may be tedious or expensive.

How does Singapore deal with land constraint?
Singapore has aeroponics and hydroponics farms. This method of high-tech farming may be more expensive than the usual traditional way of farming, but it does help to save land space since Singapore has a scarcity of land and this also maximises land use. Also, Singapore builds HDB flats as we are less earthquake-prone when compared to countries like USA where landed properties are common. HDB flats has many units and floors than a usual semi-detached or landed house. Because Singapore has less land, HDBs are less expensive than landed house, which requires more land space. This discourages Singaporeans to buy land property which means there will be an increasing demand for HDBs which cost less. In Singapore, we also have flyovers which allows more roads to be built, reducing use of land space.

Reflection:

I feel that the Singapore government is effective in resolving land constraint issues in our country. We make use of land space by building HDB flats, flyovers and high-tech farms. These solutions help to reduce unnecessary land wastage. However, we cannot constantly use these methods for the many years to come and have to come up with other better ways to improve the current situation of shortage of land. We also have to think of the future generations. If Singapore keeps encouraging higher birth rates and introduces successful policies that reap results, Singapore will have a rising demand for even more land due to population growth. However, I wonder what other things can be done after all available space has been exhausted.

Land Supply (Kimberly Kiong)

Why is there land constraint?

RISING DEMAND FOR LAND

• Population Growth

            With more people in an area, more land is needed for human activities. Thus, when the population increases,

            available resources will have to be shared among more people, adding pressure to the land.

            

• Increasing demand for housing

            A growing population will lead to more demand for housing. Thus, more land have to be used to build houses for 
           more people

• Growth of industries

            More jobs will need to be provided as the population is growing. Thus, one way to solve this problem is to develop
            more manufacturing industries and businesses. Thus, more land will be needed to expand and create more
            industries. Thus, the demand for land increases.

• Development of transport systems

            

• Increasing demand for arable land

             To produce more food for the increasing population, countries will need more arable land (land that is suitable for 
             growing crops.)However, arable land is in short supply. Over four-fifth of the Earth's land surface is unsuitable for
             growing crops as it is either too hot, too cold, too dry or infertile.

• Increasing demand for recreational spaces

LIMITED SUPPLY OF LAND

 Only 30% of the Earth's surface is made up of land, much less compared to water which makes up 70%. Furthermore, out of this 30%, not all are readily available for use. Areas like swamps and low-lying areas are constantly flooded with water and deserts are too dry to be of much use to us. Land can also be damaged due to mining or poor farming practices. These types of land are of little use to us if left in their original state.





(desert.)


(swamps)

Even not all suitable land can be available for us as they may be reserved for certain uses, such as water catchment areas. Land is also set aside for military purposes, such as training areas for soldiers. For example, in Singapore, military training areas and water catchment areas take up more than half of the total land. Thus, there is a limited area of land for other purposes (e.g. industry and housing).

Responses to rising demand of land

• Increasing the price of land

             When the demand for land increases and the available land area (or supply) cannot meet with the increase in
             demand, the price of land may be increase. This is because some users may be willing to pay a higher price for the
             available land and this would push up the price of the land.

            Thus, increasing the price of land discourages some people from using the land, hence reducing demand.

• Increasing the supply of land

            Land clearance (deforestation, demolishing old buildings), land reclamation (landfill method, empoldering, reclaming
            derelict land), maximising existing landuse (mixed landuse, high density buildings, irrigation, terracing, soil-less
           farming).

• Conserving land

Reflection:

I feel that the methods used to reduce the demand for land are effective. Singapore has HDBs to maximise the use of land available for us. Thus, the problem of housing due to land constraint is greatly reduced. These also reduce unneccessary land wastage. However, if the population keeps increasing, these solutions may not be so effective anymore and new solutions will need to reduce the impact of land constraint in Singapore.

Water Supply (Kimberly Kiong)

Reasons for water constraint

Limited supply of fresh water

Salt water in seas and oceans make up about 97% of this amount. Fresh water frozen in the form of snow and ice makes up another 2%. Only 1% of the total amount of water on Earth is fresh water that is readily available for human consumption. Fresh water can also be found in rivers, streams and lakes called surface water. Some fresh water can also be found deep underground and is known as groundwater.

Uneven distribution of fresh water

Canada has 20% of  the world's fresh water supply, while India has only 10% of the world's fresh water supply. India's population is more than 30 times larger than that of Canada. Uneven distribution may be due to the differences in climate. This has affected agriculture, thus leading to food shortage for the people.

Water pollution

Fresh water resources are increasingly being polluted by human activities. For example, waste from factories and households are often carelessly dumped into rivers and this pollutes the rivers. Many of  the lakes on Earth are too polluted to be used for activites such as drinking and fishing. For example, Lake Baikal in Russia which stores about 20% of the world's fresh water supply, is now heavily polluted by waste chemicals from surrounding factories.

Rising demand for water

Population Growth

The total supply of fresh water on Earth will have to be shared among more people. Thus, more water will be needed and thus this leads to an increased demand for water.

Growth of agriculture

As the population increases, more food is needed to feed more mouths. Thus, more water is needed to grow food.

Growth of industries

The growth of industries leads to a rise in water consumption as water plays an important role in the daily operation of these industries. For example, water is needed to clean and cool machines and as a raw material in making products such as food, chemcials and paper.

Changes in lifestyle

When a country becomes more developed, people will adopt a modern lifestyle and can afford to buy items which provide them with more convience and comfort. For example, th use of washing machines and air-conditioners will lead to an increase in the demand for water.

Responses to the rising demand for water

Increasing the price of water

When the price of water is increased, people will be more encouraged to use less water as they do not want to pay more. Thus, this helps to reduce the rising costs of producing and distributing water. However, this method is not the best way to solve the rising demand for water. People who can afford to pay the higher prices will be able to use the amount of water they want. However, the poor cannot and thus, they will suffer even more.

Increasing the supply of water

Increasing catchment areas, buying water from countries through international agreements and the use of technology such as water recycling and deslination. One example of water recycling is NEWater which is produced in Singapore.

In Singapore, PUB, the national water agency has put in place a water supply strategy kown as the "4 National Taps Strategy"

Tap 1: Water from local catchment areas
Tap 2: Imported water
Tap 3: NEWater
Tap 4: Desalinated water

Conserving water

Saving water can be done by useing water resources carefully to ensure that unneccessary wastage is kept to a minimum.

Reflection:

I feel that everyone of us should play a part in saving water, so that the impact of water constraint will lessen. Little drops make a mighty ocean, so even if we each save a little water, it will still make a great impact. We should also buy less products that require the use of water so that the demand for water will decrease, and will lessen the impact of the problem of constraint.

Water supply (Gracia Lee)

Approximately 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water, with about 97% being saltwater(sea, oceans), 2% being frozen waters in the form of glaciers and 1% being freshwater that is ready and safe for human consumption. Water is an extremely important source as all humans need it for survival and to sustain life. It also allows us to carry out our daily activitiesm such as bathing and drinking.

Rising demand for water:

• Population growth

As the world population increases each day, more people means that more water is needed because water sustains life. So, more fresh water is needed for many important activities and thus, results in a rising demand for water.

• Agriculture

As the world population increases, more food and not just water is needed. Therefore, more crops have to be grown in order to meet the needs of the people. Hence, when more crops are grown, more water is needed to water the crops and used for irrigation purposes.

• Industries

More factories are being built and that leads to more water needed for the operation or cleaning of machines.

• Changes in lifestyle

Changes in lifestyle is mainly due to urbanisation and the advancement of technology in the world. Swimming pools, washing machines and dishwashers are common sights and many people use them for convenience or enjoyment.

Since there is a constant rising demand for water in the world, the responses are the increase in water prices, conservation of water and using technology to increase our water supply. In Singapore, we have the "4 national taps" strategy and I feel that they are effective in helping to increase our water supply to meet our needs and expectation of urban life, though some are not as effective as others.

"4 national taps" strategy:

• Local catchment areas

Singapore has a few local catchment areas such as bedok, seletar and mac ritchie reservoir. These areas allow the collection of rainwater and at the same time, helps in the conservation efforts of flora and fauna.

• Imported water

Singapore has international agreements with our neighbouring country, malaysia, so as to ensure a constant supply of clean water should other strategies fail. This is effective for a short period of time but is ineffective in the long run because contracts can expire. This means that the country will have to negotiate new terms again and the other country may not be a willing party.

• Newater

Due to our advancement of technology, NEWater has been developed. It is basically recycled water that is clean and safe for huamn consumption.

• Desalinated water

Though this can supply us with clean water for drinking, it is extremely expensive if the country builds many desalination plants.

Reflection:
Overall, I feel that the main cause for the rising demand for water is urbanisation. Urbanisation also leads water pollution which can in turn lessen our supply of clean fresh water. Nowadays, we like to live a comfortable life so we also make use of many appliances that requires a lot of water. Urbanisation has also led to many other problems in the world, and not just water shortage. In conclusion, I think everyone should do our part in helping to conserve water because water is a very precious source for all living things on earth and even if we can only help a little, every drop of water saved counts!

Alternative Energy Sources In Singapore (Evangel Teo)

Alternative energy refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels. In Singapore, there are a few types of alternative energy.

Solar Energy

Solar panels have been installed in Changi Airport, Sembawang Shopping Centre and Marina Barrage. The solar panel modules at Changi Airport cover a rooftop area of about 2,500m² and are expected to generate over 280,000kWh/year. The electricity is used for lighting in the buildings and outdoor areas, as well as for cooling and ventilation of internal spaces.  At Sembawang Shopping Centre, there are 51 pieces of solar panels installed on the rooftop of the carpark.  The solar panels are able to generate 34.52kWh per day and the average daily electricity generated is able to power a 32W fluorescent light for approximately 1.078 hours or 45 days. However, buying and installing the solar panels cost a large amount of money and the payback period (length of time required to recover the cost of an investment) is around 20 years.

Even though the cost of buying and installing is high and the payback period is a rather long time, I think they are effective in Singapore because of the tropical climate and there is sunlight throughout the year.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from the combination of an alcohol with natural fats. Most of the current Biodiesel producers use refined, edible vegetable oils. It can be used pure or blended with diesel. It is compatible with all diesel engines, produces less black smoke, has less carcinogenic emissions, is biodegradable, non-toxic, non-flammable, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, is truly renewable (unlike other alternatively fuels such as Hydrogen and Fuel Cell whose energy is ultimately derived from crude hydrocarbon) and sulphur-free (does not cause acid rains).

Biodiesel is convenient to switch to because it is compatible with all unmodified diesel engines and even though there are only a few retail outlets throughout Singapore, it can be bought in bulk and stored easily because it is very stable at atmospheric pressure and will not ignite even under a naked flame. However, biodiesel is more expensive than diesel so some people might not want to make the switch even though it could reduce air pollution and carcinogenic emissions.

Hybrid Cars

A few car manufacturers like Honda, Toyota and Nissan have produced hybrid cars. A few examples are the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid. Hybrid cars have an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by batteries. At low speeds, the car is only powered by the electric motor and when the speed increases, the other engine is used.

The cost of hybrid cars is more expensive than conventional cars and to encourage more people to purchase hybrid cars, the government have lowered the road taxes for hybrid cars. The use of hybrid cars is also particularly effective in Singapore where there are often traffic jams in the city area and the cars move at a slow speed, thus only the electric motor is used.

Alternative Sources of Energy in Singapore (Gracia Lee 2-1)

An alternative source of energy is energy fuelled in ways that do not use up the earth's natural resources or harm the environment. There are some kinds of alternative energy sources used in Singapore...

Biodiesel
Biodiesel is used in cars and can be used alone or blended with conventional diesel. It is compatible with all diesel engines used in Singpore and made with either vegetable oil or a mixture of oils and residual animal fats from the food industry. Singapore has a few biodiesel plants that produces NExBTL diesel using a tecnique slightly different from the usual production of biodiesel, which is said to reduce carbon emisisons by 40-80% depending on the percentage of blending of the conventional diesel. I feel that it is quite effective in Singapore because people can use this source to power their cars and moreover, it helps lower the carbon emissions of a normal car using conventional diesel. If everyone uses this, it would bring the total amount of carbon emissions in our environment down. However, it is more expensive than the usual diesel which may deter some people from using it ad also there are very few biodiesel stations around Singapore.

Solar Energy
Singapore makes use of Solar energy in Changi Airport. To improve energy efficiency, the Changi airport group has implemented the use of natural lighting in passenger areas where possible and have double glazed glass and solar shading devices that lets in natural light while minimising heat gain from the sunlight which reduces the need for artificial lighting and stronger air conditioning. There are use of solar panels which can convert solar energy from the Sun into electricity for use. I feel that this is effective though very expensive. In Changi Airport's budget terminal, the savings from solar panels is $60,000, 10% of the cost annually for lighting. However, the payback period, or the return on invesment time is estimated to be around 10-20 years to recuperate the amount of money spent to purchase and implement the use of the soalr panels. In the long run, this would be effective since Singapore is a tropical climate country with sunshine almost all year round.

Hybrid Cars
Some people in Singapore do drive Hybrid cars manufactured by major companys like Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Audi. They reduce carbon emissions and these cars help fuel to last longer and puts the pressure off of oil and petrol. This is effective but may be expensive for some to afford. However, the government gives more tax rebates to those with hybrids.

Overall, I feel that Singapore has made good use of the alernative sources of energy available for usage. Even though all the options available seem expensive, they do save the environment in the long run. It is a pity that Singapore cannot use other forms like hydroelectricty, wind energy or tidal energy as we do not have strong waves or winds to allow the process of converting these types of energy into electricity.

Hydroponics Project (Gracia Lee, Evangel Teo, Kimberly Kiong, Tabitha Chiam)

Set-up:
4 tiny pots
5 chilli, 5 cucumber, 5 spinach and 5 Kangkong seeds
1 styrofoam box containing 9 litres of tap water mixed with nutrients

Results of project:
Chilli padi- only 2 seeds germinated out of the 5 planted but did not continue to grow after that and no chilli padi was harvested at all.
Japanese Cucumber- all the seeds germinated but it grew very slowly and only after one month, did 2 flowers appear and then slowly developed into cucumbers after weeks.
Spinach- all seeds germinated in about a week and grew fast. It was harvested after a month.
KangKong- all seeds germinated in 5 days and grew very fast. it was harvested after 3 and a half weeks.

Chilli padi:
The group felt that the other seeds did not germinate because they were spoilt or were eaten up by birds that flew past the shed. Therefore, only the 2 other lucky ones germinated. In the project, we could still tell that it grew the slowest beacuse the 2 that germinated grew really slowly and after the project ended, there were still no flowers that could potentially develop into chilli padis. Also, the height of the seedling remained at about 3 cm throughout the entire few months.

Japanese cucumber:
The plant grew tall fast but took a long time to flower. Later, as the project was coming to an end, we saw 2 cucumbers and 1 yellow flower developing after not checking on our plant for a long time.

Spinach:
It grew fast since it was planted and could be harvested after a month which was faster than the cucumber but slower than the kangkong. It was probably faster because there was no fruit and could be directly harvested as a whole plant.

Kangkong:
It grew the fastest as compared to the rest of the other plant types and was harvested after 3 and a half weeks. It was about the same as the spinach in terms of height and looks.

Reflections:
We learnt how simple it was to grow vegetables using the hydroponics kit and learnt how it could be implemented in the growth of crops in Singapore. Though everything grew in just one styrofoam box, it grew fast, without maintenance.

Reflections on hydroponics (Gracia Lee 2-1)

When we started on the hydroponics kits given during class, it was very difficult to set it up. That is because we had to fill up the entire styrofoam box with 9 litres of water mixed with a certain amount of nutrient that must be measured carefully. This is to allow the seeds to germinate and for the plant to grow properly. After that, the japanese cucumber, kangkong, pinach and chilli seeds are planted in tiny pots and left alone at the school's shed to grow. The seeds germinated in about 5 days time and no maintenance was needed. For example, we did not to replenish the amount of nutrients or water in the box and only needed to visit it once a week to check how well it's growing. The first crop ready to harvested was the kangkong, followed by the spinach then the japanese cucumber. However, the chilli padi did not really grow at all. Its seeds germinated many weeks after the germination of the other kinds of seeds but there was no progress. The kangkong and spinach grew easily and could be harvested fast because it was not like the cucumber that needed a bloomed flower to develop into the vegetable itself. The box used also did not take up much space in the shed and many other groups could also place theirs there. To save more space and to look neater, I felt that we could make use of a shelve to put the boxes though it might be hard to check on the plants later on. However, this can be done, as it requires very little maintenance such as not needing to water the plant or fertilising it manually. From growing the hydroponics, I learnt that it is a fast and good way to grow vegetables in Singapore since we do not have much land available here. Also, hydroponics is a form of high-tech farming. This, it is better than the traditional way of farming and requires little maintenance. The crops are grwon fast and saves space. Therefore, I feel that growing hydroponics in Singapore is a good idea and should be implemented further in other countries and seen more often in Singapore. Overall, I enjoyed the hydroponics-growing project, foung it interesting and lernt many useful pointers from it.

Term 1 Assignment(Kimberly Kiong 2-1)

1a) Vietnam

1b)

1c) The population of Vietnam is approximately more than 85.8 million and 85.8% of the population are natives or Vietnamese people. The population density of Vietnam is 668/square kilometres. The birth rate is 17.29 babies in every 1000 people and the death rate is 5.97 babies in every 1000 people. Thus, that makes it a natural increase of 11.32/1000 people. The average age of the people in general is 27.4 years old. To be more specific, the average age of males is 26.4 years old and the average age of females is 28.5 years old.

1d) The population pyramid of Vietnam

1e) One of the problems faced by Vietnam is a huge population increase after the end of the war. Thus, the population density increased significantly. With a high population density, the government has to find solutions to accodomate the present and future people of vietnam. With the construction of more buildings, environmental damage is caused such as haze and poisonous gases. Now, the population growth is decreasing and this causes a lot of young people, due to the previous high population growth, with consequent strains on the education system and labour market.

Term 1 Assignment

1a. India
1b.



1c. The populations of India is 1.15 billion people and represents 17% of the world population. India's population to expected to surpass the population of China by 2030. The fertility rate of India is 2.8. Almost 40% of Indians are younger than 15 years of age. About 70% of the people live in more than 550,000 villages, and the remainder in more than 200 towns and cities. The birthrate is 22.22 births every 1000 people and 6.4 deaths every 1000 people. The average life expectancy is 69.89 years.


1d.



1e. One of the problems faced by India is a rapid population growth because of its high birth rate. This leads to a higher demand of resources, housing, education and jobs. It can also lead to environmental problems. As the populations increases, the demand for resources such as food and water also increases. This leads to a shortage of food and clean water. The people will not have enough food and water which leads to a higher death rate. 

Term 1 assignment (Gracia Lee 2-1)

1a) Hong Kong
1b) Photo of Hong Kong

1c) Hong Kong has an estimated population of 7,089,705 people. The median age for males is 42.4 years old while for females, it is 43.2 years old. The birth rate is 7.45 babies in every 1000 people and the death rate is 6.91 in every 1000 people. Therefore, the rate of natural increase is 0.54/ 1000 people. The population density is 6480/square km.
1d) Population pyramid of Hong Kong

1e) One of the problems faced by Hong Kong is that it has a rapidly increasing aging population. If the trend continues, every 2 working people would have to support 3 unemployed or retired people by 2036. That is because Hong Kong has a low birth rate. The median age for the entire population is 42.8 years old and the rate of natural increase is 0.54 per 1000 people. Thus, it leads to an aging population.

Learning Journey (Gracia Lee 2-1)

Aeroponics Farm

When we reached, we watched a programme which introduced us to aeroponics. In the programme, Mr. Lee Sing Kong, also known as the father of aeroponics explained to us more about plants grown by this kind of technology. I learnt that the root system of aeroponics is very important. The roots are suspended in the air, thus allowing unlimited or high amounts of oxygen to be taken in by the plant. Water is given to the plants through the form of mist. Every 30 seconds, sprinklers would start spraying water for 10 seconds. Aeroponics grow faster, usually taking half the time taken when grown in soil and this method also saves space. Water is also conserved as it uses 90% less water as compared to normally grown plants. They are also high in nutrients but uses 0 chemicals. The interesting thing is that temperate vegetation can be grown also because the plant can be tricked as a result of the mist, at 20 degree celcius. We walked around the technology farm to visit the green houses and they were all sheltered to protect the plants from insects. The types of plants grown were butterhead lettuce, Kai lan, Xiao bai cai and basil. A high-demand aeroponic product in Singapore is the butterhead lettuce which are distributed by this farm to supermarkets and restaurants. They are either packed by themselves or as a salad set, with tomatoes, dressing and a fork. The salad packaging is very popular and also, this farm has invented a juice, lettucino. It contains kiwi, lettuce and lime juice. In this way, it encourages more vegetable/fruit-disliking children to drink their important nutrients instead of eat them.

Bollywood Farm

Before starting the tour, we hydrated ourselves and were told by our guide that we could pick up the citronella leaves on the floor and use them as a natural insect repellent. The guide made the farm tour interesting and we saw many different kinds of vegetation such as the mimosa tree, moringa(treat deficiency), banana tree, sugarcane, rice paddy, papaya tree, roselle(ribena) and neem tree(for brushing teeth in ancient India). There was also an organic compost which is used as fertiliser.

Reflection for trip to Bukit Timah Hill (Evangel Teo)

Last Saturday, we went to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, a tropical rainforest in Singapore. It is a water catchment area and is the highest point in Singapore. Upon reaching, we saw lots of monkeys swinging from tree to tree. Before walking up the hill, we visited the exhibition hall. There were many informative and interesting exhibits in the hall. I learnt more about the history of Bukit Timah Hill and different species of plants and animals.

Next, we started walking up the hill. The slope was very steep and before long, I started panting. Fortunately, the slope eventually got gentler. On the way up, we saw many different trees as well as lianas and epiphytes with our own eyes. Before long, we reached the summit of Bukit Timah Hill. We sketched pictures of 3 different types of leaves and after resting a while, we went down. Instead of going straight down we went up another route. It lead to a view of a quarry, however it was hard to see as the trees were blocking the view.

Then, we headed down and after reaching the bottom, we walked another route that lead to a playground. At the playground, we had lots of fun. If we continued walking down the route, we would see a magnificent and breathtaking view of a granite quarry. It was simply beautiful.

As we were waiting for the bus, we saw many animals and were even lucky enough to see an  adorable baby monkey with its mother and a flying lemur. The bus arrived and it was time to go. I left with many more fond memories and valuable experiences.

Reflection of trip to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (Gracia Lee 1-1)

   Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is a tropical rainforest in Singapore which has an astonishing variety of plants, animals and insects. It is also a water catchment area, which forms part of Singapore's water supply. Before we even started our walk up to the Bukit Timah Summit, we saw many monkeys that were swinging from tree to tree and landing on our pathways.  
   We visited the exhibition area before venturing out and understood more about the tropical rainforest in Singapore. The exhibits inside showed many different things which we could learn a lot from. For a better chance of survival, I learnt that fruits and seeds must move away from the parent plant to reduce competition and to expand the range of species. Many tall emergents and canopy trees in the tropical rainforest used their winged seeds so that those seeds can be carried along considerable distances depending on the velocity of the wind.
   After that, we started walking up to reach the Bukit Timah Summit. Even though our teachers made it seem so easy to walk up as they were chatting while walking at a fast pace, my friends and I found it difficult to walk up the steep pathway and later became quite tired of the walking. However, throughout the entire walk, we experienced nature with our very own eyes though we were distracted sometimes with talking and cracking jokes. We learnt that silence is golden in such a place so as to be able to hear nature and we also learnt more about the natural vegetation in tropical rainforests. We found out that the common insect sound heard is not made by crickets, but by cicadas. We saw the three layers: emergent, canopy and undergrowth. Some really tall and big trees had buttress roots which helped hold their heavy trunks and there were lianas that clinged onto a tree and connected to another one. There were also the epiphytes, which were the ferns. There was a tree, called the Merombong, which had a special trunk and its wood is rarely used but has excellent quality and durability. There was not much sunlight experienced as the emergents created a shade for us and only sometimes, patches of light could be seen.
   After the treacherous walk up, we were shocked to see that we had only climbed a height of 163.63 metres. We sat down to rest and made a sketch of three kinds of leaves. Most of the leaves we saw had a drip tip so as to drain off water. Then, we walked down and played at a playground but went off to look at a water catchment area that was beautiful. When rain falls, it is trapped by the leaves on the trees and the rainwater that falls from the leaves onto the ground are slowly drained to nearby reservoirs.
   I truly enjoyed the trip to the Bukit Timah Nature reserve and I understood more about tropical rainforests in Singapore.

Reflection (Kimberly Kiong 1-1)

TEMPERATURE RECORDING ACTIVITY
After the temperature recording activity, I have learnt some of the factors that can affect the temperature recorded. These factors include which storey we live on, the distance or direction of our house from the sun, the time of the day, the place where the thermometer is placed, the area or the part of Singapore we live at and the weather of the day the temperature was recorded. Not only have I learnt about the factors that affect the temperature recorded but also learnt how to read the minimum/maximum thermometer and that the temperature in Singapore is relatively constant. The weather is also about the same throughout the whole of Singapore as Singapore's land area is not very large. Overall, I found this activity fun and interesting as it allowed me to know the temperature range and average in my house.

Reflection (Gracia Lee 1-1)

Through the temperature-recording activity, I learnt that there are many factors that can affect the temperature taken at home.

The factors that can possibly affect the temperature recorded are:

• which storey we live on
• the amount of open space in the house
• the direction of our house from the sun
• the time of the day
• the distance of our house from the sun
• the overall type of weather for the day
• where the thermometer is placed in the house
• the different parts of Singapore that we live in

I felt that the activity was quite interesting because it allowed me to know the temperature and average temperature range in my house. I understood more about the topic and learnt how to read a min./max. thermometer. I also learnt that the temperature in Singapore is relatively constant.

Mindmap-Rocks

This is the link to my mindmap:
http://www.mywebspiration.com/view/462988a2d34d
[Gracia Lee 1-1]

Rocks mindmap

Hi, this the link for my rocks mindmap.

http://www.mywebspiration.com/view/467374a25ed7http://www.mywebspiration.com/view/467374a25ed7

Rocks

By: Kimberly Kiong

Iceland Volcanic Eruption

Why the volcano erupted

• Eruption caused by the diverging plates(North American Plate and Eurasian plate) at Mid Atlantic Ridge
  
  
• Iceland lies on a hotspot

Monitoring Volcanic Activity

What do they monitor??

•  Volcanic temperature
•  water level
•  lakes
•  mass movements like rock falls
• mud flow
• seismicity

Why do they monitor these things???

• Plot geology maps     
• Show changes before and after a volcano erupts
• To prevent death and illness
• Avoid affecting tourism, flights, business and daily activity

What materials are spewed out???

• Ash
• Smoke
• Lava
• Molten lava
• Rocks
• Many other solid, liquid and gases
• Gases: mostly steam but also includes poisonous gases(carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride)

Symptoms

• Earthquakes
• Rumbling Noise
• Animals acting weird
• More vents appearing
• However, the volcano may erupt without warning

What type of volcano is Eyjafjallajökull???

• It is a Stratovolcano, sometimes called a composite volcano
• Its is a tall, conical volcanoe with many layers of hardened lava, tephra and volcanic ash

Evangel