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Landscapes and Water Usage

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Summary

Areas of Science
Difficulty
 
Time Required
Very Long (1+ months)
*Note: For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

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Abstract

Some plants use a lot of water, and some are very drought-tolerant. Drought-tolerant grasses are good for water conservation because they require less water to grow and stay green. How much less water do they need? Which types of grass are drought-tolerant? You can buy different types or brands of grass seed at your nursery that claim to be drought-tolerant. Grow them in a container and then starve for water after they are established. Which brands die out first? You can conduct a similar experiment using sod, or lawns that are already established with different species of grass. Just make sure to get permission from the owner first! Then you can mark off your study area with stakes and starve the area for water. Which types of lawns are the most drought-tolerant? What about other landscape plants? Are native plants more drought-tolerant than exotic plants? You can actually calculate the amount of water that each type of plant needs, then compare the water needs of different plants. How much water can drought-tolerant plants save annually? Can you extrapolate this to estimate the amount of water that can be saved by an entire community? A city or regional park? Can you propose some good plants for landscapers to use that will save water? (National Arbor Day Foundation, 2006; NPS, 2006)

Bibliography

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Global Connections

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

This project explores topics key to Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

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General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

MLA Style

Science Buddies Staff. "Landscapes and Water Usage." Science Buddies, 18 July 2020, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/EnvSci_p022/environmental-science/landscapes-and-water-usage?class=AQWi-3wnkOd7LIHQ-N3ocoht9mhvt7-ENMS2qX7icOWpVLRtRLPwLDJDTycWtCcFL1V3yxH0cYWcylVsqYaDXX6U. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

APA Style

Science Buddies Staff. (2020, July 18). Landscapes and Water Usage. Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/EnvSci_p022/environmental-science/landscapes-and-water-usage?class=AQWi-3wnkOd7LIHQ-N3ocoht9mhvt7-ENMS2qX7icOWpVLRtRLPwLDJDTycWtCcFL1V3yxH0cYWcylVsqYaDXX6U


Last edit date: 2020-07-18
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