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business of accepting reptiles that have worn out their welcome in the homes of exotic pet owners. As a result, people often release big non-native snakes into the wild. Released Burmese pythons have created a potentially dangerous and expensive problem |
for the state of Florida. Reaching a length of 20 feet, this Asian native has dramatically increased its numbers in the Everglades. Florida habitat is well suited for pythons and now considered an invasive species, Burmese pythons eat food that |
native species depend on as well as Florida’s native animals themselves, including endangered species such as key deer and the Key Largo wood rat. Some people who own green iguanas are surprised when the little lizard they received as a |
gift grows and grows and grows. When lizards become a big maintenance problem, or sadly, an inconvenience, some people release them. As a result, South Florida, where this species can thrive in the sub-tropical climate (except during especially cold winters), |
is an invasive species. Releasing a “pet problem” iguana can lead to a whole new set of problems: • Setting a pet iguana free into an unfamiliar wild environment is cruel and inhumane. The animal can find itself hungry, stressed |
and disoriented in a not-so-iguana-friendly suburban/urban landscape, where cats and dogs roam. • Hungry neglected iguanas dig up gardens and devour garden plants, fruits and vegetables. • Iguanas defecate in swimming pools. These lizards have been known to carry Salmonella |
bacteria. Note: Small, isolated populations of what may be native green iguanas have been documented in the Florida Keys since the 1950s. But this population was observed long before the problem of released pet-iguanas surfaced. That is, the isolated native |
Keys green iguanas have played part of South Florida’s current iguana population explosion. Scarlet macaws and several other macaw species come with a particularly annoying set of challenges for pet owners: • Macaws can be very, very noisy. • They |
are social animals. • They require very specific foods. • They are messy and therefore their cages require frequent cleaning. • They need a lot of attention from their owners or they may scream and pluck out their feathers. • |
At some point, they will most likely require specific avian (bird) veterinary treatment, which can be expensive. • Because macaws can live up to or past 50 years, owners need to be prepared for a lifetime of devoted pet care. |
It’s never safe to assume that someone will care for bird if you are unable or unwilling to do so. • Caution: Some macaws are victims of the illegal pet trade and many die in transport. Ever dreamed of owning |
a pet monkey? If so, you should know the following: It is common for captive monkeys to display the following behaviors: - Severe biting and scratching - Throwing tantrums - Urinating in multiple directions - Tossing feces - They require |
a specific balanced diet and can be very picky eaters. - They live for 20 to 30 years. So even if you manage to bond with your monkey, do not assume that it will ever adjust to another caretaker. - |
Dec 16 20102,000-Year Old Computer Recreated In LEGO Apple software engineer Andrew Carol (woman's first name for a last name FTW!) went and built a completely functional Antikythera Mechanism out of LEGO. What the hell's an Antikythera Mechanism? *GW casts copy/paste and goes to toast some Eggos* The Antikythera Mechanism, is, allegedly, the oldest version of a scientific computer. The Greeks, who used to |
be so clever that they never endured too much of a financial crisis, built it around 100 B.C. Somehow, it disappeared into history's cracks, until it was unearthed from a shipwreck in 1901. It took imperfect humans another 100 years to work out that its purpose was to mechanically track the bodies that are in outer space in order to anticipate events up there |
that might affect life down here. Carol used 1,500 Lego Technic parts and 30 days to put together the 110 gears and other pieces of the re-creation. The two wings of Carol's machine, each with four gearboxes, manage to make the same calculations as the original mechanism. Each gearbox makes one mathematical calculation. It's funny how they call Andrew by his last name in |
the article and it makes it sound like he's a lady. Also, that falsetto of his. But I'm not here to talk about girly-men, I'm here to talk about 2,000-year old gearboxes. Which -- if the ancient Greeks could make gearboxes, then they must have had cars. The history books are wrong! THIS. CHANGES. EVERYTHING. But mostly just history books. Hit the jump for |
a worthwhile video of the device in action. Thanks to big jerm, Kristina, Lewis, Wendy, Aristotle, Mr. Sausage, meeotch, Rev Dr Dom, and Ludd, who're all convinced they had flying cars in Atlantis. I believe it. |
of Genetic Terms Definitions for the genetic terms used on this page NHGRI Scientists Develop Advanced Mouse Models Of Huntington's Disease 1998 News Release Learning About Huntington's Disease What do we know about heredity and Huntington's disease? Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurological illness causing involuntary movements, severe emotional disturbance and cognitive decline. In the United States alone, about |
30,000 people have HD. In addition, 35,000 people exhibit some symptoms and 75,000 people carry the abnormal gene that will cause them to develop the disease. There is no cure for this fatal disease. A single abnormal gene produces HD. In 1993, scientists finally isolated the HD gene on chromosome 4. The gene codes for production of a protein called |
"huntingtin," whose function is still unknown. But the defective version of the gene has excessive repeats of a three-base sequence, "CAG." In the normal huntingtin gene, this sequence is repeated between 11 and 29 times. In the mutant gene, the repeat occurs over and over again, from 40 times to more than 80. This defect causes the resulting huntingtin protein |
to be malformed, prone to clumping in the brain and causing the death of nearby nerve cells. Cells of the basal ganglia, a brain area responsible for coordinating movement, and of the cortex, which controls thought, perception and memory, are most often affected. Since the gene that causes HD is dominant, each child of an HD parent has a 50-50 |
chance of inheriting the HD gene. The child needs only one copy of the gene from either parent to develop the disease. A person who inherits the HD gene, and survives long enough, will sooner or later develop the disease. If the child does not inherit the defective gene, the child will not get the disease nor pass the gene |
on to subsequent generations. Symptoms of HD generally appear in mid-life. Research: Unlocking the Mysteries of Huntington's Disease The 1993 discovery of the gene, which triggers HD when it malfunctions, jump-started research on this devastating disease. Scientists hope that a multi-faceted approach will lead to a cure. Research is proceeding in many directions: - Basic neurobiology: Scientists are continuing to |
study the HD gene to better understand how it causes disease. - Imaging: Scientists can observe what the defective gene does to various structures in the brain and how it affects the body's chemistry and metabolism using PET scanning and other imaging technologies. - Animal models: Scientists hope to learn more about the symptoms and progression of the disease by |
breeding laboratory animals, such as mice, and attempting to duplicate the clinical features of HD. - Fetal tissue research: Investigators have implanted fetal tissue in rodents and non-human primates to better understand how to restore or replace functions typically lost by nerve degeneration in individuals with HD. - Genetic studies: Scientists are continuing to study inheritance patterns in families, including |
genetic studies of onset age, inheritance patterns and markers found within families. These studies may shed additional light on how HD is passed from generation to generation. - Clinical trials of drugs: Drug testing includes classes of drugs that control symptoms, slow the rate of progression of HD or correct or replace other metabolic defects contributing to the development and |
progression of HD. New Discovery Offers Hope For a New Treatment These many avenues of research have recently converged in a promising discovery that suggests a treatment for HD: scientists at the University of California (UC) at Irvine, successfully prevented cell death in a Drosophila fruit fly model that carries the HD gene defect. UC Irvine researchers believe they've discovered |
how the genetic mutation alters chemical pathways to cause the disease. By identifying these changes, researchers believe they may have found an effective way to slow or prevent the disease. The drug used by UC Irvine researchers to prevent the cell death in the fruit fly is known as an HDAC inhibitor, and is currently in clinical trials for treating |
cancer in humans. This could speed up human trials of the drug in Huntington's disease patients. Is there a test for Huntington's disease? The discovery of the HD gene led to a genetic test to make or confirm the diagnosis of Huntington's disease. Using a blood sample, the genetic test analyzes DNA for the HD mutation by counting the number |
of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene. Individuals who do not have HD usually have 28 or fewer repeats. Individuals with HD usually have 40 or more repeats. Deciding to be tested for Huntington's disease can be difficult. Individuals consider genetic testing to confirm a diagnosis when clear symptoms are present and there is a documented family history of HD. |
Others who have a parent with the disease elect to be tested to resolve uncertainty about their future. A negative test relieves anxiety and uncertainty. A positive test enables individuals to make decisions about careers, marriage and families. Some who are at risk choose not to take the test. They choose to live with the uncertainty of being at risk |
and to forgo the emotional consequences of a positive result, as well as possible losses of insurance and employment. Genetic counselors can help individuals make the difficult decisions about testing. Prospective parents consider prenatal testing when one parent has been diagnosed with Huntington's disease or has been found to carry the gene. Prenatal testing can show whether the child will |
inherit the defective gene. To test the fetus, DNA is extracted from fetal cells via CVS (chorionic villi sampling) or amniocentesis. If the fetus tests positive, parents can make decisions about whether to terminate the pregnancy. NHGRI Clinical Research on Huntington's Disease Currently, NHGRI is not conducting clinical studies on Huntington's Disease. - Current NHGRI Clinical Studies - Search Clinical |
Huntington's Disease Society of America Web site. Huntington's disease research news, in plain language, written by scientists, for the global HD community. - The HD Lighthouse [hdlf.org] Huntington Disease Information and Community - Hereditary Disease Foundation Scientists Find Possible Treatment for Huntington's Disease [hdfoundation.org] Summary of recent research that offers hope of a cure. Hosted by the Huntington's Disease Foundation. |
the Dolan DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. - Huntington's Outreach Project for Education at Stanford (HOPES) [stanford.edu] A project at Stanford University to build a public Web resource on Huntington's disease to complement the Huntington's Disease Advocacy Center (HDAC) Web site by focusing on the science of HD. - Huntington Disease [rarediseases.info.nih.gov] Information from the Genetics and |
Are you ready to climb the sand dunes? You can but only in designated areas. This cache will take you to that location. First we are going to learn how they got here, when they got here, how long they will be around and why you are any allowed in climbing areas. The dunes before you began with the Ice |
Age. About ten million years ago the earth began to cool which lead to the Ice Age which lead to the great Ice Age of the past two million years. The continental glaciers alternately advanced and retreated that produced glacial and interglacial times. The glaciers covered Michigan and large parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. It has only been 11,800 |
years that the last glacier retreated from this area. The movement of the glaciers carried rock stone and sand along with it. They also caused the lake water to rise and fall. With this combination the Michigan shoreline base was created. The deposits caused land to jutted out into the lake creating highlands. The sand dunes themselves are estimated to |
have been here about 2 thousand years. The highland here is the Sleeping Bear Plateau and is the base that supports these dunes. The dunes here are classified as "perched dunes". The perched dunes of the Sleeping Bear Plateau are actually a relatively thin blanket of wind blown sand resting on a thick deposit of sandy glacial debris. When the |
wind reworks the upper layers of the glacial sediment, sand is deposited into the dunes while the coarser material remains behind as lag gravel. Silt and clay-sized particles are so light that they remain suspension and travel a long distance before settling. The wind is an effective sorting agent and dune sand shows little in variation in size. Ice, wind |
and water move the sand here so it is continually changing the land of the surrounding area. The Sleeping Bear Dunes are very active and have been advancing from there beginning. Currently the dunes have been moving rather quickly. 100 years ago the dunes were about 235 feet at the knob on the tall dune. The area that we are |
bring you to is currently moving at a rate of about 4 foot per year. There have also been a couple of large masses of the dune fall into Lake Michigan over the past century. So the question still remains will the dunes continue to erode, how long will they last? No one can say for sure because of the |
movement it may just move farther along the shore. Your job here is to help log the movement of these dunes. This is going to be some work because it is time for you to climb the dunes. 1. Take an altitude reading from the flat ground at the bottom of the dunes. This will let us know the sand |
migration into the lowlands. 2. Climb to N44 53.255 W86 03.033. Take an altimeter reading there. This reading will show us how much of the dunes are migrating from the climbing area. 3. You will need to visit the beach on Lake Michigan at the dunes. This can be done one of 2 ways. Option 1. If you are up |
for the walk it is worth taking the time to cross the dunes. It usually takes us about 2.5 hours to make the round trip across the dunes. Once you make it to the lake take an altimeter reading here. Post a picture of yourself on the beach so that we can see both the lake and the dunes in |
the background. Option 2. You will have to drive to the beach at Empire. You will find parking at N44 48.825 W086 04.050. Once there you will need an altimeter reading. Here you will also need to past a picture of yourself with the replica lighthouse in the back ground. E-mail me with the results of the first test. Then |
find the difference between #2 and #3 altimeter reading, include this result in the e-mail. Post your photos. You may not want to attempt this cache in the off season. Though a beautiful time to be here the snow will get a sand covering. This can be deceiving and can be a deep plunge. You will need to purchase a |
What is Geological Sciences? About the program The Geosciences Program has three major parts: (1) solid-earth geological sciences, such as rocks, minerals, and deformation of the earth's crust, (2) earth proceeses over the last 10,000 years, such as active faulting, hydrogeology and water resources, geologic hazards, and surface processes, and (3) interdisciplinary environmental geosciences and hazard mitigation. Field, laboratory, and computer skills are essential |
to students studying the geosciences. We now offer a new interdisciplinary Environmental Geological Sciences degree. Research in the geosciences is active and varied, with faculty and students interacting closely. A Bachelor of Sciences and Bachelor of Arts are offered in Geology. A Bachelor of Arts in Earth Sciences is also offered, and is intended for future secondary school teachers. Minors in Geology and Earth |
Sciences are also available to supplement careers in other fields. Is it for you? The Geological Sciences major is an ideal choice for the student who is interested in science as well as the out-of-doors, but it also affords many laboratory research and management opportunities. Geological Sciences is a challenging and interpretive science and the geoscientist is constantly called upon to read clues found |
in the earth's atmosphere, water, and crust and use them to understand geological processes. Students learn to communicate their findings to other investigators or to the public. Faculty concentrate on teaching undergraduate majors about geology and engaging students in investigating geologic questions. Juniors and seniors often assist with faculty research and teaching some of the laboratory courses. Our department provides personalized instruction in small |
classes resulting in an excellent undergraduate education in geological sciences. Since 1980, about 50 percent of the department's graduates have attended graduate school to pursue M. S. and Ph.D. degrees. Experience has shown that students who excel as Geological Sciences majors, and later in geoscience careers, generally have good backgrounds in mathematics, a variety of science courses, and English composition, as well as a |
desire to work outdoors and to work on projects of significant societal and economic importance. Geological Sciences Faculty Information about the department faculty, with links to their home pages for their research and teaching, is available at the Faculty & Staff page. Opportunities for Employment The areas of employment for the Geosciences major are many and varied. Geoscientists are employed in environmental consulting, water |
resources, assessing geologic hazards including volcanic and seismic risk, naturalists in state and national parks and forests, in oceanography, geophysics, geochemistry and engineering geology, oil and gas exploration, and searching for new mineral deposits. Employment opportunities for women are good. In addition, geoscientists have many chances for extensive travel or employment in foreign countries. Questions and Inquiries Click here, if you have questions about |
Fun with Geoscience Trivia - Whose rule states "warm-blooded animals generally have shorter legs, tails, and ears in cold than in warm regions"? - What is the name for a |
fault where the crust on each side moves horizontally relative to the other side? - What three-letter word is used to name a drowned river valley? Get your very own |
Undersea neutrino observatory to be second-largest human structure December 19, 2011 An audacious project to construct a vast infrastructure housing a neutrino observatory at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea is being undertaken by a consortium of 40 institutes and universities from ten European countries. The consortium claims that KM3NeT, |
as it is known, will "open a new window on the Universe," as its "several" cubic kilometer observatory detects high-energy neutrinos from violent sources in outer space such as gamma-ray bursts, colliding stars and supernovae. A property of neutrinos that makes their observation compelling to physicists is their lack of |
charge. This makes them immune to electromagnetic forces that may influence or interfere with alternative means of observation, such as photons and cosmic rays. Neutrinos are therefore ideal for observing the Universe at very great distances. That neutrinos interact only very weakly with matter necessitates a detector in the order |
of a billion kg (2.2 billion lb), hence the requirement for such a large volume of seawater. A cubed array of optical modules is deployed, which detect light given off by muons which are emitted as neutrinos interact with the sea. Though yet to begin construction, the KM3NeT project stands |
on the shoulders of the decade-long research projects known as ANTARES, NEMO and NESTOR. ANTARES is presently the largest neutrino observatory in the northern hemisphere, though KM3NeT will claim that title upon completion. For now, the University of Wisconsin's IceCube Neutrino Observatory, completed last December, is the largest in the |
world and will work together with the completed KM3NeT, effectively forming a global neutrino observatory with a view of the whole sky. A new opportunity afforded by KM3NeT will be the ability to look for high-energy neutrinos from the Galactic Center (which is barely visible to the IceCube) where a |
supermassive black hole is thought to exist. Scrutiny of neutrinos from the Galactic Center by KM3NeT may assist with the identification of dark matter by looking for the neutrinos produced by neutralino annihilation, neutralinos being thought to accumulate in the centers of very large objects in space. Giorgio Riccobene told |
Popsci that on the scale of human constructions, it will be second only to the Great Wall of China. In addition to the neutrino observatory, KM3NeT will house equipment for monitoring the deep-sea environment, including (according to Popsci) the recording of whale song and the observation of bioluminescent organisms. Just |
A term meaning 'rune-rows', and used for a system of runes, and especially Daeron's original Certhas Daeron. It is also used in adapted form as Angerthas ('long rune-rows') to describe the systems that developed from Daeron's initial certhas, especially the Angerthas Daeron and the Angerthas Moria. The word Certhas is |
distinct in meaning from the plural cirth, which refers to a group of individual runes (or, when capitalised, the concept of runes in general). A certhas, on the other hand, refers to a particular systematic runic alphabet. For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Website services kindly |
Should Elementary School Teachers Become Single-Subject Specialists? Converting public schools into charters and increasing standardized testing are go-to approaches for closing the achievement gap here in the United States, but education reformers across the pond in the U.K. are taking a radically different approach. According to The Telegraph, British Education |
Secretary Michael Gove recently announced plans to change the number of subjects elementary school teachers are required to teach. Grade school educators will no longer be generalists who teach English, math, science, and history, but will become more like high school teachers—specialists trained in a particular subject. Gove says the |
reform will help level the playing field between students attending public school and those enrolled in private school, where teachers often are single-subject specialists. The idea is to ensure that teachers are well versed in the content they're teaching and can focus their efforts on one academic area. Research shows |
myriad benefits to having subject-specific specialists teaching elementary students. Someone who was a math major, for example, might not be as comfortable with the nuts and bolts of grammar and punctuation—or as skilled in teaching kids how to write—as a teacher who majored in English. And a teacher who majored |
in art history might pass her math anxiety along to students. But there are already huge shortages of math and science teachers, and those who do enter the profession are frequently lured away by more lucrative job offers, so it’s a lofty goal to have enough subject specialists at every |
grade school. To address this challenge, as of next year the British government will award scholarships of up to $32,000 to top students who pursue degrees in science and math and commit to becoming teachers. Teachers will be able to earn additional financial bonuses over the years for staying in |
the profession. Of course, whether educators are teaching single or multiple subjects is only one piece of the education reform puzzle. "Teachers need to be given greater control over what goes on in the classroom," Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, told The Telegraph. She says |
teachers need a reduction in their "unnecessary bureaucratic workload," and "pay and conditions need to remain competitive." If those things don't change, it's not likely that the best and brightest will want to go into teaching, no matter what they majored in. |
US 7412878 B2 An Indicator that visually signals when it is time to start and stop watering by the Indicator's ability to distinctively change it's relative physical size and/or shape as it takes on and releases the water. 1. A method for determining when to stop watering a lawn comprising: planting seeds and/or plant life; applying an Indicator on surface of soil along with |
said seed and/or plant life; said Indicator being of a given size and/or shape; applying water to said seed and/or plant life; said Indicator absorbing moisture and changing to a distinctively different size and/or shape (i.e. swelling) that is visually noticeable; whereby, said change to Indicator serves as a visual signal to stop watering. 2. The method of wherein said Indicator, as it releases |
water during the drying process (i.e. is deactivated), changes to a distinctively smaller size and/or different shape as said Indicator's said change, serving as the visual signal to start watering again. 3. The method of 4. The method of A water-absorbing material (Indicator) used to visually signal when it is time to start and stop watering seeds, soil, and/or plant life by the Indicator's |
ability to distinctively increase/decrease in relative size as it absorbs/releases moisture, respectively. This distinctive change in relative size provides a visual when-to-water reference guide and/or signal. If the Indicator is of a relatively small size (i.e. Indicator is not activated), watering is needed. If the Indicator is of a distinctively larger size (i.e. Indicator is activated), watering is not necessary. Water-holding materials such as |
organic cross-linked polymers have been used for many years to absorb and hold moisture. They have been designed and used to improve the capability of soils and other growing media by retaining water and plant nutrients. By absorbing water, they provide a readily available source of water that is essential for proper plant growth. These polymers serve as a reservoir of water that is |
available for plants, seeds, and/or soil as needed. These polymers are typically used for mixing into growing media prior to seeding, sodding or small container planting. Also, they can be used for root dipping. These polymers are typically potassium or sodium based polymers. Claimed benefits pertaining to the additional moisture available include: less time spent watering, better irrigation control, increased shelf life of plants, |
better survival rates, provides aeration in soil, reduced transplant shock, and help reduce media volume, all of which relate to the benefits associated with the polymers ability to serve as a water reservoir (absorbing and releasing) for the plants, seeds, and/or soil direct use. Germination begins when water is absorbed (imbibed) by the seed. As reported in Turfgrass: Science and Culture by James B. |
Beard (1973 by Prentice-Hall, Inc): Environmental conditions necessary for rapid, complete germination of turfgrass seeds include (a) an adequate water supply, (b) favorable temperatures, (c) an adequate oxygen supply, and (d) exposure to light. Water has a vital role since water absorption by imbibition and osmosis is the first physiological step in seed germination. Water functions in softening and swelling of the seed, which |
facilitates the entrance of oxygen and dilutes the protoplasm. Normal digestion, respiration, and assimilation processes are activated when the protoplasm becomes sufficiently moist. Soluble carbohydrates are transferred from the endosperm to the embryo. A number of practices can be employed during the establishment phase to ensure the rapid development of a dense, tight sod. Proper irrigation is a key factor in successful turfgrass establishment. |
One of the most critical practices during both the germination and establishment phases is irrigation. The soil zone where seed germination and seedling growth activity occur should be maintained in a moist condition at all times. Failure to maintain an adequate moisture level is one of the major causes of poor turfgrass establishment. Young turfgrass seedlings have an extremely short root system that depends |
on a readily available moisture supply at the soil surface. The surface of un-mulched soils can dry out very rapidly during periods of high light intensity and high temperatures. The soil surface should be maintained in a moist condition for at least three weeks following planting. When it comes to germination and establishment, plant available moisture is the limiting factor as it controls turfgrass |
growth and aesthetic appearance more than any other environmental factors. Most people simply do not know when to start and stop watering newly planted seeds to assist in the germination and establishment process. Currently, gauges exist to measure amounts of rainfalls and timers exist to activate/deactivate irrigation systems at specified times. Further technology exists that automate the watering process at research facilities based on |
electronic indicators. None of these provide a simple visual indicator that is available to the general public to serve as a when-to-water guide. The present invention relates to the use of water-absorbing/releasing materials (Indicators) to serve as the visual indicators for people to know when they are to start and stop watering their lawn. It is an object of the present invention for the |
Indicator to, when dry, to be of a small relative size when applied on and/or near seed and/or plant life. It is an object of the present invention for the applied Indicator to swell and increase in size to a distinctively larger relative size (serving as the Indicator) when the soil, seed, and/or plant life are watered to desired levels. It is an object |
of the present invention for the process to be repeatable and predictable. It is an object of the present invention for the water absorbing material to comprise cross-linked polymers. It is an object of the present invention for the cross-linked polymer to be potassium or sodium based polymers. It is an object of the present invention for the Indicator, in areas where the Indicator |
has been applied, to visually show which areas have received more water than others, as the Indicator will not be fully activated to the distinctively larger relative size in areas receiving less water. The present invention relates to a method for determining when to start and stop watering seeds. An Indicator is applied on top of the seed and/or soil, the Indicator being of |
a relatively small size. Water is applied to moisten the seed and soil. The Indicator absorbs moisture and swells, making the Indicator readily visible and of a distinctively different and larger size. When the distinctively larger size Indicator is present, this signals the user to stop watering. Moisture is then released by the Indicator, soil and/or seeds as they dry. The need for additional |
watering is signaled when the Indicator is reduced to a distinctively smaller sized Indicator. It is an object of the present invention for this method to be repeatable. It is an object of the present invention for the Indicator to be applied along with the seed. When planting seeds of any type, a person follows the seed planting directions provided with the seed. It |
is an object of the present invention for the Indicator to be applied in addition to the seed, soil, and/or plant life. This Indicator has the capacity to repeat this cycle, providing repetition as required for establishment. It is preferred that the Indicator be applied on the soil surface and not worked into the soil to maximize it's ability to be seen, although it |
could also be applied along with the seed if desired. It is an object of the present invention for the Indicator to reduce the amount of over watering that occurs by individuals who do not know how much watering is necessary for seeds, soil, and/or plant life. It is an object of the present invention for the indicator's change to be visually noticeable to |
the naked eye from a distance of approximately five feet or more. In an embodiment of the present invention cross-linked polymers are used as the Indicator. In an embodiment, these polymers are typically potassium or sodium based polymers. The Indicator is provided to serve as a visual signal on when to start and stop watering. The use of the Indicator relates to the frequency |
and length of watering required for seed establishment. The present invention does not relate to the water retention for the benefit of the soil and/or plant life. Cross-linked polymer Indicators absorb water at varying rates, based on particle size and chemistry. Typically, the more surface area per granule of the polymer (i.e. the smaller the particle size, the larger the surface area), the more |
rapid water is taken on to increase the swelling rate. Testing has shown that these Indicators can swell to visible size in various, and desirable increments associated with seed moisture needs. Within a 20-30 minute period of watering with standard sprinkling heads, the Indicator can swell to form a pea size or larger granule that is visible from a five-foot distance. This watering amount |
generally results in a ½ inch of watering which is adequate for establishing favorable watering conditions for newly planted seeds. As the soil surface dries out, the Indicator releases the moisture until the Indicator is less visually noticeable. When this occurs, the soil surface has generally lost it's moisture for the seed, and it is time to water again. Based on the selected Indicator, |
this process repeats itself for various periods. An added benefit of the present invention is that various sprinklers water at various rates. Even an individual sprinkler can water in a fashion that is not uniform. The present invention visually shows which areas have received more water than others, as the Indicator will not be present in areas receiving less water. |
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