Composting in the classroom: scientific inquiry for high school students

Cover Page & Front Matter......Page 1
  Title Page......Page 2
  About the Authors......Page 3
  Acknowledgments......Page 4
 Table of Contents......Page 5
 Preface......Page 7
 Introduction......Page 9
  Composting Health and Safety......Page 10
  Wastes  or Resources?......Page 11
 1 The Science of Composting......Page 12
   Figure 1–1. The Three Phases of Thermophilic Composting......Page 13
   Figure 1–2. The Effects of Turning on Compost Temperature.......Page 15
  Compost Chemistry......Page 16
    Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio......Page 17
    Oxygen......Page 18
     Figure 1–4. Change in pH during Thermophilic Composting......Page 19
    Figure 1–5. Three Mechanisms of Heat Loss from a Thermophilic Compost Pile......Page 20
   Aeration......Page 21
   Particle Size......Page 22
   Size of Compost System......Page 23
   Figure 1–6. Functional Groups of Organisms in a Compost Food Web......Page 24
   Microorganisms......Page 25
     Figure 1–8. Temperature Ranges for Compost Microorganisms......Page 26
    Fungi......Page 27
    Figure 1–9. Classification of Compost Organisms According to Body Width......Page 28
    Figure 1–10. Phylogenic Classifications of Common Compost Organisms......Page 29
     Insects......Page 30
    Nematodes......Page 31
    Mollusks......Page 32
    Earthworm Feeding and Decomposition......Page 33
    Earthworms and Water......Page 35
    Lumbricidae......Page 36
 2 Bioreactors & Bins......Page 38
   Construction......Page 39
    Figure 2–1. A Typical Temperature Profile for Two-Can Composting with Continuous Loading......Page 40
   Construction......Page 42
    Figure 2–2. A Typical Temperature Profile for Soda Bottle Composting......Page 44
   Materials......Page 46
   Construction......Page 47
   Maintenance......Page 48
   Troubleshooting......Page 49
   Harvesting the Worms......Page 50
   Using Vermicompost......Page 51
   Holding Units......Page 52
   Enclosed Bins......Page 53
    Table 3–1. Moisture Content of Common Compost Ingredients......Page 54
   Measuring Compost Moisture......Page 55
    Table 3–3. C:N Ratios of Common Tree Leaves......Page 56
   Other Considerations......Page 57
   Moisture......Page 58
   Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio......Page 60
  Table 4–1. Troubleshooting Compost Problems......Page 62
  Temperature......Page 63
  Odor......Page 64
   Electronic Meter......Page 65
    Procedure......Page 66
    Procedure......Page 68
    Procedure......Page 71
    Procedure......Page 73
    Method......Page 75
    Analysis......Page 76
  Invertebrates......Page 77
    Procediure......Page 78
    Procedure......Page 79
    Procedure......Page 80
  Table 5–1. Tests of Compost Properties......Page 82
   Jar Test......Page 84
   Self-Heating Test......Page 85
   Respiration Test......Page 86
   Phytotoxicity Bioassay......Page 90
   Porosity......Page 94
   Water Holding Capacity......Page 96
   Organic Matter Content......Page 98
   Buffering Capacity......Page 100
 6 Compost & Plant Growth Experiments......Page 102
  Plant Growth Experiments......Page 104
 7 Composting Research......Page 108
  Exploration and Controlled Experiments......Page 109
   Figure 7–1. Model for Conducting Research......Page 110
  Narrowing Down a Research Question......Page 111
  Example Research Projects......Page 112
  Interpreting Results......Page 113
  Final Words......Page 114
 Glossary......Page 115
  Composting for Waste Management......Page 121
  Invertebrates......Page 122
  Current Composting Research......Page 123
 Index......Page 124
 Back Cover Page......Page 126