I have about 6 weeks to do a science project involving the environment involving water quality, land fills, air quality, agriculture, green power, ect.
(Since we have a fairly large amount of empty garden space) I had an idea to grow plants and figure out which produces the most pounds of fruit/vegetables per square foot, or something along those lines to find the most "efficient/productive" plants for people with limited space. However unless I got the plants from a nursery (which wouldn't be a very controlled experiment) it doesn't seem possible to do in 6 weeks.
Do you have any other environmental project ideas (they don't need to involve plants), or know of any small plants that reach mature and producing size in four to five (five would be max) weeks?
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Why not study decomposition. You will find plenty of spots in the garden where leaves are being decomposed by nature by worms, or just damp conditions. You could observe the soil under a damp and a dry site.
The local garbage tip will have a site that has been filled in. Ask them about it as they have already done it on a large scale and for a long time so they would be experts. Otherwise try the local Plant Nursery.
There is currently a lot of research being put into storm water capture and reclamation. The City of Los Angeles is on a campaign to develop new ideas that would be useful in the future. If you search LADWP, you could find many ideas that will fall under the category of an environmental project.