The document summarizes Phua Jing Sern's foundation in natural and built environment project. It describes observations made at a field site, including plants found like rubber tree surrounded by blady grass and touch-me-not. Creatures found include dragonfly, carpenter ant, catfish, and butterfly. It also details the structures and behaviors of carpenter ants and blady grass. The document outlines the connections between the different organisms found in the habitat and provides a schedule of activities during the field visit.
Axa Assurance Maroc - Insurer Innovation Award 2024
ENBE - Experiencing Nature
1. Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus
School of Architecture, Building and Design
Foundation in Natural and Built Environment
April Intake 2013
ELEMENTS OF NATURAL AND BUILT
ENVIRONMENT
PROJECT 1
PHUA JING SERN
EXPERIENCING NATUREImage taken by JSern
7. BLADY GRASSI M P E R A T A C Y L I N D R I C A
ALSO KNOWN AS:
- COGON GRASS
- KUNAI GRASS
- JAPANESE BLOODGRASS
• Generally can be found ALMOST EVERYWHERE
Due to its HIGH TOLERANCE of a wide variety.
[SOIL CONDITIONS, FERTILITY, ORGANIC MATTER AND MOISTURE]
• But it grows best in RELATIVELY ACIDIC SOIL (pH 4.7)
• TEMPERATURE AFFECTS its GROWTH RATE, where its OPTIMUM growth
• temperature is 29 C in DAY TIME, and 23 C AT NIGHT.
• It also can survive in temperatures AS LOW AS -14 C.
• The LEAVES can GROW AS HIGH AS
approximately 60cm to over 123Ccm
HEIGHT, and 2.5cm WIDE.
• The PANICLE can grow about 8cm-
28cm long and 4cm wide.
8. BLADY GRASSI M P E R A T A C Y L I N D R I C A
It is commonly used for THATCHING THE
ROOFS of TRADITIONAL HOMES
throughout south-east Asia.
Other production include PAPER-MAKING
and weaving into MATS and BAGS.
AS IT IS CONSIDERED AS THE TOP 10
WORST WEED IN THE WORLD
BUT IT IS ALSO CONSIDERED AS
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES
10. CARPENTER ANT
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
CAMPONOTUS PENNSYLVANICUS
ADULT CARPENTER ANTS can measure from
6 to 12 mm in length.
WINGED SWARMERS can measure up to
18 mm in length.
While QUEENS grow to
20 mm in length.
WATER PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR HABITAT AND WATER.
• Commonly found near DAMP AND WARM ENVIRONMENTS to build their colonies.
Usually in HOLLOW TREES.
• Carpenter ants DON’T EAT WOOD, they EXCAVATE and DEPOSIT it outside entrances
to the colony in small piles.
• Closer WATER AND FOOD SOURCES to the nest increases population DRAMATICALLY.
11. 5 SENSES
SEE HEAR TASTE SMELL FEEL
Green, towering
trees, grasses
and colorful
flowers
Rustling leaves Leaf tasted
Bitter
Honey scented
flower; old-book
smelled trees
barks.
Rough and
wrinkled tree
barks
Clear, blue sky
(Day)
Birds chirping - Fresh air Warm(afternoon)
Cooling(evening)
Dark, clear and
shinny stars
(Night)
Frogs croaking
Crickets chirping
- Fresh and
cooling air.
Cool breeze
Clear/transparent
river
Gushing, flowing
river
Tasteless Fresh Cooling, slightly
oily.
Golden brown
Sand
- Slightly sour - Fine but rough
13. During the observation and exploration of our site, we found out
that the habitats of the plants and creatures there are somehow
have a CONNECTION
with each other.
Our site consists of LAND AND RIVER.
The RUBBER TREE prefers moist soil,
Which explains it exists close to the river.
But in the past, there maybe times of
numerous gushes of flowing water that
caused the EROSION of the land.
The next connection is what under the
roots, with the erosion caused, CATFISH
can be found and used this space as
shelter.
UNDERSTANDING THE ECOLOGY
14. Back to the tree, its bark consists of two EPIPHYTE plant, that is
the LICHEN and the DRAGON SCALES, with their symbiosis
classified as COMMENSALISM, they won’t affect the growth of the
tree.
Besides that, CARPENTER ANTS are spotted going in and out from
the tree bark because Carpenter ants prefer moist and hollow wood
as their habitat.
Surrounding the tree itself, are the wild weeds of MIMOSA PUDICA
and BLADY GRASS and wild flowers that attracts BUTTERFLIES
and DRAGONFLIES.
UNDERSTANDING THE ECOLOGY
16. JOURNEY
6:00am
RISE AND SHINE
7:00am
EXERCISE
+ BREAKFAST
8:00am
OBSTICLE COURSE
+ WATER GAME
10:00am
FINAL SITE
OBSERVATION
11:00am
PACKING
1:30pm
DEPARTURE
MORE JOUNEY INFO CAN BE FOUND IN
http://fnbe0413phuajingsern.blogspot.com/2013/04/site-visit-enbe.html
