Station 4
Ikenge, Cameroon

Logging is a threat to biodiversity.

Students will watch the video on Ikenge, Cameron and read Station 4: Ikenge from the Companion Reader below.
 

Students will:

1. Use Google Earth to develop a sense of place.
2. Use the data and information on the climograph in the Companion Reader to observe patterns in rainfall and temperature.
3. Read “Scientists Examine How Africa’s Rainforests Will Fare as the Climate Changes” (CarbonBrief, 2013).
4. Identify factors that influence climate.
5. Identify sources of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions and sinks.

Students will observe evapotranspiration. (Students can find the instructions for the activity on the last page of Station 4: Ikenge in the Companion Reader).

Materials Needed

• Indoor or outdoor plant (depending on your local weather conditions and climate)
• Clear plastic bag
• String, twist tie, or tape
• Magnifying glass, smartphone camera magnifier lens, or portable USB microscope

Instructions

1. Place a clear plastic bag over a leaf of your plant* and seal the bag with string, twist tie, or tape so that all water from the leaf will be trapped inside the bag.
2. Observe what happens over the next 72 hours.
3. Examine the bottom of the leaf using a magnifying glass, smartphone camera magnifier lens, or portable USB microscope.
4. Use your observations to explain the role of plants in the water cycle.

* If using an indoor plant, provide a source of light for photosynthesis.

 

CarbonBrief. (2013, July 22). Scientists examine how Africa’s rainforests will fare as the climate changes. Retrieved from https://www.carbonbrief.org/scientists-examine-how-africas-rainforests-will-fare-as-the-climate-changes

Rasmussen, C. (2014, December 31). NASA finds good news about forests and carbon dioxide. Retrieved from NASA Global Climate Change website, https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2207/nasa-finds-good-news-about-forests-and-carbon-dioxide/

Transatlantic Outreach Program. (2022). STEM Unit 3: Station 4 – Ikenge, Cameroon (5/9). YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8ppgzVyzls