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Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)

Asarum canadense is commonly known as wild ginger. The long rhizomes of wild ginger were used by Native Americans as a seasoning. Although it is similar to true ginger, wild ginger should not be used as a substitute because it contains an unknown concentration of the carcinogen aristolochic acid. Native Americans used the plant as a medicinal herb to treat a number of ailments including dysentery, digestive problems, swollen breasts, coughs and colds, typhus, scarlet fever, nerves, sore throats, cramps, heaves, earaches, headaches, convulsions, asthma, tuberculosis, urinary disorders and venereal disease.

Jackson Springs and Geology

Jackson Springs Park is home to great examples of rocks located in the river bedrock and in the creek bed in the area. The bed of the river is mostly composed of mica. We then took samples from the creek bed to see the other rocks that were found naturally in the creek bed. The frocks found in the area were mainly granite, feldspar, and rocks composed from hornblende and quartz. We also observed the creek bed and the different sizes of grain. In the bed we found the sizes ranging from pebbles and sand to eventually silt.

Crater Lake, Oregon

Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in Oregon. the lake is the main attraction of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a nearly 2,148-foot (655 m) deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 (± 150) years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. On the basis of maximum depth, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, the second deepest in North America , after Great Slave Lake in Canada, and the ninth deepest lake in the world. 

Due to several unique factors, most prominently that it has no inlets or tributaries, the waters of Crater Lake are some of the purest in terms of the absence of pollutants in North America. The lake has relatively high levels of dissolved salts, total alkalinity, and conductivity. The average pH has generally ranged between 7 and 8.While having no indigenous fish population, the lake was stocked from 1888 to 1941 with a variety of fish. Several species have formed self sustaining populations.

The caldera was created in a massive volcanic eruption that led to the subsidence of Mount Mazama around 5700 BC: about 50 cubic kilometers (12 cubic miles) of rhyodacite was erupted in this event. Since that time, all eruptions on Mazama have been confined to the caldera. Lava eruptions later created a central platform, Wizard Island, Merriam Cone, and other, smaller volcanic features, including a rhyodacite dome that was eventually created atop the central platform. Eventually, the caldera cooled, allowing rain and snow to accumulate and eventually form a lake. Landslides from the caldera rim thereafter formed debris fans and turbidite sediments on the lake bed. It is estimated that about 720 years was required to fill the lake to its present depth of 594 m. Much of this occurred during a period when the prevailing climate was less moist than at present.

The Klamath tribe of Native Americans, who may have witnessed the collapse of Mount Mazama and the formation of Crater Lake, have long regarded the lake as a sacred site. Their legends tell of a battle between the sky god Skell and Llao, the god of the underworld. Mount Mazama was destroyed in the battle, creating Crater Lake. The Klamath people used Crater Lake in vision quests,  which often involved climbing the caldera walls and other dangerous tasks. Those who were successful in such quests were often regarded as having more spiritual powers. The tribe still holds Crater Lake in high regard as a spiritual site.

Indian Mounds and Fall Line CIties

Macon, GA is located along a geographical feature known as the fall line. The fall line is the area where the upland region of the Piedmont meets the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Sites along the rivers on these fall lines have long been sought after by civilizations because they usually have rapids and waterfalls. These features can mark the head of navigation and are a good source of water power. The early settlers came to Macon because of its location on the river. The river supplied them with water and food. The later settlers were attracted to the area because of the trade that the river allowed.

Negative Feedback Loop

A negative feedback loop is a feedback loop in which a system responds to s change by returning to its original state, or by decreasing the rate at which the change is occurring.

An example of a negative feedback loop can be seen through the levels of sugar in the blood stream after eating a candy bar. The graph below shows how Dr. Rood's blood sugar reacted to a candy bar. You can see the response and return to homeostasis over a period of time.

Soil Taxonomy

USDA Soil Taxonomy developed by United States Department of Agriculture and the National Cooperative Soil Survey provides an elaborate classification of soil types according to several parameters (most commonly their properties) and in several levels: Order, Suborder, Great Group, Subgroup, Family, and Series. 

There are 12 different soil types. The like below shows them and gives a little information on them.
12 different soil types

The Macon community is starting to have community gardens. Many people think this is a good change for the community but many are concerned about community gardens in urban areas because of soil contaminants. Soil contaminants can damage whatever may be growing in the gardens. Click here for a link to the Macon Roots website to learn more.