I’ll put a tiny window in my thoughts so you can see how it functions. at least the way it is now functioning. In the future, it might not function exactly the same. I’ll make you one promise: I haven’t planned the specifics of what I’m about to write, other from choosing the general concept. Instead, I will keep track of my thoughts as they come to me, if any, to see if anything noteworthy, intriguing, or helpful happens. You’ll also get to see that if it doesn’t. Ready?
Here is the setting. This month, it began sooner. I visited the Desert Botanical Garden during a free day while I was in Phoenix for school visits. great location I was looking at a display about saguaro cactus, the emblematic plant of the Sonoran Desert. Many people may immediately associate the word with an image of this charismatic cactus with upcurving arms “saguaros only flourish in this particular, relatively tiny desert in southern Arizona, northwest Mexico, and a little portion of southeast California. I was aware that these plants come from a highly hot climate, but I was still curious to learn more.
I was overwhelmed by numbers when I read the interpreting signs. That is, statistical data regarding saguaros. My neck hair sprung up like cactus needles since I’m a numbers guy and a math author. A couple of such numbers are as follows:
Saguraros develop extremely slowly; they gain a foot in the first 15 years and around half an inch in the first year. After then, they begin to cruise; after 40 or 50 years, they might grow to a height of ten feet, but arm buds don’t start to appear on them until they are between 50 and 100 years old. Some people live to be 300 years old. They can grow up to 40 to 60 feet tall. A replacement in the wild will take roughly 30 years to reach the size of the poached plant when a cactus poacher (oh yeah, they do exist) digs up a six-foot saguaro to plant in front of his house (which will probably die).
One mature saguaro may hold enough water in its spongy pulp to last several months at 1,500 gallons, or 6 tons. It can endure losing two-thirds of its water reserves.
So, here is what transpired. I believed to myself, “Hey, how about a book that lists the numbers of saguaros? Saguaros by the Numbers, Saguaros by the Numbers, or something similar. Possibly not in that manner. Let’s not focus too much on the title, though. I was aware that, if I succeeded, there would be a plethora of sequels that might include Oceans, Earth, The Solar System, Great White Sharks, and Elephants by the Numbers.
So what’s the deal? The simple aspect of coming up with a book (or series) idea. The challenge is in figuring out how to put the concept into practice. It resembles the business plan for a novel in certain ways. Without it, all you have is conversation starters at cocktail parties. You can conduct business with it. Maybe. What should I do with this nascent notion of saguaros and numerals, then? We’ll see.
First impression: similar to Harper’s Index You may be familiar with statistics like “Number of incidents globally last Christmas (2005) of “Santanarchy,” which involves roving hordes of rowdy Santas: 29,” or “Rank of Portland, Oregon, among all cities in per capita consumption of Grape-Nuts.”
Therefore, we may have instead “A saguaro cactus produces 40,000,000 seeds over its lifetime.
OK. Possible. However, it is a little bit dry and resembles Harper’s Index a little too much. a copycat piece. Forbidden by God. And it can grow boring. However, it might work if there was more text to clarify and elaborate on the saguaro’s tale.
So, perhaps this will do: The book will be constructed around a number line. The entire set of pages could fit one enormous number line. Children learn about number ideas through number lines, and I could indicate the numbers that are crucial for comprehending saguaros along the number line. If all goes according to plan, the saguaro will grow to a height of one foot in 10 years, according to an explanation that you can follow from the number 10. (I guess I could just as well place the marker at 1 and state that a saguaro’s height after ten years is one foot.) The amount of water that a plant can store is 1,500 gallons. (Alternatively, 6 for 6 tons.) Additionally, 40,000,000 seeds are produced in a lifetime. Of course, there would be many of chances to add further details to round out the picture. (I won’t get into whether we should use metric units, American units, or both at this time. We’ll put that off till later. Just thinking out loud here.)
Okay, but I can think of a couple issues with my number line concept. How do I, for instance, build up a number line on a scale with points from 1 to 6, 1,500 to 40,000,000, and many points in between? I suppose there are options. I might omit some details (showing jagged lines to indicate discontinuities). Yes, that is conceivable. Or how about a variety of number lines with various scales. one for expansion. That’d function. an additional for the creation of items like seeds. 40 million. What else, though, might fit on that number line? nothing else, perhaps. Is it appropriate to draw a number line with just one point? possibly not
But hold on, what if I made a ton of number lines, on various scales, and I displayed not only the figures pertinent to saguaro trees (for instance, 1,500 gallons of water stored), but also other values that could put it into perspective, like how much water is present in a sizable watermelon, a human body, or an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
That might succeed. But let’s give it some thought. Is it really necessary to recount the tale of a saguaro cactus in a book of number lines? Maybe. possibly not
What about a book of saguaro-related arithmetic challenges? ” In the Sonoran Desert, it has been raining for 30 hours. The roots of a 40-foot saguaro extend 40 feet in all directions, and 100 gallons of water fall per hour in the space above the roots. Half of that water can be absorbed by the saguaro. What volume of water can this enormous cactus absorb? (Does the Teachers Edition qualify? It takes 1,500 gallons to answer.) Then a story might describe how great these plants are, how they actually do this, etc. No, that would be too textbook-like.
Let’s take an example of a book with oddly numbered chapters. We can number the chapters according to the number being addressed rather than using Chapters 1, 2, 3, etc. So, Chapter 1, where we introduce the number 1, might serve as the starting point. All the characteristics of saguaros that are singular. Or just one thing: it increases by half an inch in a year. We might then move on to chapter 10, though. The saguaro grows to a height of one foot in that number of years. In Chapter 1,500, I would also discuss water absorption. There is a chapter 40,000,000 for seeds. Hey, it grows half an inch in the first year, so I could start with Chapter 1.
Hmmm. Very good. Original (I think). I might be able to pull it off. possibly not I’m currently only able to think of a lot of maybes and maybe nots.
And perhaps I’ll take a nap on it because my bird clock’s great horned owl just hooted (as the small hand hit the number 12). There are still a few maybes for tomorrow. Then I might start writing to decide which of these possibilities I enjoy the most. Or perhaps I’ll come up with a better idea. Feel free to vote on your favorite or make your own maybe in the interim.
Saguaros can they hold water?
In the correct circumstances, the saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea), which prefers hot, dry regions, can live for more than 50 years. Saguaros can survive without much water, but they can’t live without it forever. Saguaro cactus collect water during rainy seasons to store for use during dry spells, but their reservoir is not bottomless. Only water saguaro cacti at specific periods of the year to avoid overwatering and root rot.
Can you keep water in a saguaro cactus?
Saguaro from the NPS Natural History Handbook. Many desert plants store water in specialized tissues during the wet season in order to use it during droughts. A few of these so-called “succulents,” primarily yuccas, esehevarias, and agaves, have developed water-storage tissues in their leaves.
How much water makes into a saguaro cactus?
For a 50-foot-tall Saguaro, the roots can spread out to a diameter of 100 feet at only a few inches of depth. Even intense drizzle or mist is absorbed by tiny hairs. For the production of food, the green, waxy outer coating takes the place of leaves. The vehicle is between 80 and 90 percent water when filled, and the accordion pleating allows it to expand and compress. The saguaro may lose 60% of its water capacity without suffering any harm.
How much water can a cactus store in gallons?
What images do you have in mind when you think about the desert? Perhaps an arid, dusty countryside comes to mind. You might also picture long areas of deserted sand. Of course, there’s also another picture that will undoubtedly come to mind. What are we discussing? Of course, the cactus!
The cactus is a constant presence in any desert-themed film or animated series. It’s frequently shown as a tall, thorny, green shrub that can endure the desert heat without water. In reality, there are more than 2,000 different types of cacti (that’s what you call cacti that are different from one another) in the world.
Some cacti are like the ones you may have seen in cartoons or movies; they are tall, green, and thorny. Those are frequently saguarocactus, a particular variety of cactus. However, many cacti are significantly smaller and have different colors and shapes.
From the southernmost point of South America to western Canada in North America, cacti are native to the Americas. They typically reside in rather arid places. Numerous cacti flourish in exceedingly dry environments, including the Atacama Desert, one of the driest locations on Earth.
Cacti require water to survive, much like all other living creatures. Water, however, is frequently insufficient given the places where they reside. In order to make up for this, cactus have evolved unique skills that enable them to store the water they do receive and make it endure for a very long time.
For instance, cacti’s pricklyspines are really highly modified leaves. Cacti are protected by spines from herbivorous animals as well as from airflow obstructions that cause water loss.
The majority of cacti have deep, but shallow, root systems that enable them to absorb any potential rainfall. Since rainfall in the deserts where cacti live is frequently irregular, specialized stems enable cactus to store water for a long period.
For instance, following a heavy downpour, a fully grown saguarocactus may absorb and store up to 200 gallons of water! A cactus may be opened in an emergency to reveal vital fluids, as many desert tourists have discovered.
A saguaro can survive without water for how long?
What images do you have in mind when you consider cacti? You probably picture a desert plant that can go without water for extended periods of time and yet thrive. Although these plants have adapted to living in deserts and like dry soil, they nevertheless need a significant amount of water, especially during the growing season.
A cactus can survive without water for how long? Normal desert cacti can go without water for up to two years. This is due to the fact that it has grown thick stems that can store a lot of water and have a barrier that stops water evaporation. The conditions are very different for indoor cacti, thus this does not apply to them. Depending on the species, indoor variants do require frequent watering.
A saguaro cactus’ water supply is safe to drink.
The huge saguaro cactus, which is the most well-known cactus and has branches that resemble arms, can store up to 200 gallons of water, however this water can be hazardous to people. The prickly pear and barrel cacti are the ones that contain drinkable fluids in their soft, spongy pulp.
Is it okay to drink cactus water?
Potable water should never be substituted with cactus. If you drink cactus water on an empty stomach, you’ll get diarrhea or vomit, which can further dehydrate you. This is due to the cactus pulp’s very acidic internal moisture. It’s better to avoid drinking any cactus water because your body will have to work harder to process the alkalis in it.
You could take a few drinks of fishhook barrel cactus in an emergency. The Seri Indians used this cactus as a source of emergency water, but when they drank it on an empty stomach, they complained of vomiting and discomfort in their bones.
Cacti come in more than 2,000 different varieties. Sometimes it might be challenging to correctly identify the types when they look similar to one another. You are suggested to familiarize yourself with the varieties of cacti, succulents, and shrubs that can be found in the area you are visiting or residing in.