Stars and STEM Stories
Students Use GLOBE to Research Oman's Samar Trees and Honey Production
GLOBE students at Oman's Al-Hawari Bin Muhammad Al-Azdi School for Basic Education for Boys (grades 5-10) embarked on a research project titled "The impact of cutting down Samar trees on honey production in the Niyabat of Samad Al-Shan." The goal of this research was to study the effect of cutting down trees on the production of honey and its effect on the water and soil.
The students examined their surroundings and monitored the area in which they live. They discovered that cutting down trees causes countless damage and negative effects, prompting them to ask several questions:
- What is the impact of cutting down trees on the environment?
- What is the effect of cutting down Samar trees on honey production?
- What is the relationship between the felling of Samar trees and the production of honey?
- What are the reasons for cutting down trees?
The research goals derived from the environmental problems they live in and face every day included:
- Knowing the reasons for cutting down trees
- Knowing the effects of cutting down trees on honey production
- Finding appropriate solutions to address the problem of the effects of tree cutting
The work on the project used a precise method and planning process, which began with specifying sample sites and supporting GLOBE Protocols (such as the Soil Protocol and the Land Cover Protocol). These protocols aided in examination and extraction of results, and ended with recommendations and research reviews, collecting images, and completing various tables and graphs.
The results of the research indicated that the temperature was affected due to the felling of the mountainous Samar trees, so that the natural temperature in the soil decreased and the acidity of the soil increased due to the imbalance of water in the soil, which had a negative impact on the soil. The cohesion of the soil decreased due to the lack of sufficient plants in it. The soil became more salinized due to the lack of water and irrigation methods, and the soil became fragile and unsuitable for agriculture.
Based on the research results, the students recommend that researchers and specialists plant brown trees, take care of them, and not cut them.
Images courtesy Ishaq Hamid Al Jabri, GLOBE Oman.