Ongzi's SecretGarden

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Ongrizinal Lorry Low-Loader

1-tonne tipper lorry is a very useful machine for a urban landscaper like myself, working within a township. It is easy to maneuver, cheap to maintain and very fuel economic too. Yet, it still has limitation.

I hope it have a detachable trailer. The trailer should not be too high from ground level, light yet durable, and can easily fit into lorry’s back carriage ( to carry to other sites ).

But, in reality, it don’t have a trailer. Can’t even find one in the market! So, I improvised.

First, I put 2 holes on one end of a 4’ x 8’ x 12mm plywood,

then pass a rope through the holes.

The plywood is place on ground and cow grass is unloaded onto it,

from supplier’s 10-tonne tipper lorry.

If the trailer is too high from the ground,

unloading from 10-tonne tipper lorry would be a hassle,

maybe even impossible.

Previously, the grass was unloaded on ground,

and workers had to manually uploaded them onto 1-tonne lorry,

to send to designated planting areas.

The double-handling was a waste of time and energy.

Then the rope is then secured to the rear of 1-tonne lorry.

As the lorry pull the plywood,

workers unload the grass on designated areas.

It is a bit hard to pull due to the friction and the weight of the grass.

The plywood will surely damaged after the task.

If only the plywood is attached to a metal frame with wheels.

A whole-day task completed in 2 hours !

Thursday, 3 May 2012

Jewels of Sg Chiling Fish Sanctuary

Sg Chiling Fish Sanctuary is located in Sg Chiling Recreational Forest, Hulu Selangor. It is accessible by road en-route from Kuala Kubu Bahru to Frasher’s Hill. Sg Chiling is gazette under Forestry Department, yet managed by the Fishery Department.

Tor tambroides

As the name suggested, Sg Chiling is a safe-heaven for Malayan mahseer ( Tor tambroides ), locally known as kelah. Here, the kelah are mostly juvenile, swimming upstream against the rapid. In the market, kelah fetches very handsomely, due to scarcity and its fine texture. Its population is critically endangered due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution.

Kelah lives in rivers and lakes, ascending to rapid stream for breeding. They are omnivores, eating small crustaceans, insects, frogs, and also fruits and algae.

Trogonoptera brookiana

It is not difficult to spot a Rajah Brooke's Birdwing butterfly here, at least once throughout the journey. Yet impossible to photograph.

Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing butterfly ( Trogonoptera brookiana ) is named by Alfred R. Wallace in 1855, after James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak. Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing is a protected insects in Peninsular Malaysia ( Protection of Wildlife Act, 1972 ( Act 76 ) ), Sarawak ( Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1998 ( Chapter 26 ) ), and Sabah ( Wildlife Conservation Enactment , 1997 ).

Nepenthes ampullaria

Nepenthes gracilis

Nepenthes are found along the trail, thriving where sunlight are more abundant, especially right after the suspension bridge, long before the first river crossing. There are two types of Nepenthes I spotted along the way, perhaps more. N. gracilis is a common type, a climber with a slender green cups among the paku resam ( Gleichenia linearis ). N. ampullaria has a smaller, shorter cups with red-brown spot, with cups grow closely together on the ground, hidden beneath the shrubs, thus more difficult to spot.

Nepenthes are popularly known as pitcher plants, monkey cup, or periuk kera in Malay. They are a genus of carnivorous plants in the monotypic family Nepenthaceae. Nepenthes are native to the Malay Archipelago.

All Nepenthes are protected in Sarawak ( Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1998 ( Chapter 26 ) ), and Sabah ( Wildlife Conservation Enactment , 1997 ).

Sunday, 22 April 2012

Photosynthesis : a Brief Introduction

Photosynthesis 光合作用 is from the Greek word φώτο [photo] "light" and σύνθεσις [synthesis] “putting together”. It is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, using the energy from sunlight.

6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

Chloroplast

In plants and algae, photosynthesis occurs in chloroplasts. A typical plant cell contains about 10-100 chloroplasts.

The chloroplasts is enclosed by a phospholipid membrane.

Within the membrane is an aqueous fluid ‘stroma’.

The stroma contains flattened discs ‘thylakoids’.

Liquid bounded within thyakoid membrane is ‘lumen’.

Stacks of thylakoids are ‘granum’ (singular), ‘grana’ (plural).

Grana are connected by ‘lamellae’.

Thylakoid membranes contains light-harvesting-proteins : ‘photosystem I – P700’ & ‘photosystem II – P680’

Thylakoid membranes also contains : electron transport chain ‘cytochrome b6f complex’ and ATP synthase ‘CF1FO-ATP’.

Thylakoids are the site of light-dependent reactions.

Stroma is the site of light-independent reactions.

Photosynthetic pigments

Pigments are chemical compounds which reflect only certain wavelength of visible light.

Chlorophylls are greenish pigments which contain a porphyrin ring.

Chlorophyll-a, found in all plants, algae and cyanobacteria.

Chlorophyll-b, found in plants and algae.

Chlorophyll-c, found in chromista and dinoflagellates.

Carotenoids

Carotene, an orange pigment.

Xanthophyll, a yellow pigment

Phaeophytin-a, a gray-brown pigment.

Phaeophytin-b, a yellow-brown pigment.

Bacteriochlorophylls are greenish pigments, found in Protobacteria, purple bacteria, green sulfur bacteria, Chloroflexi, and Heliobacteria.

Phycobiliproteins

Phycocyanin, a light blue accessory pigment, found in Cynobacteria.

Phycocyanin, a light blue accessory pigment, found in Cyanobacteria.

Allophycocyanin, a blue accessory pigment, found in Cyanobacteria and Rhodophyta.

Phycoerythrocyanin, a magenta accessory pigment, found in Cyanobacteria and Rhodophyta.

Fucoxanthin, a brown pigment, found in brown algae, diatoms and kelps.

Phycoerythrin, red pigment, found in Cyanobacteria, Rhodophyta and Cryptomonads.

Phycobilins, are red/blue pigments, found in Cyanobacteria, Rhodophyta, Cryptomonads and Glaucophtes.

Order & Kinetics

The overall process of photosynthesis takes place in 4 stages:

1. absorption of light

2. transport of electrons

3. synthesis of ATP

4. fixation of carbon

Reactions in stage 1, 2 & 3 are dependent of light energy, thus are called light dependent reactions.

Reactions in stage 4 are indirectly dependent on light energy, thus called light-independent reactions or dark reactions. However, in contrary to its name, dark reactions are not confined to the dark nor are they totally independent from light. Still, CAM plants’ dark reactions do happen at night.

1. Absorption of light ( Hill Reaction & Photolysis )

Site : Thylakoid membrane

photons + P680 → P680* → P680⁺ + e

2 H₂O + 4 P680⁺→ 4 H⁺+ O₂ ( to atmosphere )+ 4 P680

- O₂ is released to the atmosphere

- 4 H⁺ (proton) enter photophosphorylation to form ATP

- 4 e^-exit photosystem II, enter photosystem I via a electron transfer chain

2. Transport of electrons ( z-sheme )

Site : Thylakoid membrane

Electron transport chain PS2 :( Pheo – PQ – b6f – Pc – PS1 )

Electron transport chain PS1 : ( Rd – FNR )

Site : Chloroplast stroma : NADP⁺ + 2 H⁺ + 2 e^- → NADPH + H⁺

Overall reaction of stage 1 & 2 : 2 H₂O + NADP⁺ → 2 H⁺ + O₂ + 2 NADPH

3. ATP synthesis ( photophosphorilation )

Site : Thylakoid membrane

- 4 e^-transport via b6f synthesis ATP to pump H⁺ from stroma into lumen.

- Extra H⁺ inside lumen creates a gradient, resulting in H⁺ flow back via F₀F₁ complex out to stroma, creating another ATP.

4. Fixation of carbon ( Calvin Cycle )

Site : Stroma

- carbon is fixed into organic matter with the help of ATP and NAPDH from the light reactions.

6 CO₂ + 18 ATP^4- + 12 NAPDH + 12 H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 18 ADP^3- + 18P_i^2- + 12 NADP⁺ + 6 H⁺

Sunday, 4 March 2012

WEST-meet-EAST

「胡」指古代来自少数民族或外国的东西，如：胡椒、胡琴、胡萝卜等。张骞出使西域，引入不少西域土产，对中国文化带来极大影响。

西汉•胡椒 ( Pepper – Piper nigrum )

西汉•胡荽 ( 芫荽 Coriander - Coriandrum sativum )

西汉•胡桃 ( 核桃 Walnut – Juglans regia )

西汉•胡麻 ( 芝麻 Sesame – Sesamun indicum )

西汉•胡蒜 ( 大蒜 Garlic – Allium sativum )

西汉•胡豆 ( 蚕豆 Broad bean - Vicia faba )

西汉•胡瓜 ( 黄瓜 Cucumber – Cucumis sativus )

西汉•胡萝卜 ( Carrot – Daucus carota )

「番」指古代外国或来自外国的东西，如：吐番、番邦、番瓜、番菜、番茄、番薯等。

明朝•番薯 ( Sweet potato – Ipomoea batatas )

清朝•番茄 ( Tomato – Solanum lycopersicum )

「洋」指外国来的东西，如：洋胰子(肥皂)、洋毛子(洋鬼)、洋子、洋兵、洋楼、洋烟、洋货等。洋人，狭义指西洋人。与西洋的关系，始于丝绸之路。西汉张骞(164-114 BC)、东汉班超(32-102 AD)、唐朝玄奘(602-664 AD)都是经丝路到西域。自西汉以来，也已有商人由海路出洋贸易，远至中东。19世纪欧美各国反为列强，不断派遣宣教士来华，并带来先进科技、洋货。

晋朝•杨桃 ( 洋桃 Starfruit – Averrhoa carambola )

明朝•包菜 ( 洋白菜 Cabbage – Brassica oleracea Capitata)

清朝•洋葱 ( 玉葱 Onion - Allium cepa)

「红毛」形容西洋人(白人)的篾称。源于16-17世纪时福建闽南地区居民接触到的葡萄牙和荷兰人。荷兰曾占据台湾澎湖，至到1624年，被明军驱逐，转据台湾南部。西班牙则占据北部。后来荷兰与西班牙在东南亚展开竞争，西班牙败北，于1642年退出台湾。荷兰殖民台湾，直到1662年被明兵驱逐为止。「红毛人」这历史名词一直沿用至今。

明朝•红毛榴莲 ( Soursop – Annona muricata )