Life in One Cubic Foot
“There is more life in one cubic foot than anyone could look at in a month.”
-- David Liittschwager, One Cubic Foot Creator
"Life in One Cubic Foot” is a project aimed at quantifying the diversity of life within the space of a one cubic foot cube. David Liittschwager, the creator of this project in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute, and his team take photographs of the organisms that travel through the cube. The astonishing results of this project emphasize the vast diversity of life that can be observed within such a small section of an ecosystem an ecosystem as a whole. Liittschwager, by encouraging the general public to set up biocubes of their own, hopes that people will grow to have a greater appreciation for the diversity of life on Earth and for our knowledge of living organisms to become more detailed and precise. Inspired by Liittschwager’s work, the 2017-2018 BioTAP program, in collaboration Dr. Peg Riley, decided to carry out its own One Cubic Foot project at Foxcroft Farm in Amherst, Massachusetts.
What is FoxCroft Farm?
FoxCroft Farm
This 100 acre parcel of land was originally created over 200 years ago by the King of England as a “king’s parcel, which was given to inhabitants of Hadley to encourage them to move into Amherst. Originally a dairy farm, it now produces hay, vegetables, honey, red and black raspberries, blueberries, hickory nuts, and wild grapes. The property is comprised of hay fields, wetlands, a brook, forest, and beaver ponds.
Species List
Gallery
