table of contents aim hypothesis terminology used in assignmentterminology used in assignment...

TABLE OF CONTENTS• Aim • Hypothesis• Terminology Used In Assignment• Background information• Context of Assignment• Method/Procedure• Apparatus• Results

– Journal Entries– Graphs– Experimental Plants

• Photographs

• Discussion– Patterns & Trends– Too Much or Too Little Water– How Plants use Water

• Conclusion– Controlling Harsh Conditions– Support Hypothesis– Errors, What Went Wrong?– Limitations & Possible

Improvements• Bibliography

AIM

To investigate the water usage in different plants and come to an understanding of the most appropriate amount of water to give

plants.

Also to recognise the requirements for growth and germination, and be able to apply the knowledge gained to real life situations.

Return to Table of Contents

HYPOTHESIS

During the experiment, expected outcomes are as follows:

• Both the sorghum and the mungbeans will use different amounts of water, due to a difference in plant structure.

• The water usage will vary throughout different stages of growth.

• Too much or too little water will affect the plant in different ways and there will be a level of water ideal for optimum growth and germination. This optimum level is expected to be around 50mm per plant every second day.

• Water usage and the efficiency for using water will depend on the plants roots, leaves and environmental exposure.


TERMINOLOGY USED IN ASSIGNMENT

• Nitrogen: colourless, tasteless, scentless gas forming four fifths of the atmosphere.

• Photosynthesis: process by which the energy of sunlight is trapped by the chlorophyll of green plants and used to build up complex materials from carbon dioxide and water.

• Transpiration: evaporation of water from the stomata of leaves.• Dry Weight: weight of a plant taken which has been dried to contain

no water.• Wet Weight: weight of a plant taken which contains water.• Nodule: Small round lump of anything; small node in plant.• Bacteria: prokatyotic organisms believed to be the first life forms.• Organism: living matter, capable of independent existence, which

can grow and reproduce.• Classification: grouping of organisms in terms of similarities in

morphology, anatomy and biochemistry.


BACKGROUND INFORMAITON

– Sorghum– Mungbeans– Legumes & Bacteria– Nitrogen Cycle– Nitrification– Denitrification– Roots– Leaves– Photosynthesis – Monocotyledonae & Dicotyledonae


SORGHUM BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Sorghum is used for food, fodder, and the production of alcoholic beverages. It is drought tolerant and heat tolerant and is especially important in arid regions. It is an important food crop in Africa, Central America, and South Asia, and is the "fifth most important cereal crop grown in the world". African slaves introduced sorghum into the U.S. in the early 17th century, where most of the world's sorghum is now produced.


CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Polales

Family Poaceae

Genus: Sorghum

Source 1

MUNGBEANSBACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Originally from Asia. The Chinese have been growing mungbean sprouts (nga choy or nga choi) for approximately 3,000 years. Farmers grow them often with little machinery. After harvest they are left to dry on gravel roads

• Today China and India are the main producers of mungbeans, it is also grown in Australia. The mung is also popular in the Philippines


CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Plantae


Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Fabales

Family Vigna

Genus: V.Radiata

Source 1 & 2

MUNGBEANS cont.BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• In Chinese medicine bean sprouts are considered to be a yin or cooling food. They also have anticancer qualities. It is also used by Oriental herbalists for all hot, inflammatory conditions,

• Mungbeans are a good source of Vitamins A, B, C & E, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and amino acids. Mungbeans contain 20% protein and are a good source of foliate and dietary fiber.


CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Plantae


Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Fabales

Family Vigna

Genus: V.Radiata

Source 1 & 2

LEGUMES & BACTERIABACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Legumes are plants which don’t need fertilising, because they can turn bacteria from the soil into compounds necessary for survival.

• Bacteria enters the root hairs of young plants, where they form swellings, called root nodules. They then release nitrates which are used by the plant to form proteins.


NITROGEN CYCLEBACKGROUND INFORMATION

Return to Table of Contents Source 3

Nitrogen (N) is essential for plant growth. It ranks behind only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in total quantity needed and is the mineral element most demanded by plants. Because N is mobile within the plant, deficiency symptoms are expressed on older leaves. These leaves are generally uniform pale green or yellow. When N is limiting, crop growth is slow and yields are reduced.

NITROGEN CYCLE Cont. BACKGROUND INFORMATION



NITROGEN CYCLE Cont. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• All life requires nitrogen-compounds, e.g., proteins and nucleic acids.

• Air, which is 79% nitrogen gas (N2), is the major reservoir of nitrogen.

• But most organisms cannot use nitrogen in this form. • Plants must secure their nitrogen in "fixed" form, i.e., incorporated

in compounds such as nitrate ions, ammonia, and urea.

Source 5

NITRIFICATION• Nitrifying bacteria are a group of chemosynthetic

organisms which enrich the soil with nitrates. These can be absorbed by plants and used to create amino acids and proteins. The nitrogen is passed down the food chain or web from organism to organism.

• Other ways of converting bacteria to obtain energy are turning ammonia to nitrite, or converting nitrites to nitrates. Both of these conversions release energy which is again used by the bacteria


DENITRIFICATION

• Denitrifying bacteria are those which remove nitrogen from the soil. They tend to live where there is a shortage of oxygen because by reducing nitrite or ammonia into nitrogen, they produce oxygen. This oxygen is then used for a number of purposes, then once again by the bacteria.


ROOTS BACKGROUND INFORMAITON

• Root Structure– In a root, the vascular tissue is located in the middle. Water has to

pass from the epidermis to the middle. There are two pathways by which this can happen, via the cell walls (apoplastic) or through the cytoplasm (symplastic).

– Root hairs increase the surface area for the uptake of water. They are extremely important for plants, because they are the main area for absorption of water and dissolved minerals and bacteria’s.

– Xylem moves water from roots up the stem to the leaves. Phloem is responsible for the transportation of organic substances, like the products of photosynthesis, up and down the stem.



ROOTS – Cross Section BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Source 6


ROOTS – Structure BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Source 7

• Cohesion Tension Hypothesis– Water evaporates from spongy mesophyll cells into the air spaces of the

leaf. Water then leaves the leaf via the stomata. The loss of water means that the water potential of these cells decreases. Since water always moves from a region of high water potential to a region of low water, water now moves into them from the adjacent cells. This causes the water potential of these to decrease, and so on, all the way back to the xylem. The loss of water from the xylem causes a negative pressure or tension which lifts water up the xylem. Within the xylem the columns of water are held together by cohesion and by adhesion. Movement of this column of water is known as the transpiration stream.

ROOTS cont. BACKGROUND INFORMATION


• Capillarity– Capillarity is the movement of liquid against gravity as a

result of surface tension. – Meaning, liquid may use it’s surface tension to move short

distances up a thin tube, i.e. roots, against gravitational pull. The thinner the tube and the larger the meniscus, the further the liquid’s surface tension can force the liquid up the tube.

• Root Pressure– Occurs when water enters xylem by active secretion from

surrounding living cells. This forces the water a short distance up the stem. This movement is opposite to gravitational pull which increases with stem height.

ROOTS cont. BACKGROUND INFORMATION


LEAVESBACKGROUND INFORMAITON

• The leaf consists of several layers of tissues. The bottom and top of the leaves are covered by a layer of closely fitting, flat cells: the epidermis. It protects the inner parts of the cell. The epidermis is usually covered with a waxy secretion called the cuticle which reduces evaporation from the cells.

• On the lower epidermis, there are small holes called stomata which are surrounded by a pair of guard cells which can control the hole by opening or closing. The stomata regulate the water loss via the leaves.

• The upper side of the leaf receives the most light, and contains the most amount of palisade cells, which contain the chlorophyll necessary for photosynthesis. This makes the surface subject to higher temperatures and greater air movement, which increases the rate of evaporation.


LEAF STRUCTUREBACKGROUND INFORMATION


6H2O + 6CO2 C6H12O6 + 6O2

“Process whereby radiant energy (visible spectrum) is converted to chemical energy of glucose; requires, carbon dioxide, water and a suitable temperature. Occurs in green plants, algae and some bacteria.” (Huxley & Walter, 2002, p582)

PHOTOSYNTHESIS BACKGROUND INFORMAITON



PHOTOSYNTHESIS BACKGROUND INFORMAITON

Water is important for photosynthesis to take place because the individual water molecules are separated into H and 02 atoms which are used to form NADPH2 from NADP. This is used in the light independent reaction to form glucose needed for plant growth.

The more water available for the plant, the more it can photosynthesise.

Source 7 & 9

MONOCOTYLEDONAE & DICOTYLEDONAEBACKGROUND INFORMAITON

• Flowing plants are classified into two major subclasses, Monocotyledonae and Dicotyledonae. This classification is on the basis of the number of cotyledons in the seed.

• Monocotyledons are generally non-woody plants, with flower parts in threes, parallel leaf venation, scattered vascular bundles in the stem, an done cotyledon in the seed.

• Dicotyledons are generally woody plants with flower parts in fours of fives, vascular bundles arranged in a cylinder in the stem and two cotyledons in the seed.

• In this assignment, Sorghum plants are monocotyledons and Mungbeans are Dicotyledons.


CONTEXT OF ASSIGNMENT• We all know that plants need water to turn sunlight

into energy to grow. But how much water does one plant really use in a week or a day and how much can that plant grow with that amount of water? Australia has one of the most variable climates of the world and both too much rain and not enough can be detrimental to plant growth.

• Prepare a Scientific Report outlining the results obtained and research the effect of watering amounts on eight plants, and evaluating the results to understand how the conclusions drawn are important to everyday life.


METHOD/PROCEDUREAccording to DPI project for students

• Cut 8 x 2L juice containers in half• Remove lid and place top half inside bottom half.• Place a small ball of scrunched up newspaper in

neck of bottle.• Fill (leaving 4cm gap at top) bottle with a 50/50

mixture of potting mix and garden soil. Ensuing that the mixture is neither to clay filled or sandy.

• Weigh and water pots and leave for a few days.• Plant 6 evenly spaced seeds 2cm under the soil of

each pot. 4 pots of mungbeans, and 4 of sorghum.


METHOD/PROCEDURE cont.According to DPI project for students

• Water and maintain plants for a few weeks, keeping records of growth, watering each plant 50mls.

• When plants are well established, cull plants so there is only one in each container and place a covering around each plant.

• Change watering amounts at beginning of April to amounts listed on Watered amounts in April.

• Continue to record data.• When growing period is finished, take a dry and wet

weight of plants and evaluate findings.


WATERED AMOUNT IN APRIL METHOD & PROCEDURE


MUNGBEANS SORGHUM

1 10ml 1 10ml

2 30ml 2 35ml

3 50ml 3 50ml

4 70ml 4 75ml

APPARATUS• For the assignment we

used: -– 12 x 2L juice containers.– Potting mix– Garden soil– Mungbean and Sorghum

Seeds– Water– Scales– Newspaper


RESULTS

• Journal Entries

• Charts and Graphs

• Experimental Plants


JOURNAL ENTRIES

1. 28-2

2. 3-3

3. 6-3

4. 9-3

5. 14-3

6. 15-3

7. 16-3

8. 17-3

9. 20-3

10. 22-3

11. 23-3

12. 28-3

13. 29-3

14. 30-3

15. 5-4

16. 6-4

17. 8-4

18. 10-4

19. 12-4

20. 13-4

21. 14-4

22. 15-4

23. 17-4

24. 19-4

25. 21-4

26. 23-4

27. 24-4

28. 26-4

29. 27-4

30. 28-4

31. 4-5

32. 9-5

33. 12-5


GRAPHS & CHARTS

• Growth of Sorghum in April

• Growth of Mungbeans in April

• Growth – Sorghum & Mungbeans

• Comparison of growth in April

• Dry Weight & Wet Weight

• Water Absorption in Sorghum

• Water Absorption in Mungbeans


GROWTH - Sorghum


Growth of Sorghum in April(Change of water amounts)

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36

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Dates

He

igh

t in

clu

din

g le

av

es

(cm

)

Sorghum 1

Sorghum 2

Sorghum 3

Sorghum 4

No

m

easu

rem

ents

m

ade

on

24/

4/06

Go to Source Data

10ml

35ml

50ml

75ml

GROWTH – Mungbeans

Growth of Mungbeans in April (Change of water amounts)

25

27

29

31

33

35

Dates

He

igh

t n

ot

inc

lud

ing

le

av

es

(c

m)

Mungbean 1

Mungbean 2

Mungbean 3

Mungbean 4

Return to Table of Contents Go to Source Data

No

m

easu

rem

ents

m

ade

fro

m

22/0

4/06

to

27

/04/

06

10ml

30ml

50ml

70ml

Comparison of Growth in Plants due to Differences of Watering in April

05

10152025303540

Plant

He

igh

t (c

m)

Height at beginning of April Height at end of April

GROWTH – Mungbeans & Sorghum


Comparison between Amount of Growth in April

0

2

4

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8

10

Plant

Am

ou

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(cm

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Total Amount Grown in April


GROWTH – Mungbeans & Sorghum

DRY WEIGHT & WET WEIGHT

1 2 3 4

WET WEIGHT MUNGBEAN 3.9 4.96 1.94 4.48

SORGHUM 3.2 2.95 3.44 1.71

DRY WEIGHT MUNGBEAN 2.23 2.02 0.76 1.33

SORGHUM 0.97 0.82 0.95 0.63

WATER

COMPONANT

MUNGBEAN 1.67 2.94 1.18 3.15

SORGHUM 2.23 2.13 2.49 1.08

WATER ABSORPTION in SORGHUM


Sorghum 1 Dry Weight: Water Component

Dry Weight

Water Component


Dry Weight

Water Component


Dry Weight

Water Component


Dry Weight

Water Component

Go to Source Data

WATER ABSORPTION in MUNGBEANS


Mungbean 1 Dry Weight: Water Component

Dry Weight

Water Component


Dry Weight

Water Component


Dry Weight

Water Component


Dry Weight

Water Component

EXPERIMENTAL PLANTS

• As an experiment, we planted 4 additional plants. Two of sorghum and two mungbeans. We wrapped the seeds in newspaper before planting, and covered with about 2cm of soil.

• We performed this to see if wrapping the seeds in newspaper advantaged the plants by giving them a higher concentration of water around the seed.

• This was also done to establish weather concentrating the water around the seed would reduce the amount of water they needed.


EXPERIMENTAL PLANTS cont.• The two mungbeans grew, however, only one

sorghum grew.• We watered the plants the same amount as all the

other plants, only half as often. • We shortly discontinued the experiment as there

was no obvious advantage to the plants.• Even though they still grew with half the amount of

water as the original plants, we established that there was no significant advantage to the growth and germination rates of the seedlings.

• It was established however, that this method could save water if necessary.


PHOTOGRAPHS• Mungbean 1 & 2

• Mungbean 3 & 4

• Sorghum 1 & 2

• Sorghum 3 & 4


MUNGBEAN #1 & #2


MUNGBEAN #3 & #4


SORGHUM #1 & #2


SORGHUM #3 & #4


DISCUSSION

• Patterns and Trends– Growth Rates– Water Absorption– Dry & Wet Weights

• Too Much or Too Little Water

• How Plants Use Water


• As can be seen in the graph Comparison Between Growth in April, the greatest amount of growth for mungbeans was in plant #4, which received 70ml of water every two days.

• The greatest amount of growth for Sorghum was in plants two and three which received between 35 and 50ml of water. This difference of growth is much higher than the other plants.


GROWTH RATESPATTERNS & TRENDS

• In graphs Water Absorption in Mungbeans, it is apparent that the plants with the highest water component were the plants which received the greatest amounts of water.

• The same applies to the Sorghum as can be seen in Water Absorption in Sorghum. The plants with the highest water components were the plants receiving the greatest amount of water.


WATER ABSORPTIONPATTERNS & TRENDS

• The water usage in relation to the plants dry weight is significant. As can be seen in the chart, Dry Weight & Wet Weight, there is a large difference in the dry weights of both the mungbeans and sorghum. The sorghum had a much lower dry weight which indicates that it had a higher water component than the mungbeans.

• Sorghum #4 had the lowest growth rate, however it was the plant receiving the most amount of water. Sorghum #1, which received the least water only grew 1mm more than #4.


DRY & WET WEIGHTSPATTERNS & TRENDS

• Too much water is a large problem for plants, in particular Sorghum plants. As explained in the discussion, the Sorghum which received the most water in April grew the least. This could be contributed to the excess of water impacting the roots, or causing root rot, which could kill the plant, or reduce the roots size and decrease the plant’s surface area to volume ratio for collecting water.

• Too little water is also an issue for plants, as plants need the water to help photosynthesis which in turn provides the plant with sugars and nutrients essential for growth.


TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE WATER

HOW PLANTS USE WATER• Plants use water by absorbing it through root hairs. It

travels up the xylem into the leaves.• Here the water is split into hydrogen and oxygen,

and is used in the process of photosynthesis. • A lot of the water at this stage is evaporated through

the stomata which regulates water and carbon dioxide levels.

• The process of photosynthesis creates glucose/sugars for the plant which are necessary for growth.

• Without water, photosynthesis would not occur and plants would not be able to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen for us to breath.


CONCLUSION• EXPLANATION of PATTERNS & TRENDS

– Water Component in Plants– Growth Rates– Water Usage and Leaf Structure

• Water Evaporation– Water Usage and Root Structure– Dry and Wet Weights– How Much is too Much?

• Controlling Harsh Conditions– Case Study

• Support Hypothesis• Errors, What Went Wrong?• Limitations & Possible Improvements


WATER COMPONENT in PLANTSEXPLANATION of PATTERNS & TRENDS

• In relation to the water component of both the mungbeans, it is possible that due to the higher amount of water availability, the plant was able to utilise its energy into growing and developing, rather than searching for water.

• Also the availability of water would have increased the opportunity for the roots to develop and grow more root hairs, increasing the surface area to volume ratio of the plant which in turn could result in the plant being able to absorb the extra water.


• In relation to the different growths in April as described in the slide Patterns and Trends, it can be seen that the optimum amount of water for Sorghum is 50ml, where as the optimum amount of water for Mungbeans is 70ml. This is due to the difference in leaf structure. (Refer to Leaf Structure).


GROWHT RATES EXPLANATION of PATTERNS & TRENDS

WATER USAGE LINKED TO LEAF STRUCTURE

• There is a substantial link between the relationship of water usage and leaf structure. A large amount of water is evaporated through the leaves before it becomes of use to the plant. It exits out of the stoma which is located between guard cells on the cuticle. So, the more stoma a plant has, the greater opportunity for water to evaporate. Hence the difference in water usage between Sorghum and Mungbeans.

• Sorghum uses the least amount of water because it contains fewer stoma than mungbeans and has a lesser opportunity for water to evaporate.


WATER EVAPORATION• Another way in which water may

evaporate is through the soil. A large proportion of water in a farming situation is evaporated immediately after watering from the soil.

• By covering the base of the plant with a half juice container, we have eliminated the opportunity for water to evaporate in this way. This means that ultimately, our plants will need to be watered less than in a real life situation. The water inside the covering evaporates and condensates on the inside of the container, then runs down back into the soil where it can be utilised by the plant.


WATER USAGE AND ROOT STRUCTURE

• A relationship also stands between the amount of water used and the structure of the roots. Mungbean plants contain root nodules, which enables them to produce their own fertiliser, however, this does mean the plant needs more water for this production.

• Sorghum however, had a larger root system and was able to find more water, although it needed less water than the mungbeans to survive.


• In relation to the differences in dry and wet weights outlined on slide Patterns and Trends cont., the higher water concentration in the sorghum plants can once again be linked to the leaf structure and environmental adaptation of the plant.

• It has already been established that Sorghum uses less water than Mungbeans due to the leaf structure, but sorghum is also more efficient in using the water it gets. Because there are less stomata on the surface of leaves, there is less opportunity for transpiration, which also means that the plants may keep the water it absorbs…


DRY & WET WEIGHTS EXPLANATION of PATTERNS & TRENDS

• …This allows the plant to retain a greater quantity of water, which is something mungbeans are less efficient with.

• Sorghum, comes from dry countries which suffer from lack of rain. Retaining water is a environmental adaptation which was necessary for survival. If the plant had not been able to retain ample amounts of water between periods of rain, the plant would not have survived the harsh conditions.

• The plant’s origins also explains why sorghum can grow at optimum level on lower amounts of water, because it was necessary for the plant’s survival.


DRY & WET WEIGHTS cont. EXPLANATION of PATTERNS & TRENDS

• From evaluating the data collected, one could conclude what amounts are either too little or too much for the plants.

• For Sorghum, anything in excess of 90ml could be considered too much, and any amount below 10ml is too little. Remembering that these are amounts which are watered every two days.


HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

EXPLANATION of PATTERNS & TRENDS

• Mungbeans have a different tolerance level, which could be placed between 10 and 100 mls. With the optimum amount being between 60 and 80mls every second day.


HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? cont.

EXPLANATION of PATTERNS & TRENDS

• There are numerous ways to control farming in Australia’s harsh conditions. These include:– Building green houses to protect plants from burning under

heat.– Building green houses to create a warmer and more humid

environment for growing in areas which are cooler.– Growing plants hydroponically to give plants ample water.– Using ‘Fertigation’ which both waters and fertilises plants

at the same time to maximise efficiency in utilising both of these substances.

– Controlling the plant’s light and water intake to manipulate when plants produce fruit/flowers by making the plants act as if it is a different season.


CONTROLING HARSH CONDITIONS

CASE STUDY

• Mr Stevens, a wheat farmer living to the east of Roma (Qld), was explaining to his bank manager… “Last year we had too little rain and my wheat crop only yielded 1 tonne per hectare. This hardly paid the bills. This year, it was a great crop, but we got too much rain just before we could harvest it. The grain sprouted and was downgraded to feed quality so I got a lousy price for it. How am I supposed to make a living from farming?”

• What suggestions might you make to Mr Stevens to help him with his farming enterprise over the long term?


SUGGESTIONS FOR MR STEVENSCASE STUDY

• There are numerous ways in which Mr. Stevens could improve his profits with farming. Firstly, the most expensive recommendation would be to build green houses over the crops which could regulate the amount of sun and water the plants receive. By limiting the amount of sunlight the plants are exposed to, there is less opportunity for transpiration, and therefore less water is needed. Then by regulating the amount of water which the plants receive, rain and natural elements will have little effect on the plants growth and times of development, e.g. seeding.

• Another recommendation to improve Mr. Stevens success is to research previous times of the year in which rain has occurred, and adjust watering and planting to hopefully tie in to the natural times of rain.


SUGESTIONS FOR MR STEVENS cont.CASE STUDY

• Choosing the crop could be an important factor into the profitability of his farm. Because Australia’s and in particular, Queensland’s climate is extremely unpredictable, planting different crops simultaneously which posses different needs for water could be recommended. For example, planting wheat and potatoes, so if there is a shortage of water, one of the crops will still be fruitful if the other crop yields little profit.

• Changing the location of the farm would be a factor which could improve profitability over time. At present, the farm is situated inland of Queensland, where water is not readily available. If the farm was relocated to an area closer to the coast where there is a greater percentage of rainfall, your crops may excel, hence improving your farming enterprise.

• Expanding your current farm to cover more land could help, as there is greater opportunity to reap the benefits of a fruitful year.


SUPPORT HYPOTHISIS

• Findings of this experiment did support the original hypothesis stated. As discussed, the sorghum and mungbeans used different amounts of water due to the variation in leaf structure. The sorghum leaves are thinner and contain less stomata than mungbeans, and used significantly less water.

• Again, the plants varied in water usage and efficiency. The sorghum was able to retain and utilise more water than the mungbeans, and as a result were able to grow with less water.


SUPPORT HYPOTHISIS

• Estimated watering amounts were fairly accurate, however, evaluation of findings revealed that optimum water levels were slightly more for mungbeans, and slightly less for sorghum.

• Due to lack of data, the fourth component of the hypothesis addressing water usage and different stages of development was not able to be supported.

• Generally, all conclusions made were expected, due to research and previous knowledge of plant behaviour.


ERRORS: WHAT WENT WRONG?

• At an early stage of the plants development, soil became contaminated with firstly mould, then fungus. This was removed, however these organisms may have taken nutrients from the soil which then could not be utilised by the plants.

• Mungbean #3 developed an illness late in the experiment. This is believed to be a nutrient deficiency as it was first detected on the lower leaves rather than the upper leaves, which would have indicated disease.


LIMITATIONS AND POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS

• Numerous limitations within the assignment include:– Biology Classes on an irregular basis, making it difficult to keep

results constant.– Variations is weather which may alter results.– Data collected may not be consistent to a real life situation, as

we only have four specimens of each plant, which may yield inaccurate or results. Preferably, 20 or more specimens for each experiment would be ideal.

– Plants had restricted growth opportunities as they were in small environments with little room for the roots to develop.

– If commencing the experiment again, I would ensure strict control over collecting data, and in particular, record the percentage of water the plants used in relation to a control pot.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

• WORLD WIDE WEB– Source 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ – Source 2: http://www.iit.edu/~beans/mung.html– Source 3: http://www.google.com/images/nitrogen_cycle – Source 4: http://msucares.com/crops/soils/nitrogen.html– Source 5 : http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/N/NitrogenCycle.html– Source 6: http://www.infovisual.info/01/018_en.html– Source 7: http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookPLANTANAT.html– Source 8: http://www.cix.co.uk/~argus/Dreambio/plant%20water%20relations/water%20transport%20theory.htm


BIBLIOGRAPHY

• TEXT– Source 9: Huxley & Walter, An Australian Biology

Perspective, 2002, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.


THANKYOU

DONNA BURNS

MR JOHNSTONE

11C

table of contents aim hypothesis terminology used in assignmentterminology used in assignment...

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water usage

evaporation of water

different amounts of

different plants

level of water ideal

table of contentssource

plants roots

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