EXPERIMENT [LIMITING ABIOTIC FACTORS]
I-21
1. INTRODUCTION
While tackling Ecology, scientists have
been told to study organisms into
classifications. An ecosystem, is a dynamic
entity composed of the biological
community and the abiotic environment. An
ecosystem's abiotic and biotic composition
and structure is determined by the state of
a number of interrelated environmental
factors[1]. Scientists have been long studying
how these abiotic factors affect the biotic
factors, namely humans, animals, and
plants.
In this activity, the researchers will
explore how some abiotic factors limit the
population growth of plants—a biotic
factor, which will be represented by
monggo seeds in the experiment. The
researchers will be exploring two abiotic
factors: salinity and space.
2. THEORY
It is implied with our knowledge of
plants that plants are more accustomed to
widely-spaced gaps in between other
plants[2]. Sprouts grow and require space to
extend its newly formed parts and also to
maximize the range of absorbing nutrients.
From this it is hypothesized that the abiotic
factor of space will affect the growth and
survival of the plants significantly—more
space will lead to a more successful growth,
prospering, and the maximizing of nutrients
of each plant. Of course, it is also required
that the nutrients present must be enough
for the space given and not too narrow-
space to cause competition for nutrients.
Moving on to the other abiotic factor,
Salinity. A study conducted by Carnegie
Institution’s José Dinneny and Lina Duan[3]
discovered that an inner tissue in the
branching roots of a majority of plants is
sensitive to salt and activates a stress
hormone, which slows down root growth
and absorption. From this it is hypothesized
that salinity will negatively affect the
growth and survival of the plants—more
salt, or higher salinity, will equal to less
growth and survival rate for the plant.
3. METHODOLOGY
The experiment requires three plastic
cans of varying sizes, three plastic cans of
the same size, sixty (60) monggo seeds,
rock salt, and water. The substrate used will
be cotton. The experiment is divided into
two procedures, one for each abiotic factor
being tested.
Salinity: Three plastic cans are evenly
spaced evenly and placed under sunlight.
The bottom of each can was filled with soil
up until approximately one-seventh of the
can’s height and volume. This is followed by
the pouring of 300mL of water in each can,
dampening the cotton evenly. The first can’s
water was mixed with 100mg of salt
(making its salinity at approx. 0.33mg/mL,
or 330 ppm) and the second can’s water
was mixed with 50mg of salt (making its
salinity at approx. 0.16mg/mL, or 160
ppm). Finally, each can had 10 pre-
germinated monggo seeds planted evenly-
spaced. The set-up was then observed for
the following days.
Space: Three plastic cans or varying
sizes (≈7-inch diameter, ≈5-inch diameter,
and ≈3-inch diameter) are spaced evenly
and placed under sunlight. The ratio of the
volumes of the cans is approximately
0.5:1:1.5, respectively. Similarly to the
previous procedure, each is filled with
cotton up until approximately one-seventh
of the can’s height and volume, and each
can is also filled with 300mL of water.
Finally, each can was planted with 10 pre-
germinated monggo seeds evenly-spaced.
The set-up was observed for the following
days.
 After three days, the researchers middle-sized can because the
gathered their observations and analyzed water/nutrients had a larger area to spread
their collected data. across, thus each sprout had less water to
absorb than the sprouts in the middle-sized
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION can.
After a span of three days, the 5. CONCLUSION
researchers have gathered data from the
set-ups and tallied them: From the data, the researchers conclude
that salinity is inversely proportional to the
Samples Salinity Growth growth rate of plants. The salt affects the
Subject A 330 ppm No growth plant negatively, reducing its chances of
≈1mm growing.
Subject B 160 ppm
sprout
≈2mm
Subject C 0ppm On the other hand, the researchers
sprout
Table 1: Salinity Set-Up Result
discovered that plants require the right
spacing depending on its roots or range of
From this table, the researchers have absorption. The space must comply with
noticed that the higher the salinity, the the plant’s root size, have sufficient
lower the growth rate is. It is also noted nutrients for its size, and must not cause
that the monggo sprouts from the samples the sprouts to engage in competition due to
with saltwater have a yellower, drooping- narrow spacing.
off appearance that look more fragile than
that of the one with regular water. 6. REFERENCES
It is then discovered by the researchers Bibliography
that this is because of the effect of the
presence of salt in the solution that affects
the plants. The salt hinders the plant’s
growth and nutrient absorption, identifying
itself

Samples Space Growth

Subject D ≈7” diameter ≈2mm
Subject E ≈5” diameter ≈3mm
Subject F ≈3” diameter ≈1mm
Table 2: Space Set-Up Result

From this table, the researchers have

noticed that the sprouts in the middle-sized
can achieved the best growth. It is
speculated that this is due to it having the
perfect range for each sprout for nutrient
absorption, and the right space for the
water to spread evenly across the area
without competition among the plants. The
smallest has the smallest growth due to the
sprouts having narrow spacing, promoting
competition between the sprouts. The
largest can did not grow as well as the
Adison, K. (2013). Plant Spacing Guide. Retrieved March 22, 2015, from Journey To Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/garden_space.html

Carnegie Institution. (2007). Breakthrough: How Salt Stops Plant Growth. Retrieved March 22, 2015, from
Carnegie Science: https://carnegiescience.edu/news/breakthrough_how_salt_stops_plant_growth

Pidwirny, M. (2009, May 7). Organization of Life: Species, Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems.
Retrieved March 3, 2015, from Physical Geography.net:
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/9d.html