The Affect of Global Warming on Plants

Karim Demian

9th grade

Central Catholic High School

Introduction

Global Warming has been shown to effect plants and many organisms on Earth

Global warming is an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere (especially a sustained increase that causes climatic changes)

Introduction Continued

The Greenhouse Effect-rise in temperature due to sun’s heat and light is trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by (carbon dioxide, water, methane, nitrogen compounds, etc).

Introduction Continued

Source of greenhouse gases- combustion of fossil fuels in energy use, landfills, and leaky industrial natural gas systems.

Global warming- linked to acid rain which wipes out huge forests and species of plants.

The poisonous gases are trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere with the water which results in acid rain.

Introduction Continued

Pole beans are a very common plant (they are readily grown as food)

They are also easy to grow and flower quickly, this makes them ideal for experiments

Past studies on the effects of temperature on bean plants have been conducted.

NC State University conducted the same experiment but with different temperatures

Purpose

The purpose of this experiment is to see the affect of increased temperature (global warming) on beans. (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Hypothesis

Null: The bean plants in the 19.4 C and 22.2C environments will not differ in growth parameters from the control (20.5C).

Alternative: Temperatures above and below the control will significantly affect the tested growth parameters.

Materials

bean seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris)

distilled water

timer

thermometer

ruler

Preen potting soil

flats

nursery pots

3 lamps

syringe

scale-sensitive to .01gm

scissors greenhouse effect cover

(this cover is placed over the environment for 3 days so the greenhouse effect can take place)

Procedure

1) Collect bean seeds2) 5 cm of soil was placed in the pots3) 3 seeds were potted in equal sized pots (The

assignment of seeds was Randomized using the roll of a dice)

4) The pots were then put into flats.5) Lamps were set 10 cm away from pots6) Pots were placed in 19.4°C, 20.5°C, and 22.2°C

environments respectively (Place a thermometer in the environments to make sure the temperature is constant)

7) The plants were covered with a greenhouse effect cover for 3 days.

8) Lamps were then turned on with timer attached. (each environment received 8 hours of light every day)

9) Pots were watered every other day with 6ml of water in each pot using a syringe

Procedure - Continued

10) Take cover off of plants after 1 week11) Take the plants out of the environment after 2

weeks.12) Cut plants at ground level13) Mass both above and under ground mass of plants

14) Measure the height of the plants

15) Count the amount of leaves on the plants

16) Conduct statistical analysis on results

The Effects of Temperature on the Number of Leaves

0

1

2

3

4

19.4C 20.5C 22.2C

Temperature

Num

ber o

f Lea

ves

Anova p= 2.09E-05

P< .05

P< .05

00.05

0.10.15

0.20.25

0.30.35

0.4

19.4C 20.5C 22.2C

Mas

s of L

eave

s in

gram

s

Temperature

The Effects of Temperature on the Above Ground Mass

P>.05

P<.05

Anova= 0.01767

0.290.3

0.310.320.330.340.350.360.370.38

19.4C 20.5C 22.2C

Mas

s in

gra

ms

Temperature

The Effects of Temperature on the Under Ground Mass

P>.05

P<.05

Anova= 0.4088

The Effects of Temperature on Height

0

5

10

15

20

19.4C 20.5C 22.2C

Temperature

Heig

ht in

centi

met

ers

P>.05

P>.05

Anova= 1.98E-08

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

19.4C 20.5C 22.2C

Ab

ov

e G

rou

nd

/ R

oo

t M

as

s

Temperature

Temperature Effects in Growth Pattern

p= 0.70

Dunnett’s TestAbove Ground Mass 19.4C 3.75

p<.05Significant

Above Ground Mass 22.2C .267p>.05

Not Significant

Height 19.4C 2.67p<.05

Significant

Height 22.2C 5.64p<.05

Significant

Total Mass 19.4C .1212p>.05

Not Significant

Total Mass 22.2C 4.412p<.05

Significant

Root Mass19.4C .5454p>.05

Not Significant

Root Mass 22.2C 9.68p<.05

Significant

Leaves 19.4C 1.759p<.05

Not Significant

Leaved 22.2C 3.07p>.05

Significant

T Critical = 2.3

Conclusion

The null hypothesis was rejected for: leaves, temperature, above ground mass, root mass, and growth pattern. These variables appear to have significant effects on the measured growth parameters.

The null hypothesis was accepted for height. The 20.5C bean plants grew taller than the other environments.

The alternative hypothesis was partially accepted. The 20.5C bean plants grew the tallest.

Limitations and Extensions

1. The temperature was not able to be rigidly controlled throughout the whole experiment. On day 3 of the experiment, the 19.9C plants temperature rose to 20.4C for 1 hour. Also, on day 5 the 22.2C plants temperature rose to 22.5C for 30 minutes.

2. The bean seeds could have different genetic growth traits, although the randomization procedure should lessen variation.

3. Trial number was sufficient, though longer periods of growth may have revealed more variation.

4. Test different species of beans

5. Use a wider range of temperatures.

Works Cited

Broecher, Wallace, and Kunzig, Robert. Fixing Climate What Past Climate Changes Reveal About the Current Threat- And how to Counter it. New York: Hill and Wang, 2008.

Extra-An Inconvenient Truth. 16 Jan. 2009 <http://staffwww.fullcoll.edu/tmorris/an_inconvenient_truth/an_inconvenient_trut h.htm>

Global Warming. <http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/global_warming.htm> 14 December 2008

Life Cycle of a Vegetable Plant. 16 Jan. 2009 <http://www.uoregon.edu/~arambo/picturegallery/veggieplant.htm>.

Philander, George. Is the Temperature Rising? : The Uncertain Science of Global Warming. New Jersey: Princentron University Press, 1998.

Reader’s Digest. Global Warming: The Last Chance for Change. New York: The reader’s Digest Association, 2007.

Reading a Thermometer. 16 Jan. 2009 <http://fs.sdsu.edu/pisces/WeatherKit/jpegs/21Celsius.jpg>.

What are Pole Beans? <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-pole-beans.htm> 10 December 2008