Plant Productivity

1. Plant Productivity Crystal, Barney, Nate, Rachael, Cameron, and Puja Atlantic Forest, Brazil SEE-U 2000

2. Introduction • Plants allocate their energy and resources in a manner that is conducive for efficient growth • Different species therefore may put more energy into the formation of roots or in the formation of shoots • By determining the root/shoot ratio we can study these growth patterns

3. Hypotheses • Null Hypothesis: There will be no difference among species in root/shoot ratio • Alternative Hypothesis #1: Native species (Acacia) will show a greater root/shoot ratio • Alternative Hypothesis #2: Non - native species (Eucalyptus) will show a greater root/shoot ratio

4. Methodology • Three species were studied: Eucalyptus camal, Eucalyptus citrio, and Acacia • 16 individuals of each species were randomly selected from the IPE Nursery • Soil was separated from the roots • Root length was measured from the first root to the root apical meristem • Shoot length was measured from the first root to the apical meristem

5. Seedlings in Nursery

6. Results • Root/shoot ratios are as follows: • E. camal :3.8/1 • E. citrio: 3.3/1 • Acacia sp.:2.7/1 • The Null Hypothesis was accepted.

7. Mean Rank of Root/Shoot Ratio

8. Chi-Square Test Results

9. Analysis of Variance Results

10. Discussion/Conclusion • A statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference between species with respect to root/shoot ratio • Within species there was a wide range of root/shoot ratio affecting the statistical analysis

11. Discussion/Conclusion (2) • This can be attributed to small sample size, cold weather (frost), and age of seedlings • There may be a greater variation of root/shoot ratios among the three species at a later stage of development

12. IPE Nursery at the Morro do Diabo park reserve