Snow Pea Lab

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Effect of Altered Environmental Conditions on Snow Pea Germination

Research Question
What is the effect of exposure to different temperatures (-18, 2, 23, 30, 40 degrees Celsius) for short periods of time on the germination and sprouting of snow pea seeds?

Hypothesis
If the temperature of a growing snow pea’s environment is increased or decreased drastically, for short periods of time, then the snow pea plants will respond in different ways (for example, loss of leaves in cold temperatures, caused by unsuitable conditions for foliage growth, or wilting in hot temperatures, due to dryness and a lack of water).

Background Information
Effects of certain temperatures on the snow peas can be observed by measuring their growth in the time they …show more content…

Some plant species lose their leaves in winter, entering a stage of dormancy, in which they can survive extremely low temperatures. (Wikidot, 2011) Most plants respond rapidly to low temperatures, making metabolic changes in existing tissues. Respones can also be long-term, such as developmental changes (e.g. promotion of flowering, breaking of bud dormancy, and formation of new, thicker leaves). (Schmidt, n.d.)

Fluctuations in temperature can alter critical metabolic processes of biosynthesis and cellular maintenance, and prolonged exposure to high temperatures is lethal to most plant species. Temperatures between 30-40ºC are considered moderately high, and temperatures above 40ºC are considered extremely high. In most plant species, growing tissue is damaged with brief exposure to temperatures above temperatures above 45ºC. (Munns, n.d.)

This experiment will be carried to investigate the effects of cold spells and hot spells on snow pea seeds, as gardening is something that interests us, and these phenomena are something that affects …show more content…

This experiment was carried out by planting snow peas in pots and maintaining them until they were at least 10cm in height, the environment in which the plants would be kept for a week was then prepared. Water baths were set to desired temperatures and plants were placed in plastic containers that contained the liquid from the water baths, while the other plants were placed in a fridge and freezer. These plants were kept in these states for an hour each day, for five days in a row. Our hypothesis stated that when the temperature of a growing snow pea’s environment is increased or decreased drastically, for short periods of time, then the snow pea plants will respond in different ways (for example, loss of leaves in cold temperatures, or wilting in hot temperatures). This was proven to be somewhat true, as the snow peas did respond in different ways but no trend line was

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