Transcript The effects of Intraspecific competition in Trifolium

The effects of Intraspecific competition in
Trifolium repens L.
Brian Roberts
Student
Education Department
Tennessee Tech University
Cookeville, Tennessee 38505
Project Summary
• Do plants compete for resources? Does this competition
affect growth or survival? Competition among members
of the same species is called intraspecific competition.
This experiment will determine the effects of intraspecific
competition in clover plants. Intraspecific competition will
be tested by planting clover in different densities and
then measuring variables (growth rate, survival, average
plant mass, ect...) over a five week span. It is expected
that the plants grown in larger densities will display a
lower survival rate and will exhibit growth differences.
Introduction
• It is important to understand how organisms interact with each other.
This is especially important when planting crops or other
communities.
• Organisms interact in a variety of ways, some of which may be
harmful. One of these interactions is called competition, in which
individuals compete for resources such as food, nutrients, water,
light, and so on.
• Intraspecific competition is when individuals compete only with
members of the same species. Intraspecific competition is defined
as the relative reduction of germling growth and survival in highdensity cultures compared with low-density cultures (Steen 2003).
• Three general effects of intraspecific competition have been
identified for plants growing in dense stands (Yoda et al. 1963).
Stands with higher densities generally have reduced sizes, reduced
survival probabilities, and changes in size-distribution.
Intro
• This experiment will determine the effects
of intraspecific competition in Trifolium
repens L. (white clover) on survival and
growth. This experiment is expected to
disprove the null hypothesis, which states
the clovers’ growth and survival will not be
affected by intraspecific competition.
Objective/Hypothesis Statement
• Objective Statement
• To determine the effects of intraspecific
competition in Triflium repens L. on
survival and growth.
• Null Hypothesis
• Intraspecific competition will not have an
affect on the survival or growth of Triflium
repens L.
Methods and Materials
•
The methods and statistical approach
used in this experiment were taken from a
lab manual (Brown 2004). The only
variation to the original experiment is the
deletion of measuring the dry weights of
leaves and stems per plant.
Data Form
Number of
plants in pot
Week 1
Growth rate
Survivorship
Average plant
mass
Number of
leaves per
plant
Stem length
per plant
Stem mass
per plant
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Expected Results and Benefits
• The expected results from this experiment will
display that intraspecific competition plays a
large role in the growth and survival of
individuals in dense populations.
• The benefits of the results will be the further
understanding of the interactions between same
species plants. This could provide information
for future reference when planting crops or
undersowing.
Project Timeline
• This project will require five weeks for the
growth of the plants and one week to
analyze the results. This is a total of six
weeks for the project.
Budget
• There is no budget for this experiment.
The facility and materials for the
experiment will be supplied by the Biology
Department at Tennessee Tech University.