Questions

1. Prepare graphs illustrating the seeds germination profile for each treatment pot.

Graph 1: Seed Germination Profile

Graph 2: pH vs height of germinated seed

 Graph 3: pH vs mass of germinated seed

2. What type of relationship that exists between seed germination and pH?
When the treatment pots become more acidic, the seed germination is slightly
low. If you water the maize seeds with neutral-level pH water then the maize seeds
will germinate the best because acid rain causes harmful affects to other things in
nature such as soil.

3. Describe the observed pattern between seedling growth and damage and pH?

New growth is especially susceptible to acid rain; young rootlets and leaf
shoots tend to be the most vulnerable to low pH conditions. Acid rain also damages
the waxy outer coating that protects the leaves. These allow moisture to escape,
dehydrating the plant. It also allows acid entrance to the plant system, where it
suppresses photosynthesis. Acid-damaged leaves and needles also withstand the cold
less effectively.
4. Some rain has been found to be as acidic as pH 2.8. Given what you have observed,
what is the likely effect on seed germination and plant reproduction?

As acid rain falls onto soil, it may reduce in acidity because of contact with
alkaline or basic substances such as limestone or calcium carbonate. It caused the
diminished soil nutrients. The acid may also be simply immobilized if the sulfate or
nitrate ions of the sulfuric and nitric acids are retained in soil or vegetation. The
interaction of acid rain with soil is bad news for any plants trying to grow there.
Hydrogen ions from the acid deposits displace the calcium, magnesium and
potassium, leaching them from the soil and making them unavailable to the plants that
need them. These freshly mobilized ions stunt root growth and prevent plants from
taking up calcium. Acidic or low pH conditions also can reduce the population of the
soil microorganisms responsible for composting dead plant matter. The less
composting come to the the less phosphate, nitrate and other nutrients available to
plant life.

5. How acid rain can affect plant growth? Please provide your explanation in relation to
plant physiology and plant nutrient

Rain water with a low pH value weakens the plants by damaging the surface
of the leaves. They strip the leaves of the protective coating, which results in
excessive moisture loss and dehydration. This allows the acid to enter the system,
displacing the water and reducing carbon dioxide uptake. As a result, the
photosynthetic process, that acquired carbon dioxide, suffers greatly. Plants with
damaged leaves are unable to draw enough nutrients and become susceptible to
toxins. Acid rain often works in conjunction with air pollutants, insects, diseases,
drought, and cold weather. It makes the plant weak enough to succumb to one of these
external factors.
Discussion

This lab compared different pH levels in acid water versus how much the maize seeds
will germinate when watered with multiple pH leveled water. It was observed that after a
day the bean seeds started sprouting. Then on the seventh day the seeds had long sprouts
and the skins of the seeds were completely coming off. Patterns in the data show that
once they started sprouting they did not grow/inflate anymore. The seeds grew best under
the pH level of 5 because it was the pH level that had the highest average growth. The
seeds grew the least under pH level pH 3 this was because it had the least average growth
rate. The difference in final average growth between pH levels 1 and 5 is 3.0 cm, 3.7 cm
and 4.7 cm respectively. In general a conclusion that can be made about the data is that no
matter what the level of acid in rain water the bean seeds all grew. But, the germination
becomes low when acidity becomes increases. The pH levels in acid rain water do affect
the germination rates on bean seeds. Some of the seeds grew moldy and died while
others flourished

Acid rain is forms of precipitation get to soil, settle on plants and get in them
damaging their structure. Seeds do not require any nutrients to start to germinate – only a
moist environment. Every plant seed contains a tiny plant embryo and a food supply to
nourish that embryo when it begins to grow. The embryo and the food supply are
enclosed in a tough protective coat, which keeps the contents of the seed from drying out
or being eaten. The embryo can survive within the seed for weeks, months, or even years.
This period is called dormancy. Factors such as temperature and moisture determine when
the embryo within the seed will start to grow again, or germinate. Before a seed can
germinate, it must absorb water. The absorbed water causes the food-storing tissues to
swell and crack the seed coat. The root is the first part of the plant to emerge from the
seed. They are equipped with an internal food source, which provides nutrients when they
first begin to develop. Water and nutrients are absorbed by plants at the very thin ends of
their roots, known as root hairs. Acid rain can affect the vegetation in a region by
impacting the germination of seeds. The sensitivity to the pH of water varies between
different plant species, but this activity uses corn seeds because of their short germination
time.
 The more acidic the water, the less growth of seed germination. The mass and the
height of pant is slightly low when the treatment is more acidic.

In the experiment a couple mistakes were made. When we stored them in the box on
the shelf some were always on the bottom so not everyone’s seeds received the same amount
of sunlight. Also, when calculating the average bean seed growth some people calculated the
average length of the seeds and not the average growth. A possible way to modify this
experiment would be to take one pH level and experiment with different types of seeds.
Which seed grew the best under pH level 5. Also another way to modify this experiment
would be to lay out all the bags out on the counter with the exact same amount of sunlight.
The recommendations for next time would be to make sure the measure the seeds accurately.

Conclusion

In extremely low pH below 5 the seeds did not germinate properly within 8 days.
However, pH is not the only determining factor in seed germination. Beside, different seeds
will have different reactions to different pHs and different elements in its environment. No
matter how hard we try to fight this problem there will always be contamination in our water
because of the water cycle.

References

1. Effects of Acid Rain. Retrieved on December, 2 2011 from

http://www.gardenguides.com/101578-effects-acid-rain-plants-seed-
germination.html#ixzz1gcZGqoKg

2. Mariko K. Power (2004. The Effect of pH on Seed Germination. Retrieved on

December, 2 2011 from http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2004/Projects/J1422.pdf