Title: American Chestnut Lab ratios

Author: Matthew Hodgdon

Abstract:

The report is nine pages long comparing two American Chestnut trees to see if they are

the same species, Independent variable is which tree measured, dependent variable is length to

width ratios of leaf. Chestnut Blight is a fungus that devastated the American Chestnut in the

1900’s. To save the chestnuts scientist began to hybridize the American Chestnut with the

Chinese to make it blight resistance. Hodgdon compares two American Chestnut trees on the in

the same general location. He determines if the two trees are of the same species then the

phenotype of length to width ratios would be the same since species share the same phenotypes.

15 leaves from each tree were measured to find the length to width ratio. It was found that the

mean of both trees ratio were within 0.04 of each other. It was found that no statistical difference

was found so it was concluded both trees were of the same species.

Keywords:

C. dentata-American Chestnut tree scientific name.

Blight-A type of fungus.

Hybridization-breeding two species together and getting an offspring with qualities from both

parents.
Introduction:

The Castanea Dentata (American Chestnut Tree) was once the most common and

dominant tree of the east coast. It is approximated that for every four trees at least one was a C.

dentata. C. dentata was so successful in becoming dominant because of its high tolerance to dry

and poor soil conditions. The common name of C. dentata is the American Chestnut. The tree

was very precious to the American’s due to its abundance of nuts and the wood was not only

beautiful but rot resistant. However in 1904 a fungus was found on C. denata at the New York

Zoological Gardens. The fungus known as Cryphonectria Parasitica(Chestnut Blight) was

accidentally imported from Asia. The fungus killed almost all of the native C. denata. To save

the Chestnut hybridization of the tree with a Chinese Chestnut which is fungus resistant began,

creating different strains of C. dentata. Due to hybridization there are now different strains of C.

dentata. The investigation was to find if two C. dentata where the same strain by determining

length to width ratio of their leaves. When two trees are of the same species then the both must

have the same phenotypes such as length to width ration of their leaves. If two trees are of the

same species, then both must has the same length to width ratio since a specie shares the same

phenotypes.

Procedures:

1. Locate a specimen of C. dentata in the front of South Carroll High School.

2. Measure a leaf, Measure the width and length of the blade of the leaf to the nearest

millimeter. Record the data in logbook.

3. Repeat step 2 on 15 different leaves on the same tree.

 4. In a spreadsheet calculate the length to width ratio (length/width=ratio) then take the

mean of all the ratios

5. Locate a specimen of C. dentata in the woods behind South Carroll High School.

6. Measure a leaf, Measure the width and length of the blade of the leaf to the nearest

millimeter. Record the data in logbook.

7. Repeat Step 5 on 15 different leaves of the same specimen.

8. In a spreadsheet calculate the length to width ratio (length/width=ratio) then take the

mean of all the ratios.

9. Compare the mean ratios from the front specimen with the back specimen.

Results:

The mean of the ratios for the front tree was 3.29 with a standard deviation of 0.4,

compared to the tree in the back with a mean ratio of 3.33 with a standard deviation of 0.3. A T-

test was calculated to see if the null hypothesis, both specimen are indeed the same species

because the statistical data is statistically the same, is accepted or rejected. The P-value was

.79414 which was less than the critical value so the null hypothesis was accepted.
Diagram:

The map above shows the approximate location of each of the trees the data was

collected from. The blue box labeled 1, is the location of the front tree. The yellow box

labeled 2 is the location of the back tree.

Data Table: Length to Width Ratios

American Chestnut Tree Data

Front Back
Length Width Length Width
15.8 6 24.9 7.8
18.3 6.5 23.3 6.6
14.6 3.9 20.9 7.8
14.7 4.6 25.8 8.3
16.3 4.2 21.5 7.9
18.4 5.5 23.5 7.4
18.3 4.9 20.2 5.9
21.6 5.5 24.0 7.3
18.1 5.1 22.0 6.4
18.6 5.4 23.6 6.4
16.5 5.9 19.7 5.2
15.2 5.1 17.8 5.3
20 7 20.5 5.4
18.8 5.6 20.9 5.9
16.9 5.4 21.5 6.7
Calculations:

American Chestnut Tree Calculations

Front Back
Length Width Ratio Length Width Ratio
15.8 6.0 2.6 24.9 7.8 3.2
18.3 6.5 2.8 23.3 6.6 3.5
14.6 3.9 3.7 20.9 7.8 2.7
14.7 4.6 3.2 25.8 8.3 3.1
16.3 4.2 3.9 21.5 7.9 2.7
18.4 5.5 3.3 23.5 7.4 3.2
18.3 4.9 3.7 20.2 5.9 3.4
21.6 5.5 3.9 24.0 7.3 3.3
18.1 5.1 3.5 22.0 6.4 3.4
18.6 5.4 3.4 23.6 6.4 3.7
16.5 5.9 2.8 19.7 5.2 3.8
15.2 5.1 3.0 17.8 5.3 3.4
20.0 7.0 2.9 20.5 5.4 3.8
18.8 5.6 3.4 20.9 5.9 3.5
16.9 5.4 3.1 21.5 6.7 3.2
Standard Deviation 0.4 Standard Deviation 0.3
Mean 3.29 3.33
Variance 0.17679 0.11168
DF 28
T Test 0.79414
Null Hypothesis Accepted

The mean of the data was found by adding all the ratios together and then

dividing by the sample size. The standard deviation was found by subtracting the mean from

each ratio, then square the difference. Then all the squared differences are added together and

then divided by the sample size. The standard deviation for the front tree was 0.4, this means

68% of the ratios are between 2.89-3.69. The standard deviation for the back tree was 0.3, this

means 68% of the ratios are between 3.03-3.63. Standard deviation measures how closely

grouped the data is. In both trees the data set was very close, the back tree was however was
closer. To find if the difference between the two trees are by chance or is there a variable a T-test

was performed. To calculate the T-test the mean from the front tree was subtract from the mean

of the second tree. Then the standard deviation squared from front tree over the sample size of

the front tree added to the standard deviation squared from the back tree all square rooted. Then

the difference of the means are divided by standard deviation and sample size square root to

calculate a P-value of 0.79414. The P-value is then compared on a critical value chart under

column .5. If the P-value is less than the critical value the null hypothesis is accepted.

Graph:

Discussion:

It was found that the two ratios of the trees were statistically the same; therefore the null

hypothesis was accepted that both trees are of the same species. When the chestnut blight began

to devastate the American Chestnut hybridization begun with a Chinese Chestnut to form blight

resistance, as a result different strains of C. dentate was created. To discover if the two chestnut

trees were of the same strain a length to width ratio test was preformed to see if the phenotypes

were the same. If two trees are of the same species, then both must has the same length to width

ratio since a specie shares the same phenotypes. 15 ratios were collect from two different trees

giving a total of 30 ratios. The standard deviation for the data collected on the front tree was 0.4

which means all the leaves measured were indeed from the same species. The standard deviation

from the back tree was 0.3 which proves all the leaves came from the same tree because the

deviation is less than one. The mean ratio of the front tree was 3.29 which is a 0.04 difference

from the back tree which had a mean of 3.33. To determine if the two trees were different species
or the difference in mean was by chance a T-test was calculated. The variance of the front tree

was 0.17679 for the front tree and .11168 for the back tree with 28 degrees of freedom. When the

T-test was calculated it had a P-value of 0.79414. The critical value for 28 degrees of freedom is

2.05 which the P-value of 0.79414 is less then so the null hypothesis is accepted stating that there

is statistically no difference between the two sets of data. Possible sources of error are the

conditions of the trees. The two trees were in two different types of habitat, that being said some

limiting factor of nutrients or excess sun could have made slight differences in length to width

ratios. Another possible source of error is the two trees could be different species but have

similar phenotypes because of hybridization. The one tree could be pure American Chestnut and

the other could be BC3F3 which contains 94% American traits and only 6% Chinese traits due to

backcrossing of hybrids. To improve this investigation more than one phenotype should be tested

to confirm they are indeed the same species not just trees with a similar phenotype. Also is

possible the two trees that are compared should be in the same habitat.

Conclusion:

Two trees were chosen to find whether they were the same species. To test this 15 leaves

on each tree were measured to calculate the length width ratio. The mean of the data for both

trees were close and the standard deviation showed all the leaves were similar. The T-test proved

that there was no statistical difference between the two ratios confirming the hypothesis that both

trees were of the same species. With hybridization of C. dentata it was important to determine

whether the two trees were indeed of the same species. In the environment hybridization occurs

naturally and if a scientist wants to perform a test on a certain species then this experiment would

be crucial to confirm the specimens are the same species so the results are accurate. Future areas
of investigation would be into the different phenotypes that the hybridization of C. dentata has

produced in the hybrids.

References:

Farmer, S., & SRS Science Communications. (n.d.). When American Chestnuts Return to the

Wild. Retrieved from https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/compass/2016/05/10/when-american-

chestnuts-return-to-the-wild/

Britannica, T. E. (2018, February 08). Chestnut blight. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/science/chestnut-blight

Mrs.Plaksowitz’s PowerPoint Chestnut Presentation 2017

https://www.britannica.com/science/chestnut-blight