Phenotypic Response’s of Hedera sp. To Light Availability In Terms of Leaf Area, Color, Width And Quantity of Hair Growth
...lly compared for abundance of hairs and leaf color; these observations are then recorded. We then proceeded to examine randomly selected leaves of both the sun and shade plants; from these slides we used a transparent 0.5 cm grid to estimate the leaf area by counting the number of squares occupied. Ten measurements were recorded for each plant; these measurements were each multiplied by 0.25 to obtain an approximation of the leaf area (Biology 108 Lab Manual 2004). Finally we were given pre-prepared slides labeled sun and shade leaves. These slides were placed under a microscope with 10X power and five measurements (for each of the ten leaves on the slide) of leaf thickness along the width of the leaf were recorded using the ocular micrometer in the microscope eyepiece (Biology 108 Lab Manual 2004). The average of the values are recorded in a table in eyepiece units (epu) and then converted into micrometers (mm). Results When the two samples of Hedera sp. were compared the sample of plant that was grown in the shade was darker in color and had a greater abundance of hairs, as opposed to the sample grown in the sun. The shade plant also appeared to have a significantly larger area than the sun plant. The observed pattern is that in general the shade plant was found to have much greater features than the sun plant, about four times greater in terms of leaf area. The only feature the sun plant consistently had greater than the shade plant was the leaf thickness, with almost every leaf averaging approximately 50 mm thicker. Table 1: Qualitative Observations Of Two Samples Of Hedera sp. Grown In Sun And In Shade Plant Leaf Color Abundance of Hairs Sun Light Low Shade Dark High Table 2: Summary Of Statistics Of The Measurements Of The Samples Of Hedera sp. (n=10 for each) Grown In The Sun And In The Shade. (For the t-test, a=0.05) Plant Mean t-value Plant Area (cm²) Sun 3.1 1.71* Shade 12.25 Plant Thickness (mm) Sun 205.2 2.82* Shade 158.8 Table 3: Summary Table Of T-Test Contingency Analysis Of Hedera sp Grown In The Sun And Grown In The Shade Quantitative Analysis t-test Value Null Hypothesis (Ho) Plant Area 1.71 1.71 < 2.101, Accept Ho Plant Thickness 2.82 2.82 > 2.101, reject Ho Discussion The sun leaves should be smaller, thicker and lighter in color as compared to the shade plant’s leaves according to the findings of Taylor et al.(1990). Our findings generated similar results, the shade plant was much darker and had a greater abundance of hair than the sun plant however according to the t-test the large difference in leaf area between the sun and shade plant is due to chance, however the t-test reveals that the sun plant having a greater thickness than the shade plant is not due to chance and therefore supports the hypothesis about sun plants having a greater leaf thickness. However since the difference in leaf area is concluded to be by chance, the hypothesis overall is not supported by the results. The hypothesis was that sun leaves would be smaller, thicker and shade leaves would be larger, hairier, and darker in color. Unfortunately the hypothesis was not supported, even Hedera exhibits phenotypic pla...