SOME DATA-TYPE QUESTIONS ON PLANT BIOLOGY

1.

A nine-year study was carried out on plants that grow in the arctic tundra. The effects of
different environmental factors were studied:
nutrient addition
use of a greenhouse to raise the summer air temperature by 3C
use of a fertilized greenhouse (increased temperature plus nutrient addition)
shade to reduce light by 50%.
The results are shown in the graph below.
1500

K ey:
m oss
lic h e n
e v e rg re e n
d e c id u o u s
g ra sse s

1000
T o ta l b io m a s s / g m

500

0
C

N T
T
T re a tm e n ts

Control (C), nutrient addition (N), greenhouse (T), fertilized greenhouse (NT) and shading (L).
[Source: UNEP, (1995), Global Biodiversity Assessment, Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, page 295]

(a)

Identify the treatment that produced

(i)

the greatest evergreen biomass.

...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii)

the greatest lichen biomass.

...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b)

Compare the effects of nutrient addition, raising the temperature and shading on the
biomass of deciduous plants.
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
(2)

(c)

Suggest reasons for the differences in total biomass of plants in response to the different
treatments.
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
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(2)
(Total 6 marks)

2.
An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of water stress on cucumber
(Cucumis sativus) seedlings. Cotyledons were detached from four day old seedlings and treated
with polyethylene glycol (PEG), a water absorbing compound. -amylase activity was measured in
cotyledons treated with PEG at concentrations of 0, 20, 30, 40 and 50%. This enzyme catalyses the
conversion of starch into maltose. The mean results are shown in the graph.

0 .3

- a m y la s e a c tiv ity p e r
p a ir o f c o ty le d o n s
/ m o l m a lto s e m in 1

0 .2

0 .1

0
0

D u ra tio n o f tre a tm e n t / d a y s
[Source: D Todak, et al., (2000), Journal of Experimental Botany, 51, pages 739745]

(a)

Identify the maximum activity of -amylase in the 50% treatment.

.....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b)

Compare the -amylase activity in the cotyledons treated with 20% PEG with those
treated with 30% PEG.
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
(2)

(c)
Deduce the relative free sugar content of the cotyledons treated with 20% PEG
compared to those treated with 30% PEG.
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(d)

Suggest reasons for the change in activity of -amylase during water stress.
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

3.

Plants that grow in the desert have many adaptations that enable them to cope with full sunlight
and low water availability, such as thicker leaves with reduced surface area. Researchers have
also observed that leaf pubescence (presence of white leaf surface hairs) may be another
adaptation to dry environments. A study was done to evaluate the effects of leaf pubescence on
two species of Californian plants, Encelia farinosa, a desert species with pubescent leaves and
Encelia californica, a native of the moist coast with non-pubescent leaves.
The graph below shows the absorption spectrum of intact leaves of both species in the
photosynthetically active spectrum between the wavelengths 400 nm (blue light) and 800 nm
(red light) of light.
100

K ey:

90

E . c a lifo r n ic a

80

E . fa r in o s a

70
60
A b s o rp tio n 5 0
/ %
40
30
20

10
0
400

450
B lu e

500

550
G re e n

600

650
Y e llo w

700
O ra n g e

750

800
R ed

W a v e le n g th / n m
[Source: From J. Ehleringer et al., Leaf Pubescence: Effects on Absorptance and Photosynthesis in a Desert Shrub, Science (23
April 1976), vol. 192, issue 4237, pp. 376-377. Reprinted with permission from AAAS]

(a)

Calculate the difference in absorption between E. farinosa and E. californica at 600 nm.
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b)

Suggest a possible explanation for the decrease in absorption at 550 nm for E.

californica.
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(1)

The following graph shows the rate of CO2 uptake of three leaves of Encelia farinosa with
5

different absorbance coefficients (x) (proportion of light absorbed) which is related to the degree
of pubescence of the leaf. The higher the coefficient the more light is absorbed.
x = 0 .8 2

4 .0
3 .5

x = 0 .6 5

3 .0
2 .5
x = 0 .5 3

R a te o f C O 2 u p ta k e /
2 .0
n m o lC O 2 c m 2 s e c 1
1 .5
1 .0
0 .5
0 .0

50

100

L ig h t in te n s ity /

150
m ol cm

200
2

250

se c 1

[Source: From J. Ehleringer et al., Leaf Pubescence: Effects on Absorptance and Photosynthesis in a Desert Shrub, Science (23
April 1976), vol. 192, issue 4237, pp. 376-377. Reprinted with permission from AAAS]

(c)

Using the graph above, compare the maximum CO2 uptake of E. farinosa at absorbance
coefficients 0.82 and 0.53.
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(d)

(i)

Using the data, deduce the relationship between pubescence and light absorption.
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii)

Evaluate the relationship of leaf pubescence and CO2 uptake.

..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(1)

(e)

Suggest how natural selection may have caused the difference in leaf pubescence between
E. farinosa and E. californica.
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(1)

0 .3 5

0 .3 0
0 .2 5

0 .2 0
3
0 .1 5
2

0 .1 0

1
0

K ey:
W a te r u s e e ffc ie n c y
P u b e s c e n c e T h ic k n e s s /m m

W a te r u s e e ffc ie n c y / a rb itra ry u n its

Further research was carried out to evaluate the relationship between leaf pubescence during the
growing season of E. farinosa and its water use efficiency. Water use efficiency is defined as the
amount of CO2 uptake divided by the amount of water lost by transpiration from the leaf. The
graph below shows the seasonal change in leaf pubescence and water use efficiency of E.
farinosa. The period of maximum growth is indicated on the graph. During the course of the
year the optimum temperature for photosynthesis remains at 30C while the air temperature
fluctuates from a high of 38C in the summer months (MaySeptember) to a low of 8C during
the winter months (DecemberFebruary).

P u b e s c e n c e th ic k n e s s

0 .0 5
M

T im e o f th e y e a r / m o n th

0 .0 0

m a x im u m g ro w th p e rio d
n e w le a v e s e m e rg e

[Source: Ecology by William K. Smith and Park S. Nobel. Copyright 1977 by Ecological Society of America. Reproduced with
permission of Ecological Society of America in the format of CD-Rom via Copyright Clearance Center.]

(f)

State the month with the highest water use efficiency.

....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(g)

Outline the changes in leaf pubescence of E. farinosa during the year.

....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(2)

(h)

Analyse the change in the level of water use efficiency between July and December for E.
farinosa.
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....................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 11 marks)

4.

Sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) is an important widespread agricultural crop. Scientists

studied the transport and distribution of sodium in sweet pepper by growing plants in sodium
chloride solutions.
The graph below shows the sodium ion concentration in plant parts of sweet pepper grown in 15
mM sodium chloride for three weeks.
30
28
26
24
22
20
18
S o d iu m io n c o n c e n tra tio n /
m M k g 1

16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
R oot

L eaves

F ru it

S te m

P la n t P a rt
[Source: M Blom-Zandstra et. al., Sodium fluxes in sweet pepper exposed to varying sodium concentrations,
Journal of Experimental Botany (1 November 1998), vol. 49, issue 328, pp. 18631868,
by permission of Oxford University Press]

(a)

(i)

State the concentration of sodium ions in fruits.

...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(ii)

Calculate the percentage increase in sodium ion concentration between root and
stem.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(b)

Suggest why a high sodium ion concentration in the cells of the stem is important in
providing support to this type of plant.
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(c)

State one possible use of sodium in plants.

....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(d)

Scientists also found that the concentrations of sodium ion in cells of the stem and in
xylem sap were the same. Explain why this led the scientists to believe there was no
active transport between xylem and stem.
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(2)

(e)

Suggest one possible method of transport of sodium ions between xylem and stem.
....................................................................................................................................
(1)

10

The graph below shows the sodium ion concentration of the xylem sap in relation to the distance
from the base. Two experiments were performed.
Experiment 1: plants grown in 15 mM sodium chloride solution only
Experiment 2: plants grown in 15 mM sodium chloride solution and then transferred to a
sodium-free solution for an extra week
K ey:

S o d iu m io n c o n c e n tra tio n /
m M

18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

40

60

80

e x p e rim e n t 1

100

e x p e rim e n t 2

120

140

D is ta n c e fro m b a s e / a rb itra ry u n its

[Source: M Blom-Zandstra et. al., Sodium fluxes in sweet pepper exposed to varying sodium concentrations,
Journal of Experimental Botany (1 November 1998), vol. 49, issue 328, pp. 18631868,
by permission of Oxford University Press]

(f)

State the relationship between sodium ion concentration and distance from the base of the
stem in experiment 1.
....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(g)

(i)

State the sodium concentration when the stem is 50 arbitrary units from the base in
plants for each of the following.
Experiment 1: .................................................................................................
Experiment 2: .................................................................................................
(1)

11

(ii)
Explain the difference in the sodium ion concentration in this part of the stem in plants
of experiment 1 and experiment 2.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)

(h)

Compare the distribution of sodium ions in the stems of plants in both experiments.
....................................................................................................................................
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....................................................................................................................................
(3)

Water transported in xylem is transpired through stomata in leaves. The electron micrograph
shows one stoma of the lower epidermis of the leaf of a Simon bamboo (Arundinaria simonii).
Its magnification is 3000.

[Source: Courtesy of Professor Zulma E Rgolo, Instituto Darwinion, Buenos Aires, Argentina]

(i)

(i)

Draw a line showing the maximum length of the stomatal pore.

(1)

12

(ii)

Calculate the real size of the stomatal pore. Show your working.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(j)

Explain two abiotic factors that affect transpiration rate in this leaf.
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 18 marks)

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