OBJECTIVE 4: EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION - Group work

This investigation needs to be planned and set up as your first activity, in order for
there to be sufficient time to collect results.

AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECT OF A WATER

POLLUTANT INTO THE GROWTH OF DUCKWEED PLANTS.

Duckweed, Lemna sp., is an astonishing little flowering

plant, which grows over the surface of still water.
Some of the 14 different species produce the tiniest
flowers known in the plant kingdom. It has a global
distribution and is generally common. Surprisingly it is
an evolutionary relative of the giant water lily.

Duckweed can reproduce sexually with flowers, pollen,

fruit and seeds but its most likely form of reproduction
is asexual budding. The tiny leaves of duckweed, with
their roots underneath, float on the water surface and are known as fronds. They can bud into new
fronds every 36 hours or so, if conditions are good.

The rate of asexual budding of duckweed is a good indicator of water conditions. Although they
are very efficient absorbers of dissolved salts such as nitrates and phosphates, and other water
pollutants, budding may be slowed down or stopped in high concentrations of pollution or in the
presence of certain chemicals.

ASSIGNMENT

Your task (as a group) is to plan, carry out, record and analyse the results of an investigation into
how one specific water pollutant affects the rate of asexual reproduction (budding) of duckweed.
In other words, find out whether duckweed is a good indicator species for water pollution.

The investigation must be simple. Use:

 about 10-15 fronds of duckweed
 just one polluted environment which is compared to clean water conditions, though you
may like to test different concentrations of pollution
 simple plastic cups or beakers
 a count of the number of fronds in the available number of days

PREPARATION & PLANNING

Each member of the group must complete (written by hand, not photocopied):
1. Preparatory, scientific process, ideas format
2. Planning format

RESULTS, TREATMENT OF RESULTS, ANALYSIS & CONCLUSION

The results table and analysis (including a graph) should be presented in poster form.

The required outcomes of this experimental investigation are:

1. A completed, preparatory (scientific process) format in your files. This may NOT be
photocopied.
2. A completed planning format in your file. This may NOT be a photocopy.
3. The group's results table and analysis of results, including a graph, presented as a poster.
4. Photo images or drawings of the poster, as evidence in your files.