Honors The Nature of Islands

Group Members: Anna Daley, Leah Johnson, Chris Rigby, and Justin Moss

Dennis Geist, Instructor

Process to be tested: Does extinction of some species affect the population and survival of other species?

In recent times the word "extinction" has come to hold excessively negative connotations. What is not often realized is that extinction is an important part of the life process. Extinctions free up resources and space, thus contributing to the development of new species. This condition will be reflected in our experiment. We believe that the removal of one or more types of plant species will cause the populations of the remaining species to grow, for they will have more room for their root system. We believe there will be less competition for all resources, thus enabling populations to expand.

Four pots will be filled with potting soil. Wildflowers, garlic, and chives will be planted in all four pots. To ensure a measurable effect, 50 percent of the seed mixture will be garlic-chives. They will be taken to Anna’s house, where they will sit in a window with suitable sunlight and be watered once every other day. After six weeks, one or more species will be removed and the reaction will be observed and documented.

Pot 1: Control group; wildflowers + garlic + chives

Pot 2: Experimental group; same as 1 but with both garlic & chives removed

Pot 3: Experimental group; same as 1 but with just garlic removed

Pot 4: Experimental group; same as 1 but with just chives removed

Measurements will be taken in 7-day intervals from the date of planting. Qualities measured will include height of plant, number of "branches", average number of leaves, blossoms, and buds for new growth on each plant. After the six-week date has passed and outside plants have been removed, special attention will be paid to the amount of new growth.