Lab # 2: How does your biome grow?
Problem: What impact do abiotic factors have on biomes?
Hypothesis: Use what you know about ecosystems and ecology to write a hypothesis
indicating the effect of an abiotic factor of your choice on the germination of plants in a
model biome. If I add ________ then my seed will.
Materials
 Bottle
 Soil
 Abiotic Materials
 2 Straws
 Daisy Seed
 Water
Procedures:
1. Obtain two-liter bottle.
2. Collect abiotic materials
3. Add about 2 inches of soil to bottle
4. Add Abiotic materials to bottle
5. Use straws to make a “shoot” for seed
6. Use shoot to add seed to biome at least 1 inch into soil
7. Add Water in a decent amount
8. Seal and leave set for 20 days.
Data & Observations:
Day one-Seed is planted, watered, and nothing has yet occurred.
Day 10- Nothing has happened.
Day 20- Mold has grown on the flowers and leaves, and I’m too afraid to open biome for
fear of smell.
Analyze & Conclude:
1. On which abiotic factor did you focus? Why?
I used some flowers, grass, and twigs as abiotic factors contributing to my biome.
2. Did this abiotic factor seem to have a significant impact on the dependent variable
in your simulated ecosystem? Explain.
I do not think that my abiotic factors affected my biome much, they became
moldy, and could have possibly restricted my flower from growing.
3. Describe the control in your experiment. What was held constant in the control?
Why was it set up that way?
Everyone’s biome had dirt, and was created using a large bottle. Variants include
the amount of water, and how well the container was sealed.
4. How does your experiment relate to biomes and abiotic factors in nature?
My experiment is a poor excuse for representation of biomes and how abiotic
factors in nature communicate.
5. What are some possible sources of error in your experiment?
There are many places I could have made error in my experiment. First, my
abiotic factors may have inhibited my daisy from growing. Second, I might have
either used too much, or not enough water. There is also a possibility that my lid
was unscrewed during its time left alone, as many other students’ were.
6. Exchange your procedure and data with another group in your class. What do
their data show about the biome they chose to simulate? What conclusions can
you draw about the abiotic factors in a biome?
No one’s biomes produced a flower. Because Stefani did not have any flowers,
just grass, she does not have any mold. I think that the mold on mine also could
have grown from the water on it when water was being added.
7. What are the limitations of the design of this experiment? Are there additional
factors at work?
The limitations of the design of this experiment include size of container, time
allowed for seed to germinate, and amount of outside influences on biome.
Write and Discuss
Write a short paragraph describing your findings and indicating whether or not they
support your hypothesis. Discuss any questions your results have raised.
My initial predictions for my biome were all in all, wrong. I predicted that with enough
water, my seed would germinate, especially with abiotic factors contributing nutrients to
the soil. This prediction was inaccurate.
1. Describe the rainfall pattern and abiotic factors that make up the biome you live
in. How do these factors impact the plants, animals, and agriculture in your area?
The rainfall pattern and abiotic factors that make up the biome I live in impact the
plants, animals, and agriculture in my area in several ways. If there isn’t any rain,
the plants will not grow. If there’s too much rain, crops may drown. Abiotic
factors, such as animal waste, contribute to the nutrients in the soil.
2. If you were to maintain your biomes in the classroom or at home, what abiotic
factors would you change from your original model? Make a prediction about
what you would observe under the new conditions.
If I were to maintain my biome in the classroom or at home, I would have to
remove the molded matter, and old abiotic factors. I definitely have too much
stuff in my experiment I will continue to try to get my seed to germinate by
adding more water.