October 3, 2016
INTRODUCTION
When Ernst Haeckel way back in 1869 coined the term, Ecology, He defined it as
a scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment. Krebs (1972)
later emphasize that the ecological study of interaction determines the abundance and
distribution of species. Ecology follows a holistic approach to biology but also is divided
into certain levels of organizations, at population it concerns itself with the rarity or
abundance as well as the presence or absence of a particular species in a certain area and
other factors which might affect trends within their numbers (Begon, Townsend &
Harper, 2016).
falls within the same species at a given time and area and as such have a high probability
for interaction. Populations can be categorized or analyzed through its structure which
other; density, the number of individuals per unit area; and growth rate.
Population growth deals with the change of the number of individuals in a
population which is primarily governed by birth and death rates. For an individual,
natality and mortality are considered as discrete events but are considered as collective
properties at the population level. These govern the dynamics on whether or not the
with ideal conditions. In nature however, exponential growth does not happen very long.
It stops when it reaches its environments carrying capacity (K), defined as the number of
individuals that it can support, the population then levels off as it approaches K this type
of growth is known as logistic growth. These types of growth can be measured through
immigration and emigration. When individuals move from another location into a
Emigration on the other hand, would be the movement of individuals out of a population
which occurs when species wish to establish new territories or is brought on by food
growth. Competition can either be intraspecific, occurring within a group of the same
Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Banos, aimed to analyze and
observe population growth and competition through the use of Lemna sp and Spirodela
2. to compare the growth of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. in different types of media;
and
species.
This study on population growth and competition is limited only to modular organisms.
In a similar study conducted three years ago by Angel Aguila, a student in UPLB
reported an exponential increase of both populations in pure cultures with the tap and soil
medium yielding greater increase than that of the media in which there is only tap water,
this was attributed to the added nutrients of the introduced soil. It was reported that all
populations from the pure culture indicated a steady rise in population which latter fell
upon reaching a flat line, the carrying capacity after all resources were depleted. Growth
in mixed cultures for both media only showed a slight increase for both species because
Another paper published online with the same parameters done by another UPLB
student, Ovric Estioko, in June 2013 produced more specific results in which he
compared the growth and carrying capacity of both species in different media. Both
species exhibited an S curved exponential growth before flat lining attributed to the
mediums carrying capacity. It was noted that Spirodela growth was more favorable in tap
water than that of Lemna, results for the tap water and soil media yielded an opposite
outcome. Estioko stated that theoretically these data on which species thrive on what
media best should have been opposite due to each plants characteristic with Lemna being
eutrophic should have a higher growth rate in tap water, he attributed this errors with
population. Several studies have been made to determine the correlation between an
abundance of nutrients in the environment and the increase of growth and population.
driving force in mortality and fertility rates, observed during famine wherein birthrates
drop due to the conservation of energy for survival. Good nutrition also reduces the risk
by Mangla et.al (2011) through the use of a diallel competition experiment involving two
invasive species (Bromus tectorum and Taeniatherum caput-medusae) and two native
species (Pseudoroegneria spicata and Poasecunda). Results show that for native species,
intraspecific competition was intense and that fast growing invasive species became more
METHODOLOGY
Three replicate jars for treatments A and B were prepared. Treatment A and B
both contain 50mL of tap water, accurately measured through use of graduated cylinder
but B has an added 5g of soil, which was measured using a triple beam balance. Eight
fronds of Lemna were introduced to one set of treatments A and B. Another eight fronds
this time from Spirodela were introduced to another set of both treatments. These
represented pure cultures of Lemna and Spirodela wherein eight is the initial population
represented by N0.
introduced to four fronds each of Lemna and Spirodela. This represented the mixture
culture of Lemna and Spirodela, the initial population being eight as well. The jars were
covered with transparent plastic with few punched holes for the purpose of aeration. The
cultures were then placed and left inside a designated observation area after making sure
The total number of fronds of Lemna and Spirodela were counted every other day
until frond count was observed to have leveled off. Buds that are almost half the size of
old buds were counted as separate individuals. Fronds that turned yellow were not
counted since they have already dried up. Observations were recorded in Table 2D.1.
After each observation, it was made sure that no fronds were adhering to the sides of the
Graphs of pure and mixed culture of Lemna and Spirodela grown in the different
treatments were separated and plotted for each treatment. Frond count vs. time was
plotted on the first graph for the Lemna grown as pure and mixed cultures. Data for
Spirodela growth on the other hand was plotted on the second graph.
The instantaneous rate of growth (r) at each observation interval in all cultures
Nt = population in time t
Growth curves are generally subdivided into phases, this applies to most
The first phase is known as the lag phase, characterized by the preparation of an
organisms for growth through tissue differentiation, cell division and changes in its
biochemistry usually occurring in the setup immediately after transfer of the plants to the
nutrient abundant media. Following this phase is the exponential growth phase observed
through the rapid division and production of new fronds and was also observed
quantitatively through the use of the intrinsic rate of increase (r). When r is greater than
zero than the population is said to be increasing, when it is equal to zero than both birth
rates and death rates are constant this describes the equilibrium phase. Lastly, is the
transitional phase wherein at this point, nutrients become limiting for growth and r is less
than zero.
Table 2D. 1. Population growth of pure culture and mixed culture of Lemna sp. and
Spirodela sp.
Population Size
Observatio Date of Age of Lemna Pure Spirodela Mixed Culture
n Number Observatio Cultur Cultures Pure Cultures
n e A B A B A B
(2016) (days)
L S L S
1 Aug 8 0 8 8 8 8 4 4 4 4
2 Aug 10 2 16 10 8 10 8 4 7 4
3 Aug 12 4 23 15 8 10 11 5 8 4
4 Aug 16 8 48 25 15 17 19 12 12 6
5 Aug 17 9 48 23 15 17 18 12 13 6
6 Aug 19 11 70 28 17 19 30 13 20 10
7 Aug 22 14 90 62 23 27 30 13 30 10
8 Aug 24 16 92 74 23 28 30 13 31 10
9 Aug 26 18 94 74 23 28 30 13 31 10
10 Aug 31 23 73 97 23 43 20 13 27 15
11 Sept 2 25 71 97 23 44 20 13 27 15
12 Sept 5 28 70 105 21 49 20 13 32 14
Table 2D.2. Computed instantaneous rates of growth (r) of pure and mixed cultures of Lemna sp.
and Spirodela sp.
Observation Age Computed Instantaneous Rate of Growth (r) between observation dates
range
Lemna Pure Spirodela Pure Mixed Cultures
Interval of
Cultures Cultures
Culture
at the A B A B A B
given
interval L S L S
5-6 9-11 0.3773 0.1967 0.1242 0.112 0.5108 0.0800 0.4308 0.5708
As seen in Table 2D.1, Figure 2D.2 and Figure 2D.3 the population of Lemna
pure culture in tap water and soil showed greater increase in growth rate than that of the
growth of Lemna in the media containing tap water only. Lemna in both treatments A and
B showed an S-shaped curve at the beginning which represents the lag phase of the
growth curve followed by a J-shaped curve indicating exponential phase which was also
quantitatively determined through the r values tabulated in Table 2D.2. Growth in both
media slowed down towards the end of the observation period due to the depletion of
resources and reaching the environments carrying capacity (K), in which K is higher for
treatment A and for B well it is debatable since observation was stopped before
determining whether or not the population will increase or decrease at the supposed K
value. Lemna pure culture also exhibited a higher growth rate and K in both media than
that of the Spirodela pure culture indicating that it is the better intraspecific competitor
along with the fact that their numbers were still significantly higher than Spirodela after
nutrient depletion.
Results for Spirodela pure cultures in both media was tabulated in Table 2D.1 as
well and graphed in Figure 2D.2 for treatment A and Figure 2D.4 for treatment B. Data
for treatment A exhibited exponential phase supported by the values in Table 2D.2. It
approached a flat line at N=23 before dropping off making it the carrying capacity for the
said treatment. Treatment B, much like the results for Lemna in treatment B shared the
same conundrum on the supposed value of K since observation was stopped before
determining whether or not the population by this point would increase, decrease, or
Data for mixed cultures was also tabulated in Table 2D.1 and graphed in all
figures for comparison to the growth of pure cultures. Higher growth rate of Lemna in the
mixed culture in treatment A show that it is the better competitor over Spirodela but is
significantly lower than that of the pure culture, attributed to the interspecific
competition. Same goes for treatment B with Lemna being more favored. The value of K
Treatment B for both pure cultures and mixed cultures yielded higher
population growth and competition. Eight fronds of each species were placed in two
treatments, A (tap water) and B (tap water and soil). This represented the pure culture.
Four fronds for each species were mixed and introduced to the remaining treatments A
A general trend occurred in both aquatic plants in all treatments in which their
Lemna pure culture showed a higher population and growth rate in treatment B
than that of A. This is also true for Spirodela. Lemna pure cultures growth rate however
On the other hand, the results for the mixed cultures for both treatments indicated
also that Lemnas growth rate is more favored than that of Spirodela.
All throughout the experiment treatment B showed a higher carrying capacity and
favored more growth due to the added nutrients from the soil. This shows the correlation
Therefore, it can be concluded that additional nutrients or nutrition for that matter
play a vital role for population growth while on the subject of competition it has been
shown that Lemna is the better competitor for both intraspecific and interspecific
LITERATURE CITED
Aguila, A. (2013). Population Growth and Competition in Lemna sp. And Spirodela sp.
Retrieved October 1, 2016 from
http://www.academia.edu/5727445/Bio150scipaper2
Begon M., Townsend, C.R. & Harper, J.L. (2006). Ecology: From individuals to
ecosystems (4th ed). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Cuevas, V.C., Cervancia, C.R., Zafaralla, M.T., Lit, I.L., Jr., Barrion-Dupo, A.L.A. &
Lambio, I.A.F. (2012). Exploring Ecology (no ed.). University of the Philippines
Los Baos: Environmental Biology Division, IBS.
Estioko, O. (2003) Population Growth and Competition in Lemna sp. And Spirodela sp.
Retrieved October 1, 2016 from
http://www.academia.edu/4085023/Population_Growth_and_Competition_in_Le
mna_sp._and_Spirodela_sp?auto=download
Mangla, S., Sheley, R.L., James, J.J., & Radosevich, S.R. (2011). Intra and interspecific
competition among invasive and native species during early stages of plant
growth. Plant Ecology. Springer Science + Business Media B.V.
Smith, R.L. and Smith, T.M. 2006. Element of Ecology. 6th ed. New York, USA:
Benjamin Cummings.