In an experiment, a student exposed seedlings of a plant species to two different light conditions:
i. Full sun
ii. Shade (50% of full sun)
Assume that all the remaining conditions are same for both the groups. Plants from both the groups were collected at the ends of 6 weeks and various parameters were measured. The mean value for each parameter is given in the table.
A student made the following hypotheses (statements about the possible effect of different conditions on plants). You have to say whether these hypotheses are supported by the data given in the table or not.
Hypothesis I:
Plants grown in sun will show more shoot growth than root growth as compared to plants grown in shade.
(A) Which of the following ratios can help to test hypothesis I?
a. Leaf weight/ root weight
b. Leaf area / leaf weight
c. (Leaf weight + stem weight) / root weight
d. Stem weight / Root weight
Put a cross (X) in the appropriate box.
(B) Calculate the value of the ratios for sun and shade plants based on the option selected by you in (A).
(i) Value of the ratio obtained for plants in the sun: ____
(II) Value of the ratio obtained for plants in shade condition ___
(C) Put a cross (X) against the correct statement.
(i) The values obtained in (B) support Hypothesis I: ___
(ii) The values obtained in (B) do not support Hypothesis I : ___
Hypothesis 2:
Leaves produced by plants in shade condition will be thicker than those produced in sunny conditions.
(D) Which of the following ratios can help to test hypothesis 2?
a. Leaf weight / leaf area
b. Leaf area / shoot weight
c. Leaf weight / total plant weight
d. Shoot weight / total plant weight
Put a cross (X) in the appropriate box.
(E) In another experiment the growth of plants was studied under two conditions as given below, (under sufficient light in both):
(I) Condition X: water is supplied in sufficient quantity required for normal growth.
(II) Condition Y: 50% of the required quantity of water is supplied.
What would be the expected results?
(A) Increase in leaf weight to stem weight ratio in Y as compared to X
(B) Decrease in leaf thickness in Y as compared to X
(C) Decreases in shoot weight to root weight ratio in Y as compared to X
(D) Increase in leaf weight to stem weight ratio in X as compared to Y
