Brenda Kim

Joy Peters
Nessia Dambal
Vishaal Gaddipati
Brassica rapa ​Net Primary Productivity

PURPOSE: The purpose of the experiment is to track the energy input that is
stored - system’s net primary productivity (NPP) through an ecosystem.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the net primary productivity of ​Brassica

rapas ​after a 2 week growing period?

HYPOTHESIS: At the end of each week we hypothesize that the plants will
have a biomass increase of 0.7 grams and therefore, a net primary productivity
of 3.05kcal/g per 7 days, or about 0.436kcal/g per day.

ENERGY FLOW INTO AND OUT A PLANT

----->biomass
Light energy -------> energy/biomass in plant ----->respiration
----->waste/heat
MATERIALS:
● 35-40 ​Brassica rapas ​seeds
● 3 Quads
● Potting mix
● 12 Diamond wicks
● Water mat
● Fertilizer pellets
● Plant labels
● Pipet
● Centimeter rulers
● Dried honeybees
● Tweezers
● Anti-Algae Squares (tinged blue)
● Water Reservoir
● Wooden Stakes
● Plastic Support Rings
● Light source
PROCEDURE:
1. On Thursday 1/18/18, the seeds of ​Brassica rapas ​were planted into all three of the quads. A wick was dropped into each
cell so that the tip of the wick extended about 2 cm out of the bottom hole. Moistened soil was then placed in each cell
about halfway to the top. Approximately 2-3 fertilizer pellets were put above the soil in each cell and covered with more
moistened soil until the top of each cell. Shallow depressions were made in the soil on top of each cell in order to place
2-3 seed inside, which were then covered in potting mix. Over the next four to five weeks the plants were checked on and
watered gently with a pipet.
2. Before placing the quads under the lighting system, they were labelled with the group number, names of members, and
the date.
3. Starting on 1/18/18 and continuing through 2/28/18, the plants were measured on a weekly basis, watered as often as
possible for calculations, and captured in pictures for observations.
4. The plant’s growth in cm was recorded on paper and then placed into a Google Doc as a table. The measurements began
on Day 5, 1/22/18.
5. On Day 5 the plants were also thinned, meaning that all but one plant was left per cell. A total of 19 plants were extracted,
measured, and disposed.
6. On Day 8, 1/25/18, 3 plants were harvested to measure wet and dry mass. Each group put in a total of 3 plants that were
then measured for their wet mass and dry mass from both periods.
7. Exactly one week later on 2/1/18, a second harvest was done in which another 3 plants were extracted per group to
measure wet and dry mass. A total of 31 plants were harvested from week 1 and 2. The measurements of wet and dry mass
were placed into the document and further observed.
8. To further develop the experiment, dried honey bees were used to pollinate the plants and their pea pods. The growth of
the pea pods would result in seed that could be planted to grow another generation of plants.
9. To calculate the Net Primary Productivity, the grams of biomass/day were converted to NPP (kcal)/day.
DATA:

Day 5 1.2 cm 0.6 cm 0.9 cm 0.8 cm 1 cm 0.5 cm 2.1 cm 0.6 cm 1.5 cm 0.5 cm 0.5 cm
1/22

Day 6 1 cm 1.8 cm 1.5 cm 1.2 cm 2 cm 3.3 cm 2.6 cm 2.4 cm 0.9 cm 1.4 cm 1.2 cm
1/23
Day 8 4 cm 2.4 cm 1.7 cm 3 cm 2.7 cm 2.8 cm 5.3 cm 3.5 cm 1.7 cm 2.5 cm 2.7 cm
1/25
Day 9 3.5 cm 1.7 cm 5.3 cm 2.8 cm 2.2 cm 3 cm 3 cm 2.9 cm X X X
1/26
Day 12 6 cm 2.2 cm 6 cm 3.1 cm 3 cm 4.8 cm 3 cm X X X X
1/29
Day 13 6.5 cm 4 cm 3 cm 7.5 cm 2.5 cm 4.3 cm 2.5 cm X X X X
1/30
Day 15 7.5 cm 2.5 cm 9 cm 4.5 cm 2.7 cm 5.1 cm 4 cm X X X X
2/1
Period 7 Age of Wet mass / Dry mass / Energy (g biomass NPP per day NPP per 7 NPP per day
Date 1/25/18 plants 15 plants 15 plants x 4.35 kcal per 15 per 15 plants days per per plant
Sample 15 plants plants ) plant

7 days 0.76g 0.05g 0.218kcal/15plants 0.03107kcal/da 0.0145kcal/7 0.00207kcal/d

y/15 plants days ay

Period 2 Age of Wet mass / Dry mass / Energy (g biomass NPP per day NPP per 7 NPP per day
Date 1/25/18 plants 16 plants 16 plants x 4.35 kcal per 16 per 16 plants days per per plant
Sample 16 plants plants ) plant

7 days 1.72 0.08g 0.348kcal/16plants 0.0497kcal/day 0.02175kcal/ 0.00311kcal/da

/16 plants 7 days y

Period 7 Age of Wet mass / Dry mass / Energy (g biomass NPP per day NPP per 14 NPP per day
Date 2/1/18 plants 15 plants 15 plants x 4.35 kcal per 15 per 15 plants days per per plant
Sample 15 plants plants ) plant

14 days 2.39g 0.25g 1.088kcal/15plants 0.0777kcal/day 0.0725kcal/7 0.00518kcal/

/15 plants days day

Period 2 Age of Wet mass / Dry mass / Energy (g biomass NPP per day NPP per 14 NPP per day
Date 2/1/18 plants 16 plants 16 plants x 4.35 kcal per 16 per 16 plants days per per plant
Sample 16 plants plants ) plant

14 days 2.63g 0.31g 1.349kcal/16plants 0.0963kcal/day 0.0843kcal/1 0.00602kcal/

/16 plants 4 days day
We recorded the results of our two harvests from both periods. From the date, we determined the age of the
plants and used that to determine the net primary productivity per day. The net primary productivity per day
per plant is the final result of our data.

CLASS DATA
Time (days) Period 7 Period 2 Average data

7 0.00207 kcal/day 0.00311 kcal/day 0.00259 kcal/day

14 0.00518 kcal/day 0.00602 kcal/day 0.0112 kcal/day

The table shows the net primary productivity for both periods on
both days. The average data was calculated by adding the NPP for a
either day 7 or 14 and dividing it by two. It was then converted to a
graph to show just the average data, the x axis being the number of
days, and the y axis being the net primary productivity. This graph
illustrates that the NPP grew about 0.00123 kcal/g each day from
day 7 to day 14.
Thinning: 1/22/17 (took 19 plants out)

1st Harvest: 1/25/18