The Influence of Roadside Conditions on the Shoot Growth of Wisconsin Fast Plants (Brassica rapa)
Title
The Influence of Roadside Conditions on the Shoot Growth of Wisconsin Fast Plants (Brassica rapa)
Description
Urban runoff from snowmelt and rain events is caused by impermeable surfaces such as roads and parking lots, and has the ability to carry an array of pollutants into roadside environments. Contaminants in runoff such as salt from road deicing efforts, motor oil from leaking cars, or excess water can affect surrounding soils and bodies of water, and therefore vegetation. To see how different roadside conditions and seed varieties affect the aboveground growth of Wisconsin Fast Plants (Brassica rapa), three seed varieties were grown under conditions in which they were watered weekly with varying concentrations of saline (230 mg/L NaCl, 4 g/L NaCl, or 35g/2L NaCl), grown in motor oil polluted soil (5% oil w/w or 10% oil w/w), or were grown in compacted soils (1.5cm or 3.0 cm compaction). Seed variety had a significant effect on aboveground growth (p < 0.05). Increased salinity and oil pollution in soil caused significant declines in aboveground growth (p < 0.05), while soil compaction prior to planting caused a marginally significant decline in plant growth (p = 0.0547). These results indicate that urban runoff should be monitored to ensure that roadside plants continue to grow successfully and aid in flood control and soil erosion.
Creator
Tezbir, Kayley
Publisher
Rider University
Date
Contributor
Sendall, Kerrie
Relation
Baccalaureate Honors Program
Format
Adobe Acrobat PDF
Language
English
Type
Capstone
Collection
Citation
Tezbir, Kayley, “The Influence of Roadside Conditions on the Shoot Growth of Wisconsin Fast Plants (Brassica rapa),” Rider Student Research, accessed March 28, 2024, https://riderstudents.omeka.net/items/show/52.