Broméla project part II

Measurements of my plant Bromélia:

Size:

• Height of total Plant: 1.12 m
• Length of Leaf: 28 cm
• Height of Flower: 14 cm
• Width of plant Stem (not DBH because plant was small): 1 cm
• Length of 1 Petal: 4 cm
• Canopy: 46 cm

Light penetration of leaf using apparatus placed in the sun:

• Light penetration without leaf: 61,000 lux 
• Light penetration with leaf 1: 2250 lux 
• Percent difference of leaf 1: (61000-2250)/61000 = 0.9631 * 100 = 96.31 %
• Light penetration without leaf: 61,000
• Light penetration with leaf 2: 2160 lux 
• Percent difference of leaf 2: (61000-2160)/61000 = .9645 * 100 = 96.45 %
• Average penetration of both leaves: 2205 lux 
• Average penetration without leaf: 61,000 lux
• Average percent difference of both leaves: (61000-2205)/61000 = .9638 * 100 = 96.38 %

pH level of Soil:
pH is a measure of the acidity of basicity of an aqueous solution based on the hydrogen or hydroxide ions. The solution is measured on a scale from 0 to 14, where 0 is very acidic and 14 is very basic and where 7 is neutral (pure water).  

Global variation in soil pH. Red = acidic soil.
 Yellow = neutral soil. Blue = alkaline soil.
Black = no data.

• Weight of empty beaker: 30.09 g
• Weight of beaker with soil: 50.09 g
• Amount of liquid: 40 ml
• pH of soil taken from near the stem: 5.31 pH (strongly acidic). 
• Using the chart provided on the right, I can predict that the soil in my plant has measures of Nitrogen, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium, Boron, Iron and Manganese  and fungi. This shows that my plant has a variety of nutrients present in the the soil and that my plant will remain healthy in the present and future. 

• Based on the map (provided on the right), one could predict that the pH soil in Brazil is acidic. 

Soil temperature: 
A device that is used to measure the temperature of soil. The device includes a thermometer, that is to be stuck in the soil which is connected to a reading device that would tell the temperature of the surrounding/ atmosphere. 

• Location 1 (below the plant, near stem): 21.9 ^oC  
• Location 2 (end of one canopy): 21.5 ^oC  
• Location 3 (other end of canopy): 22.3 ^oC  
• Average of temperature of all three locations: 21.9 ^oC  

Bromélia is mostly grown in the Mata Atlantica and Cerrado, which means these places are its natural habitat. The family Broméliaceae is a type of vascular plant and there are various habitats for the different genres of the family. My plant gets sufficient water and sunlight. The gardeners take care of every plant and make sure that the plant receives enough water to survive. When I visit my plant, the soil is usually wet, which tells me that the plant has been watered. 

Bromélias can resist pathogenic organisms however they are very sensitive to fungicides and insecticides and soak these products easily. There is a tank where the water and nutrients are stored for a certain period of time which makes sure that the plant does not die with the lack of water in a dry climate such as Brasilia, this  makes a higher chance of my plant to survive and reproduce successfully. 

Mutualistic relations between plants and fungi are very common. The fungus helps the host plant to absorb inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil. Another mutualistic relation is that ants carry seeds away from their mother plant because they are most likely to survive and sprout if they are farther from their mother plant and sometimes also protect the plant from other insects/animals to eat its leaves while the plant provides shelter to the ants with its flower.