Renee; UR: Getting back into the swing...

I hope everyone had a fantastic Spring Break and is ready to jump back into the swing of things and do some science! To help everyone recall where I was before the holiday and to help our OCE1001 friends to get into the groove here is a highlight real of my IRP thus far:

A particularly large and healthy hooded pitcher plant at
Longleaf Pine Preserve.

Hello, I am Renee and I love carnivorous plants which lead me to wonder why my buddy Sarracenia minor better known as the hooded pitcher plant grows sporadically despite the wide availability of what appears to be good growing conditions in Longleaf Pine Preserve, Deland.
It occurred to me that while the conditions of the plant-less soil between hooded pitcher plant specimens may appear to be the same as that which the plants are actually found in there are lots of things I can't see with my human eyes that could prevent seedlings from taking root.

Remember: Maps can be helpful when gathering information
on a subject's habitat and when planning how/where
to take samples.

Minerals in the soil for instance I cannot see and are what I chose to base my research on as they have a significant effect on plant growth. As shown in the map to the left the hooded pitcher plant prefers the ecotone (an ecotone is the transitional area between two major ecosystems) between the dryer pine flatwoods and wetter scrub-shrub wetland.
*  I went more in depth about my field site in this previous post! :)

My Working Title:
Sarracenia minor: Effects of Soil Nutrient Content on Growth Habits

Official Scientific Question:
How does nutrient content vary between soil found in the root zone of Sarracenia minor to soil of similar type at a contrasting distance of 3ft.(0.91m) from Sarracenia minor?  

Kids in the car can
be a surprising
advantage.

My Materials include:

• Ten(10) quart sized plastic bags with a zipper seal
• A festive, if unorthodox, plastic cup which holds approximately two cups(480mL) of soil (originally I had planned to use a metal trowel; however, Dr. Woodall pointed out that since I'm testing for metals that may not be the best idea)
• Dr. Emmett's tape measure
• The IFAS Extension of the University of Florida will be conduction the soil tests looking for, K, Mg, Zn, Mn, Cu, NO₂-N, NO₃-N, pH and Loss-on-Ignition. (This test involves weighing a portion of the sample then strongly heating or igniting this portion until all organic components are burned away. What is left is weighed again giving us both the amount of material that is inorganic and the amount that was organic.)

My Procedure in a nutshell:

1. Use tape measure to measure 3 feet (0.91m) and place a flag. Also place  a flag at 6 inches (152.4mm).
2. Use hand to scoop dirt into plastic cup until contents reaches brim.
3. Empty cup into quart sized bag, remove as much air as possible, seal bag and place bag in backpack. Keep in shade as much as possible.
4. Store samples in refrigerator..
5. Prepare samples for shipping to IFAS Extension.

For more fun times and in depth information check out my previous blogs including:
More about nutrients! (plus a fun cat meme)
Cool pitcher plant facts! (plus a few cool pitcher plant cousins)
A bit about my love for pitcher plants. (Starting with a fun fact about myself)