Comparison of percent germination, size, and CO2 production in arugula plants affected and unaffected by fire, as well as with and without mycorrhizae assisted growth Michael French Alex Visconti and Michelle Mendez Department of Biological Science Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA 92692 Introduction Around the world, and especially increase their availability, since in southern California, forest fires are a mycorrhizae facilitate the absorption of near constant concern for any species nitrogen and phosphate ions, and the growing in the wild. The rate of burnt soil has a tendency to not be able secondary succession for a plant species to retain as much water as its unburnt is an important factor for the species’ counterpart (Alghren 1974) (Ortas overall survival chances in areas with a 2003). There has not been much research high fire risk because if the plants are done on the effect mycorrhizae may unable to grow back effectively, they have on the growth of plants in fire- will be swiftly replaced by a species that damaged soil compared to plant growth can. One of the most prevalent methods in regular soil. This experiment is meant of gaining a proverbial leg up in terms of to find out whether mycorrhizal growth rate, is the formation of relationships in burnt soil will facilitate mutualistic relationships with the growth of arugula plants more mycorrhizae, a type of fungus that effectively compared with burnt soil ineracts with plant roots, present in the without mycorrhizae. This experiment surrounding soil (Callaway 1995). These will also determine if there is a relationships between plants and significant difference in the effect mycorrhizal fungi form commonly in mycorrhizae has on plants grown in plant roots as a way of more effectively regular soil compared to those grown in providing both with a greater amount of burnt soil. It is expected that there will nutrients. The mycorrhizae are supplied be a significant difference in the growth with a constant supply of carbohydrates of plants with mycorrhizae in burnt soil to be ingested, while the plant roots use compared to those without mycorrhizae. the comparatively greater surface area of the fungi’s mycelia to increase their Materials and Methods water and mineral absorption from the A pack of wild arugula seeds soil (Harrison 2005). (Eruca sativa) weighing one gram and Fire has been shown to increase containing about 150 seeds was the amount of certain raw nutrient purchased at Green Thumb Nursery in factors present in soil such as nitrogen Lake Forest, California. Also purchased and phosphorous (Ahlgren 1974). If the were a bag of Miracle Gro potting mix soil was sterilized by a fire and the (28.3l) and a pack of Mykos arbuscular microorganisms living within it were mycorrhizae. The experiment consisted eliminated, simply having a greater of four different groups: unburned soil amount of the nutrient factors may not with no mycorrizae, unburned soil with mycorrizae, burned soil with no mycorrizae, and burned soil with mycorrizae. In order to simulate a fire, Differences were considered significant roughly 14.15 liters of potting soil was at P<0.05. placed in the oven at 550 ̊F for one hour and fifteen minutes. For the groups Results containing mycorrhizae, one half of a A Chi2 analysis was run on each teaspoon of arbuscular mycorrizae was of the distinctions in the groups. In the added and mixed into the soil. comparison of plants grown in burnt and Three days prior to preparing the unburned soils, regardless of variables for each group, 105 arugula mycorrhizae content there was a seeds were placed in between a moist significant difference in plant growth paper towel and put aside to germinate. (p=.0042 Chi2). In the comparison of Out of the 105 germinating seeds, the mycorrhizae presence’s effect on plant healthiest looking 60 seeds were growth, regardless of soil condition, no transferred to containers containing significant difference was found (Chi2 about 355mL of soil. All 60 plants were P=.0698). In The comparison of grown and maintained outside. Each mycorrhizal presence in unburned soil plant was given 150mL of water twice a only, a significant difference was found day, once in the morning and once at (P=.0142 Chi2). In the comparison of night. mycorrhizal presence in burnt soil only, After twenty five days of no significant difference in the growth of growing, various tests were conducted plants was found. (Chi2 p=.1.000) on the arugula plants. The total number The rate of cell respiration based of plants that grew in each group was on CO2 production was also measured. counted and documented. Individually, No significant difference (ANOVA) was each plant was placed into an 8L airtight present between any of the groups. plastic container. Using a PASPORT carbon dioxide gas sensor, carbon dioxide production was measured for Figure 1: Number of plants grown in each plant for four minutes. burnt and unburned soils. There is a Results among the four groups significant difference in plants grown in were compared using a Chi2 analysis burnt vs. unburned soil (P=.0042 Chi2 followed by a one way analysis of two-tailed) variance (ANOVA). Figure 2: Number of plants grown in any soil with mycorrhizae present or absent. There is no significant difference in cumulative plant growth with or without mycorrhizae present (P=.0698 Chi2 two tailed)

. Figure 3: Number of plants grown in unburned soil with and with mycorrhizae. There is a significant difference in plants grown in unburned soil with or without mycorrhizae (P=.0142 Chi2 two-tailed) Figure 4: Number of plants grown in burnt soil with and without mycorrhizae. There is no significant difference in plants grown in burnt soil with or References Cited without mycorrhizae present (P=1.000 Chi2 two-tailed) Ahlgren, I. F. (1974). The Effect of Fire on Soil Organisms. Fire and Ecosystems. Figure 5: Comparison of rate of CO2 production in all groups. No significant Amaranthus, M. P., & Trappe, J. M. difference rate of CO2 production was (1993). Effects of erosion on ecto- and found (ANOVA) VA-mycorrhizal inoculum potential of soil following forest fire in southwest Discussion Oregon. Plant Soil, 150(1), 41-49. Callaway, R. M. (1995). Positive In the observation of how many interactions among plants. The plants grew in each group, there was a Botanical Review, 61(4), 306-349. significant difference between unburned soil and burnt soil. There was also a Ortas, I. (2003). Effect of selected significant difference between the mycorrihzal inoculation on Phosphorus groups unburned with mycorrhizae and sustainability in sterile and non-sterile burnt with mycorrhizae. The data soils in the harran plain in south anatolia. indicates that both plants and Journal of Plant Nutrition, 26(01), 1-17. mycorrhizae had a difficult time growing Retrieved March 3, 2014 in sterilized soil. The burnt soil was a much more difficult environment, and Harrison MJ (2005). "Signaling in the therefore the mycorrhizae may have arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis". been unable to survive effectively Annu Rev Microbiol. 59: 19–42. enough to form effective symbioses with the arugula roots. This may be a reason why there was a significant difference in the unburned soil in terms of mycorrhizal acitivity but not the burnt soil. On the contrary there was no significant difference between the presence of mycorrhizae compared to no mycorrhizae present. Lastly there was no significant difference between the burnt soil containing mycorrhizae and burnt soil without mycorrhizae present. The rate of CO2 production was not significant between all four groups. The experiment indicates that cellular metabolism is unaffected by the presence of mycorrhizae.

Review Form unburnt soil regardless of Department of Biological Sciences mycorrhizae. There was no statistical Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA difference in number of plant growth 92692 with mycorrhizae regardless of soil type. The study showed there is a statistical difference in number of Author (s): French, Visconti, Mendez plant growth in unburnt soil with and without mycorrhizae. In conclusion, the burnt soil presented more difficult Title: Comparison of percent conditions for plant growth regardless germination, size, and CO2 production of mycorrhizal presence. Mycorrhizal in arugula plants affected and fungi could have difficulty thriving unaffected by fire, as well as with and under conditions presented by burnt without mycorrhizae assisted growth soil thus not presenting any significant symbiotic presence for Summary plant growth. Also the study Summarize the paper succinctly and concluded that cellular respiration has dispassionately. Do not criticize here, just show no affect by the presence of that you understood the paper. mycorrhizae. The paper studied the effect of mycorrhizae on plant growth and CO2 General Comments Generally explain the paper’s strengths and production in burnt and unburnt soil. weaknesses and whether they are serious, or The hypothesis presented was that important to our current state of knowledge. mycorrhizae will have a significant effect on plant growth. The study was This is an interesting topic. The title conducted using arugula plant seeds. does not reflect with the actual The seeds were pre germinated on a study/experimentation. The wet paper towel before planting. hypothesis was unclear. Methods Comparison was done between four section was incomplete. Statistical groups: regular soil with and without analyses that were run were unclear. mycorrhizae and burnt soil with and All the figures need axis titles with without mycorrhizae. The chi-squared units of measurements. statistical analysis was run to check This is an important topic that needs statistical difference between plant to be explored more because living in growth in burnt soil with and without the area with high risk of wild fires; mycorrhizae and regular soil with and the knowledge gained from without mycorrhizae. ANOVA analysis experiments like these can help was run to check statistical difference restore the affected areas. in CO2 production between the different groups. The study showed Technical Criticism there was no statistical difference in Review technical issues, organization and CO2 production between the groups. clarity. Provide a table of typographical errors, grammatical errors, and minor textual The study showed there was a problems. It's not the reviewer's job to copy statistical difference on the number of Edit the paper, mark the manuscript. plant growth between burnt and This paper was a final version  This paper was a rough draft Recommendation - Missing abstract. Abstract needs to follow the  This paper should be published as is recommended guidelines. This paper should be published with - All graph/figures have revision borders. Borders needs to  This paper should not be published be deleted. - Grid lines in figures need to be deleted. - Incorrect margin used. Margins need to be 1 inches. - Missing commas between author names after the title. - Column width needs to be 3.1” and spacing needs to be 0.3”. - Text size needs to be changed to 10 and column needs to be justified. - After Fig No use period instead of colon. - All Figures need axis titles and units. - References cited title needs to be centered and properly spaced after discussion section. - References needs to be in alphabetical order. Mininum of six references needed? - Each references needs to be separated by a space (between Amaranthus and Callaway.) - For Harrison, check to see if you need quotation marks outside Signaling in the…