Assignment

Plants are very perceptive - they know what the season is, who their neighbors are, and when they have found the proper nutrients. The mechanisms that they use to sense their environment are fascinating - they can use light, volatile signals, gravity, touch, and other signals, just as animals do.

For your final project, I would like you to 1)make a careful observation of a single individual plant. This may be a plant in your house, or on campus, or somewhere else.

The plant is Mint

Then, 2) using the information in your textbook as well as peer-reviewed literature, I would like you to detail how that plant's sensory systems are functioning, and how they are integrating that information to produce the plant structure that you have observed. Just as a good doctor would do for her patient, develop a complete understanding of the plant's sensory inputs and responses to explain the plant's current state of being.

There will be several sub-assignments to lead you through this process and focus your thinking. Below is the schedule of activities and tentative grading scheme.

Assignment #1 - Observations (3-4 pages)

1. Detailed description of the physical structure of your plant and it's state of well -(or not) being.

2. Detailed description of the abiotic environment - current conditions and hypothesized historical conditions. Esp. light, temperature, gravity, water

3. Detailed description of the biotic community - currently and hypothesized historical conditions.

4. Detailed description of the stresses and challenges faced by the plant.

5. Detailed description of the resources available to the plant.

6. Short term responses required by the plant.

7. Long term responses required by the plant.

Include 2 photographs - one that shows the structure of your plant and a second that shows the plant in it's larger environment.