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Pine Needle Length Comparisons in Conifers

This lab report compares the pine needle lengths of young and old blue spruce trees. Needles were collected from 5 young and 5 old trees and measured. The mean needle length was 19mm for young trees and 23mm for old trees, a significant difference of 4mm. Histograms of the data showed a normal distribution for both age groups. While needle lengths varied, old trees tended to have longer needles than young trees.

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671 views6 pages

Pine Needle Length Comparisons in Conifers

This lab report compares the pine needle lengths of young and old blue spruce trees. Needles were collected from 5 young and 5 old trees and measured. The mean needle length was 19mm for young trees and 23mm for old trees, a significant difference of 4mm. Histograms of the data showed a normal distribution for both age groups. While needle lengths varied, old trees tended to have longer needles than young trees.

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sunrise_2014
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Lab #1

Describing a Population
Blanca B. Perez
BIOE 371
Instructor: Dr. Jim Barron
Lab Partners: Branon !an "assel
#oll$ Ing%alson
Materials and Methods
The primary purpose of this lab protocol was to compare pine needle length within young
and old blue spruce conifers. In order to determine differences in needle length between young
and old blue spruce conifers, my lab group and I collected a total of eighty pine needles (n=80)
from five young and five old blue spruce trees from two different locations on campus. irst, five
young and five old blue spruce trees were located west of !ea"s to !lains !ar" and south of the
library on university campus. #ight needles were collected from each individual tree. Trees were
divided into eight different sections li"e cutting a pi$$a, then needles where collected from the
tip of the lowest branch near the ground at the line division and placed in labeled envelopes
pertaining to each tree. !ine needles were then carried bac" to lab and measured in millimeters
using a ruler. The brown end of the pine needle was e%cluded from the measurements.
&easurements were collected from all 80 needles. The measurements were then input into a
spreadsheet for statistical analysis and using e%cel the mean, medium, mode, standard deviation,
standard error, and sample variance were determined for the two data sets. ' table and two
histograms were constructed from the collected data values of young and old pine needles to
demonstrate a graphic representation of the variation in needle length.
Results
The results of the e%periment are displayed in table ( below. &ean needle length values
for young trees averaged a needle length of () mm while old trees averaged *+ mm. Indicating a
significant difference of , mm between the two types of trees. 'lso, standard deviation values
were relatively close between young and old trees. The values were *.- mm for young trees and
+.- mm for old trees. only a ( mm difference. /tandard error values for both data sets were also
relatively small. 0.,( young and 0.01 old trees. ' (+ variation value for old trees versus a -.8
variation value for young trees indicated that there was more variation in needle length among
old trees than young trees. Two histograms were also created in order to graphically demonstrate
the
data
sets. In
figure
(
young
trees showed a normal bell shaped distribution as well as old trees did in figure *.
"able 1: &esults o' neele lengt( e)periment

Young Trees Old Trees
Sample Size (n) 40 40
Sample Mean 19 23
Sample Medium 18 23
Sample Mode 18 23
Sample Variance (sd
2
) 6.8 13
Standard Deviation 2.6 3.6
Standard Error (S.E) 0.41 0.57
9! "on#dence $nterval
%or Mean
16-22 19-27
n*+,
15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Young Trees
&engt' (mm)
-re.uenc$
-igure 1: Lengt( o' /oung Blue 0pruce Pine 1eeles
n*+,
15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Old Trees
Lengt( 2mm3
-re.uenc$
-igure 4: Lengt( o' Ol Blue 0pruce Pine 1eeles
Discussion
2hen comparing the histograms of pine needle length of young versus old blue spruce
trees, the histograms are clearly similar in their graphic representations. The histogram of young
and old trees demonstrated a bell3shaped curve, in other words there was a normal distribution in
needle length in both trees. This type of distribution is fre4uently observed in nature. I would feel
confident carrying out parametric statistics on the data sets of both trees, since the tests and
models rely on that relative distribution. /ufficient measurements were made in order to
ade4uately compare and analy$e both data sets of young and old trees. 2hen analy$ing the
mean, medium, and mode statistics of the two data sets of trees. There was no significance
difference between the mean (() mm), medium ((8 mm), and mode ((8 mm) of young trees,
and a mean (*+ mm), medium (*+), and mode (*+) of old trees. less than ( mm or no difference,
reinforcing that the data sets for both trees does in fact fall in a bell3shaped curve. The mean
needle length of old trees (*+ mm) was significantly higher than the needle length of young trees
(() mm). a difference of , mm. /uggesting that old trees have longer needles than young trees,
which I had hypothesi$ed prior to the e%periment. The older the tree is the more time it has had
to grow and develop. In the process of ma"ing statistical analysis of data sets it is important to
calculate the standard deviation and variance. The standard deviation of a data set allows an
insight onto the range of needle lengths, whereas the mean e%clusively determines the average
needle length. It is crucial to ma"e variation and sample si$e values available to the public. These
values give a general idea of the variation in needle length and the accuracy of the data set. !ine
needles of blue spruce trees are e%tremely important to the life span of the tree because
photosynthesis occurs in this part of the tree. I would e%amine the importance of needle length
on the ultimate survival of a tree by first comparing needle length of trees with age, and seeing if
needle length and age relate at all. I would hypothesi$e that the fitter trees would have longer
needles. Inheritable traits would be tested by growing various pine trees from seeds of different
needle lengths and measuring needle length of the off spring.
In conclusion, old blue spruce trees were observed to have larger pine needle lengths than
those of young blue spruce trees.

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