Title
Studying the effects of serpentine soil on adapted and non-adapted species using Arduino technology
Recommended Citation
October 1, 2016.
Abstract
Abstract: Serpentine soils are formed from ultramafic rocks and are represent an extreme environment for plants. Serpentine soils are unique in that they carry high concentrations of heavy metals, are nutrient deficient, particularly in calcium, and have poor water retention capabilities. Although these soils constitute harsh conditions for plant growth, there are a number of species that are adapted and even endemic to serpentine soil. Water retention by commercial potting mix was compared with serpentine soil. Also, serpentine adapted and non-adapted species were grown in both soil treatments and physiological data were collected. We used the Arduino electronic platform to collect data such as moisture levels and photosynthetic activity. An advantage of Arduino-based data collection is low cost and the availability of a wide array of sensors. An Arduino-based cartesian coordinate robotic system was created to automate data collection from a set of small potted plants in a grid formation.
Disciplines
Biology | Botany | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Evolution | Hardware Systems | Plant Biology | Robotics
Mentor
Edward Himelblau
Lab site
California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly SLO)
Funding Acknowledgement
This material is based upon work supported by a grant from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the California State University STEM Teacher Researcher Program. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
Included in
Biology Commons, Botany Commons, Evolution Commons, Hardware Systems Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Robotics Commons
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/star/414