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Future Investigations
Use different plant species to represent C3 and C4 plants.
Experiment with other methods to increase temperature in the aquaria. The desired temperature is 20 o - 30 o C, a difference of at least 10 o C. You might set up the increased temperature treatment in a warmer room or use a more powerful reptile heater or stone.
If an air pump and CO2 canisters were not available or alternative methods were desired to increase the level of CO2 in the aquaria, you might use baking soda and vinegar solution. Place the solution in a wide beaker so that there will be a large surface of acidic water exchanging with the CO2 in the atmosphere. Experiment with different ratios of vinegar, baking soda, and water to obtain a 5 – 6 pH level. Carbonated seltzer water might also be used as an alternative CO2 source.
To make it possible to calculate the increase in total plant mass, measure and record the mass of each plant before planting. Use pots and planting medium of uniform mass. Add an equal volume of water to the pots in each treatment. At the end of the treatment period, measure the final mass of each plant. To calculate the change/increase in plant biomass, subtract the initial plant biomass from the final plant biomass.
A sealed control set up without plants might be a good project for high school students. This would allow students to explore the interaction of gases in the atmosphere.
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