Population Growth and Competition in Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp.

Von Henzley B. Consigna

BIO 150 B-1L

March 29, 2019

_____________________________
1
A scientific paper submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements in BIO 150 – Ecology under
Prof. John Vincent Pleto, 2nd semester, 2018-2019
 ABSTRACT

The population growth and competition of Lemna sp. and

Spirodela sp. was determined through an experiment of culture
jars with pure and mixed populations, each in treatments with
water and water plus soil as a medium. The instantaneous growth
rate of each population were recorded following 21 days of
observation. The results show that the plants either exhibited a
sigmoid curve, meaning certain populations reached the carrying
capacity, while some only showed the upward curve, inconclusive
if it will end up with a logistic of sigmoid curve. Nonetheless, both
interspecific and intraspecific were observed, as the plants
exhibited competitiveness and population decline.

INTRODUCTION

In natural environments, resources and habitat space can only provide enough for the
population present, and subsequent additional members of the population would result to an
eventual decline in population size. This limit is called the carrying capacity of a population. As
the population increases, members of that population would compete for space and resources,
or simply, intraspecific competition. It is considered a density-dependent factor since it changes
as the population changes.

If the population in this situation is plotted in a graph, it would form a sigmoid curve,
indicating that growth levels off as the population size reaches the maximum carrying capacity.
Positive population growth is observed if the population size is less the maximum carrying
capacity; otherwise, negative population growth is observed. Both graphs will reach a plateau; if
population is equal to the carrying capacity, the growth is constant.

Often, multiple species occupy a certain environment and this is another affecting factor
besides the intraspecific competition seen in a single species. This factor is called the
interspecific competition or the competition between different species. Individuals of the affected
population may suffer a reduction in fecundity, growth, and/or survivorship as a result. A
reduction in any of these is determined by the competitiveness of the different species. If a
highly competitive species competes with a less competitive one, the latter would most likely be
outcompeted and go extinct later. If both species are not overly competitive, competition would
reach an equilibrium and they can coexist (of course, each species are still affected by their
respective carrying capacities).
 Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp., both from family Aracaeae, are ideal organisms for
determining growth rate and competition because they are usually low-maintenance, free-
floating aquatic plants that grow and function naturally, unlike other plants with life cycles and
discrete jumps in population size (Harper, 1997).

Significance of the Study

Studies like this serve as baseline information for determining population growth patterns
and the internal and external factors that affect it. A huge part of its results and implications can
be applied to much larger scales, not only in the natural sciences but in other fields. For
example, findings about competition can be a basis for reforestation activities, transferring or
relocating animals in other environments, human and animal population management, family
planning, human settlement issues, and the like.

Objectives

The study aimed to determine changes in population growth and competition of Lemna
sp. and Spirodela sp. Specifically, the study aimed to:

1. Determine the effects of intraspecific and interspecific competition on both species;

2. Compare the growth of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. in different types of media; and
3. Demonstrate changes in the populations of pure and mixed cultures of Lemna sp.
and Spirodela sp.
 METHODOLOGY

Before performing the experiment, the following materials were prepared: Lemna sp. and
Spirodela sp. samples, culture medium (oven-dried soil and distilled water), camel brush, culture
jars, forceps, graduated cylinder, spatula, stirring rod, small mesh nets, and triple beam
balance.

Three replicate jars were each prepared for treatment A (50mL distilled water) and
treatment B (3g soil and 50mL distilled water). 10 fronds of Lemna sp. were introduced to one
set of treatments A and B. The same was done for Spirodela sp. These represented the pure
cultures of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. where the initial population is 10. The mixed culture of
Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. (five each) were introduced to the remaining set of treatments.
Each jar were covered with mesh nets, and kept in the greenhouse.

For each treatment, the total number of fronds of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. were
counted every other day until the frond count levelled off. Fronds that dried or turned yellow
were not counted. The counts were recorded accordingly. The instantaneous rate of growth
(rinst) per observation interval in all cultures was computed using the formula:

rinst = lnλ where λ = N(t+1) / Nt

N (t+1) = population at the next observation day

N t = population in time t

Graphs were constructed for the computed instantaneous growth rates.

 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

As seen in Table 1, after 21 days of observation, results showed that Lemna sp. and
Spirodela sp. had a varied but generally increasing population growth pattern for both
treatments. Deviation from the increasing growth is recorded in the seventh and eighth days of
Lemna sp. pure culture treatment A, where a reduction ended in sudden drop to zero of the
population. Deviation is also seen in the sixth and seventh days of Spirodela sp. pure culture
treatment B, where there is a minor drop before it returns to an increasing growth. This may
have been an error by the researchers. For the pure cultures, population grew more in treatment
B (soil and water), most likely because of additional nutrients.

Table 1. Population growth of pure culture and mixed culture of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp.
Observation Date of Age of Population size
number observation culture
(days)
Lemna sp. pure Spirodela sp. Mixed cultures
cultures pure cultures

A B A B A B

L S L S

1 Feb 18 0 10 10 10 10 5 5 5 5

2 Feb 20 2 11 14 12 12 5 5 7 6

3 Feb 22 4 13 26 13 15 9 5 13 8

4 Feb 26 8 16 35 15 24 18 5 22 13

5 Mar 1 11 14 57 23 37 18 5 30 20

6 Mar 4 14 14 61 23 35 16 5 27 25

7 Mar 6 16 12 70 25 35 12 7 15 26

8 Mar 11 21 0 92 30 38 1 9 7 27

For the mixed cultures, the two species seem to have outcompeted each other in
specific treatments, but sudden drops in Lemna sp. population in the latter days of the
experiment broke a possible pattern. Lemna sp. outcompeted Spirodela sp. for seven of the
eight days in treatment A, before recording 11 deaths that resulted to a one versus nine
population. In the same treatment, Spirodela sp. struggled to increase greatly in population,
maintaining a constant population for six days.
 However, in treatment B, Spirodela sp. exhibited better competitiveness and population
growth, but remained outnumbered until day six (where it was only two individuals short from
being equal) and days seven to eight (where the species outcompeted the other species).

It can be deduced that Lemna sp. has a higher carrying capacity than Spirodela sp. The
former also grows better in eutrophic waters with sufficient nutrients (Centre for Ecology &
Hydrology, 2004). In treatment B, nutrients found in the water necessary for Lemna sp. growth
may be reduced because of the other nutrients in the soil not needed by Lemna sp. may be
present, but is usable by Spirodela sp., hence the generally larger population of the latter in
treatment B. Spirodela sp. is also an absorber of pollutants and other materials from water (LIFE
1020 Student Group 9, 2013), meaning it uses the mentioned pollutants besides nutrients
present in the culture medium – the species is able to use more than one kind of resource,
creating an advantage over Lemna sp. in certain environments. Additionally, when comparing
growth between the treatments, it can be observed that growth is relatively higher in treatment B
than A, most likely because of larger resource availability.

Table 2. Computed instantaneous rates of growth (rinst) of pure and mixed cultures of Lemna sp.
and Spirodela sp.
Observation Age range Computed instantaneous rates of growth (rinst) between
interval of culture observation dates
at the
given Lemna sp. pure Spirodela sp. Mixed cultures
interval cultures pure cultures

A B A B A B

L S L S

1-2 0-2 0.10 0.34 0.18 0.18 0 0 0.34 0.18

2-3 2-4 0.17 0.62 0.07 0.22 0.59 0 0.62 0.29

3-4 4-8 0.21 0.30 0.14 0.47 0.69 0 0.52 0.49

4-5 8-11 -0.13 0.49 0.43 0.43 0 0 0.31 0.43

5-6 11-14 0 0.07 0 -0.05 -0.11 0 -0.11 0.22

6-7 14-16 -0.15 0.14 0.09 0 -0.29 0.34 -0.58 0.04

7-8 16-21 0 0.27 0.18 0.09 -2.53 0.25 -0.76 0.04

 Despite being in a controlled environment, both Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. exhibited
the natural phenomena involving carrying capacity and competition. Even though in certain
columns of Table 1 show generally increasing populations, carrying capacity plays in action in
all treatments, where rinst is either unstable or declining. This is because like natural
environments, over time, resources run-out (especially if not renewed fast enough or not at all),
an effect amplified by increasing competition both within and between species.

Competition is also generally high, because despite having different ecological niches,
the two aquatic plants were placed and constricted in a controlled environment.

100

90

80

70
Population size (N)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 2 4 8 11 14 16 21
Age of culture (days)

Pure culture Mixed culture

Figure 1. Population growth curve of pure and mixed culture of Lemna sp. grown in distilled
water

In Figure 1, the growth curves almost formed a sigmoid curve. The decline in the last
day is most likely an error in counting or an unexpected death-causing factor that affected the
individuals in the involved set-ups. Nonetheless, the graph proves that Lemna sp. growth is
affected by the population’s carrying capacity, slowing the increase as K approaches N, and
maintains the population as K equals N. It is also possible that a decline would occur of K
exceeds N. This would explain the set-up’s sudden drop in the last day in case it might not be a
case of experiment error.
 100

90

80

70
Population size (N)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 2 4 8 11 14 16 21
Age of culture (days)

Pure culture Mixed culture

Figure 2. Population growth curve of pure and mixed culture of Spirodela sp. grown in distilled
water

In Figure 2, the growth curve does not create a sigmoid curve and is in fact towards a
possible exponential growth (which of course, would either stabilize or decline as K approaches
or exceeds N). Spirodela sp., an aquatic plant known to utilize different resources, had a better
growth in water treatment than Lemna sp., but had worse growth in mixed culture set-ups where
it was outcompeted by Lemna sp. prior to the sudden decline.
 100

90

80

70
Population size (N)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 2 4 8 11 14 16 21
Age of culture (days)

Pure culture Mixed culture

Figure 3. Population growth curve of pure and mixed culture of Lemna sp. grown in distilled
water and soil

In Figure 3, Lemna sp. exhibited high growth rate in treatment B, most likely because of
its competitive nature. Its growth also did not create a sigmoid curve (but would have if the
experiment continued after 21 days). In mixed culture, Spirodela sp. matched its
competitiveness, probably because of Spirodela sp.’s greater resource utilization.
 100

90

80

70
Population size (N)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 2 4 8 11 14 16 21
Age of culture (days)

Pure culture Mixed culture

Figure 4. Population growth curve of pure and mixed culture of Spirodela sp. grown in distilled
water and soil

In Figure 4, Spirodela sp. recorded a generally lower growth than Lemna sp. in both
cultures, but exhibited logistic growth more obviously than the latter.

While Spirodela sp. showed more obvious sigmoid curves, Lemna sp. curves would
have shown S-curves better had the experiment been longer and without error. Ultimately, the
most prominent factors that affected the growth curves include competition, carrying capacity,
flexibility in resource use, environment space, and other minor experimental errors committed.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The two concepts spotlighted in this study, population growth and competition,
manifested in all set-ups of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. The two aquatic plants were placed in
pure and mixed cultures, each in different culture medium (water and combination of water and
soil), then observed for 21 days with eight recording days.

Results show that Lemna sp. is more competitive Spirodela sp., but the latter makes up
for this with its ability to utilize more resources than the former. While the period of
experimentation hindered some of the curves to exhibit a sigmoid curve, the fact that a logistic
growth is only theoretical – possible only in ideal, unlimited environments – it is safe to assume
that all curves would eventually flat-out as carrying capacity is maximized, and then decline as
population exceeds carrying capacity.

LITERATURE CITED

Cama, M. (2012, December 17). Population growth and competition in aquatic Lemna sp. and
Spirodela sp. An unpublished scientific paper. Retrieved March 28, 2019 from
https://www.academia.edu/9654506/Population_Growth_and_Competition_in_Aquatic_Le
mna_sp._and_Spirodela_sp

Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. (2004). Information sheet: Lemna species (ducksweeds).
Retrieved March 28, 2019 from
http://www.ceh.ac.uk/sci_programmes/documents/duckweeds.pdf.

Estioko, O. P. (2013, June 24). Population growth and competition in Lemna sp. and Spirodela
sp. An unpublished technical paper. Retrieved March 27, 2019 from
https://www.academia.edu/11301610/BIO150

Harper, J.L. (1977) Population Biology of Plants. Academic Press, NY p. 235

Life 1020 Student Group 9. (2013). Growth of Spirodela polyrhiza in creek water, distilled water,
and tap water. Retrieved March 27, 2019 from
https://sites.google.com/site/experimentsspring2013/duckweed-populations/group-9