Part 2 - The Science of a Tallgrass Prairie

Section 2 - The Science of Growing Seeds

1) List three of the major plant nutrients and what they are used for.

2) Of the three major plant nutrients, which nutrient:

a) is more likely to be found in the organic matter rather than in the mineral section of the soil column?

b) leads to a purple colour when the plant becomes deficient?

c) leads to a yellow colour when the plant is deficient?

3) Consider that nitrogen is added to the soil in the form of compost, what are the major processes that would transform the nitrogen into a usable form for the plant?

4) As a seed develops into a seedling what happens to the endosperm?

5) Locate and identify the following parts of a seed: testa, cotyledons, plumule, and radicle.

6) What is the first structure to emerge from the seed?

7) What does the number of cotyledons tell you about a plant?

8) What are the two different types of seed germination?

9) What are the two laws of thermodynamics? How do they relate to plant growth?

10) What are the major differences between photosynthesis and respiration?

11) What are the two types of photosynthesis that can occur in prairie grasses and how did they evolve?

12) Name two other important soil nutrients, other than the major six.

13) What are the defining characteristics of angiosperms?

14) Describe the process of double fertilization.

15) Fill in the missing parts of the flower.

16) Complete the diagram of the grass physiology.

17) What are the differences between a simple leaf, a compound leaf, a leaflet, and a tendril?

18) What is a minimum viable population? When and why is this term used?

19) What is biodiversity?

20) Why are time cycles important to consider when approaching a restoration project?