For the Instructor
Upon completion, students will be able to: • G3.4 Understand the factors that influence plant
growth, including water, nutrients, light, soil, air, and climate.
Today, we will learn..
• The 6 factors that affect plant growth• Climate• Light• Nutrients• Soil• Air• Water
Ecosystem• A system that includes all living organisms (biotic
factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit.
Question
• Are plants considered biotic or abiotic?
• Biotic! Plants are living organisms which, depend heavily on abiotic factors.
NutrientsPlants need 16 essential nutrients to live.
• 2 Main Types
• Macro Nutrients -Elements needed in large (macro) quantities
• Micro Nutrients -Elements needed in very small (micro) quantities
Nutrients
• Plants get these three essential nutrients from air and water• Carbon (C)• Oxygen(O2
)• Hydrogen(H)
• Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). • Found in soils• Used in large by the plant amounts for growth
and survival. • Replenished through fertilization
Soil
• Soil pH determines the availability of nutrients at certain levels
• A well structured soil:• Allows germination seedling
to emerge• Allows establishment of a strong
root system. • Allows access to water and
nutrients
Light
Plants get energy from light through a process called photosynthesis, which takes CO2 + H20 and sunlight to create glucose, oxygen and water.
Light shortages cause:• Stems will be leggy or stretched out• Leaves turn yellow• Leaves are too small• Leave or stems are spindly• Brown edges or tips on leaves• Lower leaves dry up
Air
• Wind increases heat loss due to evaporation and convection (wind chill).
• It also contributes to water loss by increasing the rate of evaporation from the soil and the stomata's of the plants.
• If a plant’s soil has too much water, the roots can rot because the plant can’t get enough oxygen from the soil.
• If there is not enough water for a plant, the nutrients it needs cannot travel through the plant. • - This leads to yellowing or dried leaves
Water
Water
• A gardener can check the amount of water in a plant's soil by inserting a finger in the soil.• Moist soil has enough water,
while dry soil needs to be watered.
• Other signs of a plant needing water include a lighter-than-usual soil that is pulling away from the pot's sides.
Climate
• Climate includes:• Relative humidity• Rainfall• Light exposure• Temperature
• If the climate is too hot, the plants will die of thirst and will shrivel up.
• If it is too cold, the plants will die from lack of sun.
Question
• What are the 6 factors that affect plant growth?• Climate, light, nutrients, soil, air, water