Abstract Population dynamics is the changes that a population underwent during its lifetime due to different environmental factors.

The growth of a population because of natality and mortality can be in exponential or logarithmic growth. Several factors can affect these growth and one of them was competition, particularly interspecific, competition between different species, and intraspecific, competition among the same species. Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp., both modular organisms, were used in the duration of the experiment. To make the study possible, pure cultures of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. were placed in the tap water media and tap and soil media. Also, mixed culture of the organisms was also placed in the media. Results showed that the population of the organisms were all increasing. However, the population of the pure culture were relatively high compare to the population of the organisms in the mixed cultures. This implies that competition greatly affect the population growth. I. Introduction Change is the only phenomenon that was inevitable in the planet. All organisms undergo changes, whether for its development or destruction. Population of these species also under changes and are collectively called as population dynamics. It is where the population undergo change through time and space as a response to environmental factors. Mortality and natality are both processes in the population dynamics and these greatly affect the population growth. The growth can be exponential or logarithmic. Exponential growth is an ideal physical process where predators are absent and resources are unlimited (Weisstein). It was governed by the mathematical expression: However, logarithmic growth is a stage where the population is approaching the limits of the ecosystem. The growth of the population is greatly affected by competition. This completion may be interspecic or intraspecific. The former is competition between different species. Interspecific competition can limit the number of species that can coexist in a community and affect the

phenotypic characteristics of organisms in an attempt to reduce the effects of competition (McGinley, 2010). Intraspecific competition is the competition among same species. Intraspecic

competition typically leads to decreased rates of resource intake per individual, and thus to decreased rates of individual growth or development, or perhaps to decreases in the amounts of stored reserves or to increased risks of predation. (Begon, 2006) These competition were dictated by the limiting factors such as source of food, space, light, mates and nesting spaces. The objectives of the exercise were: 1. Demonstrate changes in the populations of pure and mixed cultures of Lemna sp.

and Spirodela sp. ; 2. and 3. Determine the effects of intraspecific and interspecific competition on both Compare the growth of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. in different types of media;

species. The experiment was conducted on November 2012 at Wing C of the Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna. II. Review of Related Literature Competition as according to Begon (2006) is an interaction between the two species that were brought together by the same need of resources. These individuals can act negative or positively with each other. On the experiment done by G.F. Gause, on the species of Paramecium, he formulated a principle called the Principle of Competitive Exclusion. This principle stated that if two species are competing for a limited resource, the species that uses the resource more efficiently will eventually eliminate the other locallyno two species with the same niche can coexist when

resources are limiting(Raven, 2002). This was true for all of the competing organisms including the experiment done with Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. One of the interactions is called intraspecific competition or the competition between their own species. This type of competition greatly depends on the carrying capacity of an ecosystem. Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals a habitat can contained without significantly degrading its resources. It is where the population growth is equal to zero (McGinley, 2010). Carrying capacity is greatly affected by the population density (size). If a population increase in size (high natality rate), more likely that the death rate will increase also. Because of the more individuals competing for resources and eventually diseases, more organisms were like to die. When the birth rate of a population decreases, there are more chances for finding food thus decreasing the death rate. Carrying capacity of a population was reach when the per capita birth rate is equal to the per capita death rate (McGinley, 2010). Interspecific competition was also one of the competition interactions. This particular competition is among different species. Because of the interspecific competitions, organisms realized niche was often smaller than its fundamental niche (Raven, 2002). According to Begon(2006), the competition between the different species may affect the its distribution, development, fecundity, even evolution. The Lotka-Voterra model of interspecific competition is a mathematical equation used to understand how the different environmental factors affect the competitive interactions (Beals, 1990).

N t K r

population size time carrying capacity intrinsic rate of increase competition coefficient

Lotka-Volterra model
http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross/bioed/bealsmodules/competition.html

III.

Data and Results Table 1. Population Growth of pure culture and mixed culture of Lemna sp. and

Spirodela sp.
Population size Spirodela B 8 8 30.7 40.7 59.7 45 52 66.3 84 117.3 A 8 7.6 10 14 16.3 21 21.7 29 31.3 34 B 8 8 12.7 18 25 28.7 31 37.3 46.7 50.3 L 4 3.3 5.7 10.3 15.3 19.7 21.3 27 26.7 30

Observation Age of Number Culture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 1 3 6 8 9 13 15 17 20

Lemna A 8 7 12.7 21.7 30.7 37 39.3 51 53.7 60.7

Mixed cultures A B S L 4 4 3.6 4 6 4.7 8 13.7 8 17.7 11.7 23.3 11.7 27.7 14.3 37.7 15.7 45.7 18.3 58.7

S 4 4 6 7 10 11 10.3 14.3 16 19

Legend:

A- tap water medium

B- soil with tap water medium S- Spirodela sp.

L- Lemna sp.

Table 2. Computed instantaneous rates of growth (r) of pure and mixed cultures of Lemna sp.
Age range Observation of Culture at the Interval given interval 1-2 0-1 2-3 1-3 3-4 3-6 4-5 6-8 5-6 8-9 6-7 9-13 7-8 13-15 8-9 15-17 9-10 17-20 Computed Intantaneous Rate of growth (r) between observation dates Lemna Pure Spirodela Pure Cultures Cultures Mixed Cultures A B A B A B L S L S -0.13353 0 -0.05129 0 -0.19237 -0.10536 0 0 0.595692 1.344821 0.274437 0.46216 0.546544 0.510826 0.161268 0.405465 0.53571 0.281965 0.336472 0.34877 0.591678 0.287682 1.069833 0.154151 0.34695 0.383104 0.152108 0.328504 0.395709 0 0.256169 0.356675 0.186655 -0.28267 0.253357 0.138021 0.252766 0.380147 0.274889 0.09531 0.060307 0.144581 0.03279 0.07709 0.078088 0 0.172979 -0.06575 0.260601 0.242946 0.289984 0.185006 0.23713 0.200671 0.308228 0.328116 0.051587 0.236627 0.076322 0.224751 -0.01117 0.093401 0.192438 0.112329 0.122531 0.333918 0.082742 0.074261 0.116534 0.15324 0.250341 0.17185

70 60 Population Szie (N) 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 Age of culture (days) Lemna sp. Mixed culture

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

40

Population Size (N)

30

20

Spirodela sp. Mixed culture

10

0 0 5 10 15 Age of culture (days) 20 25

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

140 120 Population Size (N) 100 80 60 40 20 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 Age of Culture (days) Lemna sp. Mixed culture

Figure 3. Population growth curve of pure and mixed culture of Lemna sp. grown in soil+ tap water.
60 50 40 Population Size (N) 30 20 10 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 Age of culture (days)

Spirodela sp. Mixed culture

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

IV.

Discussion As seen in Table 1, the population of the Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. in the different

cultures were generally increasing as the culture ages. The increase in population was also observed in the mixed culture of Spirodela sp. and Lemna sp. in tap and soil treatments despite of the intraspecific and interspecific competition. The results were showed graphically. Each graph represented the comparison in the increase in population of one species to the mixed culture in different treatments. In Figure 1, the population of Lemna sp., both as sole and mixed culture, in the tap water treatment were plotted. It was observed that the population of Lemna sp. as a sole culture in tap water was significantly higher than its population when mixed with Spirodela sp. in tap water treatment. The following results were also observed in the population of Spirodela sp., as sole and mixed cultures, in the tap water treatment as represented by Figure 2. Moreover, the population of Lemna sp. in the in the tap water and soil treatment were graphically represented in Figure 3. It can be derived from the graphs that the population of Lemna sp., as a sole culture in the tap water and soil treatment, were higher than the population of Lemna sp. in mixed culture. Same results were observed when the population of the Spirodela sp., as sole and mixed culture, in tap water and soil treatment were plotted. This observation was represented by Figure 4. Figure 1-4 represented exponential growth. The instantaneous rates of growth (r) of the population of Lemna sp. in Spirodela sp. in different treatments were recorded in Table 2. The rate of growth was the difference between the birth rate and death rate. The rate of growth of Lemna sp., both as a sole and mixed culture in tap water, was greater than zero in the age range of 0-6 days. It followed that the population exponentially increased. Consequently, after 6 days of culture, the rate of growth fluctuated thus the population

exponentially decreased. The rate of growth of the population of Spirodela sp., as a sole and mixed culture, in tap water treatment almost followed the course of Lemna sp.. In the first days of the culture the rate of population was significantly increasing but after some time the rate of population suddenly fluctuated. The rate of growth in the populations of Lemna sp. in tap water and soil treatment almost followed the same course. In the early days of the culture, 0-3 days, the rates of growth were significantly high. It was followed by the sudden decrease in the rate of growth indicating that the population was exponentially decreasing that tapered off in an almost constant rate. However, for the rates of growth of Spirodela sp., both as sole and mixed culture, in tap water and soil treatment followed a random pattern of exponentially increasing and decreasing. The sudden increase and decrease in the instantaneous rate of growth of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. in different treatments were the effects of carrying capacity. Source of nutrition was one of the limiting factors in the experiment. It can be observed that the rate of the growth of Lemna sp. in the tap water and soil treatment was significantly higher than the population placed in the tap water only. It was also true for the rate of growth of Spirodela sp.. Also, it was observed that the rate of growth shot its highest in the early days. It was because of the abundance of nutrients in the first day of the treatment. As time passed, the organisms consumed the nutrients (called log phase) until it became scarce thus decreasing the rate of growth of the affected organisms (Pommerville, 2011). Moreover, intraspecific competition was observed in the duration of the experiment. The populations of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. in mixed culture were significantly low compared if it was a pure culture. Because of the high population density, intraspecific competition strengthened. The effects of intraspecific completion are thus said to be density dependent (Begon, 2006).

V.

Conclusion The experiment was conducted to observe the changes in the populations of Lemna sp.

and Spirodela sp., compare their growths in different treatments and observe the effect of interspecific and intraspecific competition. Pure cultures of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. were placed in two different media: tap water solely and tap water and soil media. For the investigation of interspecific competition, mixed culture of spirodela and lemna were placed in the different treatment also. Results showed that the population of pure cultures of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. exhibited an increasing population despite of the limiting resources. However, the population of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. were significantly higher in the tap water and soil. The soil provided nutrients for the modular organisms thus increasing their chances of survival and reproduction. Population density depends on the largely on the environmental factors. The population of Lemna sp. and Spirodela sp. placed as mixed culture were significantly low. It can be said because of the competition between the two species. Interspecific competition can limit the existence of the populations because of the limited resources and space. For further experimentation, future students can observe unitary organisms for they showed more distinct competition and population growth. VI. Beals, Literature Cited M., Gross, L. et al. 1990. Interspecific Competition: Lotka-Volterra. http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross/bioed/bealsmodules/competition.html Retrieved: January 2013

Begon, M., Townsend, C.R., Harper, J.L. 2006. Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystem. 4th edition. USA: Blackwell Publishing, p. 132, 134 McGinley, M. November 20, 2010.Interspecific Competition. Encyclopedia of Earth. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Interspecific_competition?topic=58074 Retrieved: January 2013 McGinley, M. March 11, 2010.Carrying Capacity. Encyclopedia of Earth. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Interspecific_competition?topic=58074 Retrieved: January 2013

Pommerville, J. 2011. Alcamos Fundamental of Microbiology. UK: Jone and Barlett Publishers, LLC, p. 136 Raven, P.H., Johnson, G.B. 2002. Biology. 6th edition. USA: McGrawhill Higher Education, Inc, p.516-517 Weisstein, E. W. Exponential Growth. From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ExponentialGrowth.html Retrieved: January 2013