Carly Garfield - Edgewood College - Fall 2006
Abstract
In recent years, extensive road salt use has negatively impacted both plant and animal life. Over forty years ago, the disappearance of Zizania palustris, or Northern Wild Rice, occurred near the shores of Lake Wingra in Madison, Wisconsin. Around this time, road salt started to become the de-icer of choice. This study explores the salinity tolerance of Zizania palustris by testing the germination rate of these seeds in different levels of NaCl concentrations. Four different concentration levels were used: 0 mg/L, 100 mg/L, 500 mg/L, and 1000 mg/L NaCl. These concentration levels were based on the chloride levels found in different bodies of water near and in the Lake Wingra watershed. After one week of observation of the seeds, I found that I was able to support my hypothesis. More wild rice germinated in the solution of 0 mg/L NaCl than any of the other NaCl solutions. After conducting a one-way ANOVA test, I found a significant difference between each solution with NaCl and the control solution of 0 mg/L NaCl. Using this information, it is possible to see a link between the disappearance of Zizania palustris and the use of road salt.
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