Biology: Scie206-1401b-07 Unit 1

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Observation: During the winter, you spread salt daily on your driveway to melt the snow. In the springtime, when the lawn begins to grow, you notice that there is no grass growing for about 3 inches from the driveway. Furthermore, the grass seems to be growing more slowly up to about 1 foot from the driveway. Question: Might grass growth be inhibited by salt? My hypothesis is that the grass growth in being inhibited by the salt. I leave in Michigan and the winter season will last for about four to five months and depending on how much snow/rain we get that year as well as freezing temperatures will result in how much salt you would have to use. In Michigan we have a combination of freezing temperatures and precipitation that we will use salt to melt the snow and ice. Rock salt is what we use in the Michigan to clear the roads to melt the ice from the freezing mixture as well as to remove the snow so that the roads can be clear. This helps to prevent accidents in the winter months. Now what the rock salt can do is harm the grass and keep it from growing. The salt can separate into its basic ions when dissolved into water. The sodium will block grass roots from getting necessary nutrients such as calcium, potassium and magnesium. The chlorides are absorbed by the roots instead, growing to toxic levels. When the grass contains too much chloride, it can't produce chlorophyll effectively and it will starve the roots so when it can't turn the sun's light into energy. If you use either rock salt and or table salt these two will melt ice. It will then begin to create a combination of water and salt or “saltwater”. When growing grass, flowers, and plants we use water. During the winter months, there are plows truck that come through to clear the snow and they put out a saltwater mixture on the streets which secretes and either falls into drainage ditches or becomes

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