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This classroom adaptation modifies protocols to fit undergraduate teaching labs, delivering an eight-week laboratory experience. Students use it to observe how Sugar Ann English pea plants allocate twin root masses under competition and which habitat selection model applies. The activity reinforces root structure, development, competition, plant survival, and cultivation through hands-on learning.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/classroom-modified-split-root-technique-and-its-application-in-a-plant-habitat-selection-experiment-at-the-college-level/595505/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/classroom-modified-split-root-technique-and-its-application-in-a-plant-habitat-selection-experiment-at-the-college-level/595505.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Well Done","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":19},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does the split-root technique investigate in plant habitat selection studies?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It uses a plant with two equal root masses to compare how roots respond and allocate growth under different competitor or environmental conditions, revealing habitat preference models.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How is the classroom modified split-root technique different from the traditional approach?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"It adjusts procedures to match limited time and resources in undergraduate labs, and is delivered as a structured eight-week laboratory experience.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What plant and competition context are used in the described classroom exercise?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The exercise uses Sugar Ann English pea plants (Pisum sativum var. Sugar Ann English) and centers on determining how the plants allocate root masses when experiencing competition.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},595505,1792274075,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":19,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":34,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},5909892210082,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/56001069da27c9f41e8?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1789614185077863061","INNOVATIONS  \nClassroom Modified Split-Root Technique and Its Application in a Plant Habitat Selection Experiment at the College Level  \nShannon S. Elliott1 and Peggy A. Winter2  \n1Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Pensacola, FL 32501 1Pensacola State College, Pensacola, FL 32504  \n2University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL 32514  \nEmail: [selliottt@pensacolastate.edu](selliottt@pensacolastate.edu)  \nAbstract: The split-root technique produces a plant with two equal root masses. Traditionally, the two root masses of the single plant are cultivated in adjacent pots with or without roots from competitors for the purpose of elucidating habitat preferences. We have tailored this technology for the classroom, adjusting protocols to match resources and time periods characteristic of undergraduate teaching laboratories. Our classroom modified split-root technique is presented here through detailed instructions as part of an eight-week college laboratory experience. Adapted from the literature on root competition, this exercise also enables students to determine how Sugar Ann English pea plants allocate their root masses when experiencing competition, and more specifically, the applicable habitat selection model. This novel laboratory experience offers hands-on activities for students to learn more about the structure and development of roots, root competition, the crucial role of roots in plant survival, and plant cultivation.  \nKey Words: Split-Root technique, root competition, habitat selection models, root development, plant ecology, plant physiology, 3􀀑􀀈􀀍􀀌􀀌􀀉􀀅􀀞􀀏􀀇 T2 test  \nINTRODUCTION  \nStudying how plants respond to their environment enables growers to increase production of specific organs. For example, if an agricultural crop such as the Kenyan bean is found to overproduce roots when experiencing competition, much energy will be transferred away from fruit production. To increase the fruit yield, the goal is to breed cultivars that do not over-proliferate their roots when experiencing competition. The study of root processes, including root competition, to maximize the production of a more valuable component of the plant, usually the fruit, is a central objective of agriculture and of interest to those studying plant ecology and physiology (Maina, Brown, & Gersani, 2002) .  \nRoots function in anchorage, hormone production, water and mineral absorption, water and mineral conduction, and in water, mineral, and food storage; therefore, they are crucial to the survival of the plant. However, since roots are usually below the ground, out of view, the average observer often discounts them. Thus, experiments designed to elucidate root processes provide the student with concrete evidence of their essential role. In addition, when conducting such experiments, students experience scientific techniques and data evaluations used in research, plus an introduction to reviewing  \ncurrent scientific literature. The split-root technique offers a unique opportunity to accomplish all of these goals.  \nAlthough the split-root technique was developed over 100 years ago (Bohm, 1979), its recent resurrection provides a unique tool for investigating environmental effects on root development and rootshoot interactions. Germlings are manipulated during development to form two equal or twin root masses (Figure 1) . For experimental purposes, a split-root plant is positioned on the fence with its root halves in separate pots to crea􀀈􀀍 􀀄 􀀗􀀙􀀍􀀅􀀃􀀍-􀀇􀀉􀀈􀀈􀀍􀀐 􀀘 &􀀔􀀉􀀌􀀍 􀀄􀀅􀀑􀀈􀀔􀀍􀀐 split-root plant has its twin roots in a single pot,  \nFig. 1. A mature split-root pea plant.  \ncalled an 􀀗􀀑&􀀅􀀍􀀐􀀘 (Maina et al., 2002, Figures 2a-b) . The removal of half the root mass from a split-root 􀀖􀀌􀀄􀀅􀀈 􀀙􀀑􀀐􀀊􀀇 􀀄 􀀗􀀇􀀉􀀅􀀞􀀌􀀍-􀀐􀀑􀀑􀀈􀀘 􀀖􀀌􀀄􀀅􀀈 􀀄􀀌􀀇􀀑 􀀋􀀇􀀍􀀙􀀋􀀌 􀀉􀀅 examining root-shoot responses (Figure 2c) .  \nOriginally, the split-root technique was employed to test nutrition effects on root growth  \nFig. 2. Drawing of two fence-sitters (a), two owners (b), and a single-root plant (c) .  \n(Bohm, 197","cbCaiijT3K3aNbDE","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiijT3K3aNbDE","pdf",279103,"English","# Introduction\n## Habitat Selection\n## Classroom Modified Split-Root Technique","[{\"question\":\"What does the split-root technique investigate in plant habitat selection studies?\",\"answer\":\"It uses a plant with two equal root masses to compare how roots respond and allocate growth under different competitor or environmental conditions, revealing habitat preference models.\"},{\"question\":\"How is the classroom modified split-root technique different from the traditional approach?\",\"answer\":\"It adjusts procedures to match limited time and resources in undergraduate labs, and is delivered as a structured eight-week laboratory experience.\"},{\"question\":\"What plant and competition context are used in the described classroom exercise?\",\"answer\":\"The exercise uses Sugar Ann English pea plants (Pisum sativum var. Sugar Ann English) and centers on determining how the plants allocate root masses when experiencing competition.\"}]","Classroom Modified Split-Root Technique and Its Application in a Plant Habitat Selection Experiment at the College Level | PDF",1792081280,18]