pH Levels
Figure 1: Comparing pH Levels
Method: Soil from underneath both apple and peach trees was collected and tested for pH levels using a pH meter after vortexing the soil samples with DI water. pH levels were then compared, and it was found that there is no significant difference of pH between both conditions (condition 1: soil beneath apple tree, condition 2: soil beneath peach tree).
Legend: The data from our unpaired t-test assuming unequal variance shows that there is no statistical difference between apple tree soil and peach tree soil in terms of pH. The p value is 0.279 which is greater than 0.05.
Data Analysis
Evidence:
The pH of the soil in condition 1 (apple) is about 8.01 and about 8.07 in condition 2 (peach). pH levels between conditions were compared, and it was found that there is no significant difference of pH between both conditions
This means that the pH between the apple and peach trees is not statistically different. The standard deviation of both conditions was similar suggesting that there isn’t much variation in measured pH. Based on our t-test we are certain of our results because there was a statistical difference between the two conditions.
Conclusion:
Condition 1 and condition 2 are very similar in terms of pH level. The average pH level of the soil varies slightly between condition 1 and condition 2. The pH of condition 2 on average is only about 0.08 higher than the pH of condition 1. Therefore, there is not a significant difference since the p value was greater than 0.05. This proves there isn’t a statistical difference of pH between conditions. The level of pH in both conditions is more alkaline than acidic. When trees are living in soil with a pH higher than 7.0, bacteria are more prevalent.
Explanation:
This is data is important because the trees need cycling of nutrients. Most bacteria in soil thrive in more neutral pH. This provides more nutrients to the trees rather than inhibiting them from getting the nutrients that they need in order to grow and manage plant diseases (Dupont, 2018). The trees in conditions 1 and 2 are both above the pH of 7.0. This means that a change in pH to become more neutral could greatly benefit the health of the trees.