The Rockhounder: Oolitic sand on Stansbury Island, Tooele County

http://geology.utah.gov/popular/places-to-go/rock-mineral-collecting-sites/the-rockhounder-ooliticsand-on-stansbury-island-tooele-county/
Great Salt Lake
http://static.stateparks.utah.gov/docs/GSL.Edpacket.pdf

NHMU ~ Great Salt Lake

https://nhmu.utah.edu/boneupongreatsaltlake
Jaimi Butler Great Salt Lake Institute/Westminster College
https://www.westminstercollege.edu/great_salt_lake_institute/
Bird Habitats within the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem
https://wildlife.utah.gov/gsl/waterbirdsurvey/habitats.htm

This is a project to test the germination and growth of seeds planted in oolitic sand acquired from the
shores of the Great Salt Lake. I wanted to see if the salinity of the sand had an impact on the
germination and growth of seeds not indigenous to the Great Salt Lake environment.
Due to the salinity of the water in the Great Salt Lake, will seeds germinate in oolitic sand
found on its shores?

The salinity of the oolitic sand found on the shores of the Great Salt Lake will have a
direct effect on the germination and growth of bean and pea seeds.

Supply list:
Bean seeds

Planting cups

Zip-lock bag

Pea seeds

Oolitic sand

Paper towels

March 27, 2015

Oolitic sand was gathered from the Great Salt Lake.
April 1, 2015
6 cups of the sand was rinsed with 2 quarts of fresh water to remove any of the salt contained in the
sand. This process was repeated 3 times. Water samples from each rinse were saved to be tested for
salinity levels from the sand (6 total samples 2 from each rinse).
Bean and pea seeds were soaked, as per package directions, for 6 hours in fresh water.
3 bean seeds were planted in each of 3 containers of rinsed oolitic sand. (BR1, BR2, BR3)
3 bean seeds were planted in each of 3 containers of un-rinsed oolitic sand. (B1, B2, B3)
3 pea seeds were planted in each of 3 containers of rinsed oolitic sand. (PR1, PR2, PR3)
3 pea seeds were planted in each of 3 containers of un-rinsed oolitic sand. (P1, P2, P3)

Bean and pea seeds were wrapped in moistened paper towels, placed in a zip-lock bag, and placed
next to the planted seeds. This was my control so that I would know approximately when the seeds
would be expected to germinate and begin growing.
Planted seeds were watered every other day with cup of water.
The light, water, and temperature remained constant for all samples.

April 3, 2015
The water samples gathered from the rinsing of the oolitic sand were tested at Westminster College
Meldrum Science Center using a salinity refractometer. All six samples, from all three rinses of the
oolitic sand registered no levels of salt in the water. This led me to the conclusion that there was no
salt attached to the oolitic sand samples I collected.
These unexpected results prompted a different direction of this experiment. My revised question is:
If there is no salt in oolitic sand, will the bean and pea seeds still germinate and grow in oolitic
sand?
Any my new hypothesis is:

Seeds planted in oolitic sand, whether rinsed or un-rinsed, from the Great Salt Lake
will germinate and grow equally.
April 6, 2015:

1 plant had emerged in pot PR2.

April 10, 2015: 3 plants were showing in pots PR1, PR2, B1.
April 10, 2015: control samples examined

Bean = sprouting 100% in control group

Pea = sprouting 94.7% in control group
April 20, 2015: following results were observed
BR1 = no evidence of germination

B1 = germination & growth

BR2 = no evidence of germination

B2 = no evidence of germination

BR3 = germination & growth

B3 = no evidence of germination

PR1 = germination & growth

P1 = no evidence of germination

PR2 = germination & growth

P2 = no evidence of germination

PR3 = germination & growth

P3 = no evidence of germination

These results show the following:

67% germination & growth in rinsed oolitic sand
17% germination & growth in un-rinsed oolitic sand

The results of this experiment show that seeds planted in rinsed oolitic sand germinate and grow
67% of the time.
The results of this experiment show that seeds planted in un-rinsed oolitic sand germinate and grow
17% of the time.
After testing the initial rinse water samples, as stated above, and adjusting my hypothesis, I expected
that both sands would germinate and grow, or not germinate and grow, equally. The results of this
experiment do not support my hypothesis. Seeds planted in the rinsed sand germinated and grew at
a rate of 4:1 when compared to seeds planted in the un-rinsed sand.
These results also lead me to believe that the rinsing of the sand did have some effect on the oolitic
sand which, for the purposes of this experiment, were not measured. Extending this experiment for
future consideration would be to do an analysis of the sand beyond salinity for elements and/or
conditions that would impact germination and growth in the seeds.

This is a project to test the germination and growth of seeds planted in oolitic sand acquired from the
shores of the Great Salt Lake. I wanted to see if the salinity of the sand had an impact on the
germination and growth of seeds not indigenous to the Great Salt Lake environment.
Oolitic sand was gathered from the shore of the lake and some of the sand was rinsed in fresh water
to remove any of the salt found in the sand. When this water was tested, it was discovered that the
salinity in the rinse water was 0. As a result, the experiment was modified to investigate germination
and growth in oolitic sand. Both samples of sand were used, rinsed and un-rinsed, in the
experiment, as well as a control sample of seeds.
Light, water, and temperature were all constant for this experiment and the control sample.
After 20 days:
The results of this experiment show that seeds planted in rinsed oolitic sand germinate and grow
67% of the time.
The results of this experiment show that seeds planted in un-rinsed oolitic sand germinate and grow
17% of the time.

These results also lead me to believe that the rinsing of the sand did have some effect on the oolitic
sand which, for the purposes of this experiment, were not measured. Extending this experiment for
future consideration would be to do an analysis of the sand beyond salinity for elements and/or
conditions that would impact germination and growth.