Rita planted hydrangeas in her and her grandmother’s home. The same batch of seeds produced blue flowers in her home and pink flowers in her grandmother’s home. This made her conclude that the soil in her grandmother’s garden is alkaline while that in her garden is acidic. This is an example of which type of variation? Explain.
The scenario described is an example of environmental variation.
Environmental variation refers to differences in characteristics or traits of living organisms that are a result of environmental factors. In this case, the different flower colors observed in Rita's and her grandmother's gardens are caused by variations in the soil composition, specifically the pH levels.
The blue flowers in Rita's home indicate that the soil in her garden is acidic. Hydrangeas are known to produce blue flowers in acidic soils. On the other hand, the pink flowers in her grandmother's home indicate that the soil in her garden is alkaline. Hydrangeas tend to produce pink flowers in alkaline soils.
By comparing the flower colors in different environments, Rita was able to conclude that the soil in her grandmother's garden is alkaline while her garden's soil is acidic. This demonstrates how environmental factors, in this case, soil pH, can influence the traits or characteristics of organisms.
Therefore, the observation of different flower colors based on the soil conditions in different gardens is an example of environmental variation.