Introduction
Diversity, also known as variation, is an important element in maintaining survival within a
population. Phenotypic variation is affected by both our genes and our environment. In our
study, we will be researching how environment influences phenotype. Phenotypic plasticity is
when a species changes their phenotype to better fit their environment. To research this, we
collected data from Camellia plants in both high light and low light exposure. We hypothesized
that when comparing Camellia flowers in both high light and low light conditions, those in low
light conditions would have wider leaves. We hypothesized this because we believed leaves in
the shade would slowly change their phenotype to be wider in order to obtain more sunlight,
whereas those in high light would receive enough sun on their own.

Methods
For this study we used a Vernier caliper to measure the width of the Camellia leaves, in
millimeters. We had one person measure the widest part of the leaves from both high light and
low light bushes for accuracy. To achieve a random sample, we measured leaves going down the
bush left to right and top to bottom. We collected data from a total of 50 leaves; 25 leaves from
the high exposure bush and 25 leaves from the low exposure bush. We conducted our analysis on
Excel to calculate the mean, standard deviation, and p-value.

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Results
The mean value for the hight light exposure
was 43.4 ± 6.76 mm. The mean value for the
low light exposure was 47.9 ± 7.7 mm
(Figure 1). Our p-value was 3.292 × 10−6 .

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Discussion
Our hypothesis was supported. The Camellia
plant leaves do show phenotypic plasticity
through the difference in leaf width. It is 
possible that the leaves in high light 
exposure receive enough light but those 
in low light do not get enough so their 
phenotype changed to allow them to get
more sunlight with wider leaves. The pattern

observed could be caused by something other

than light, possibly water supply. If one bush were to be

provided with more water or more consistent watering, it could affect

the plant’s leaves. The lack of water could lead to leaves being smaller,

another example of the phenotypic variation. Looking at our environment and the influence it has on our phenotype through the Camellia leaves, we can see it can make a significant difference. This study showed us the impact of environmental factors on species variability and how populations adapt to survive.