Limitations in Experimental Design: Daphnia magna Growth Study

Hard Research Summaries Experimental Design

Researchers aimed to investigate the impact of varying levels of sodium chloride (NaCl) on the growth rate of a specific freshwater organism, the Daphnia magna. They set up four experimental conditions with NaCl concentrations of 0 g/L (control), 1 g/L, 3 g/L, and 5 g/L. Each condition was replicated in three separate tanks. The researchers allowed the Daphnia to grow for two weeks, after which they measured the average number of offspring produced per adult in each tank.

The researchers concluded that as the concentration of NaCl increased, the average number of offspring produced decreased significantly. They hypothesized that higher salinity levels could be detrimental to the reproductive health of Daphnia magna. Which of the following statements best describes a potential limitation of this experimental design?

The use of a control group does not allow for accurate measurements.

The experiment did not account for other environmental factors affecting Daphnia growth.

The sample size for each condition was too large to yield meaningful results.

With only one species tested, the findings lack ecological relevance.

Hint

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