Lab Report ESS IA - Biomass is a better measurement of growth rate than length?

[-John Yeah-]

I am working on the evaluation part of my IA.

I want to ask whether measuring the increase in vertical length of the plants above soil per day is LESS accurate than the increase in biomass per day. If so, why is this the case? (Is it because it is possible to have two plants of the same length, but one with greater biomass and hence higher growth rate?)

Your help is much appreciated !!

[alefal]

Hey there!

I'm not an expert in ESS, but I would assume that measuring biomass would actually be more accurate than measuring the vertical length of a plant. Most plants would normally not only develop in height, but also in width. Therefore, although the vertical length of a plant can give you an indication, the biomass, if measured correctly, will be more accurate.

An analogy: A person who becomes taller grows. That is also the case for a person who becomes fatter, but not taller. Would measuring vertical height in itself be accurate in describing the growth of these two persons? The growth of the first person would be possible to measure, but through this measurement alone, the growth of the second person would be equal to zero. Measuring the biomass of these two persons, however, would indicate that both persons have grown, as a person who becomes taller also gains some weight.