Question

Write a hypothesis about the worms and lima bean plants. Be sure to answer the lab question, “How can the presence of one species benefit another in the same ecosystem?”

Hypothesis: If plants are grown in soil containing worms, then . . .
because . . .

Answer 1

Hypothesis: If lima bean plants are grown in soil containing earthworms, then they will be taller, produce more leaves, and have greater root and shoot biomass than plants grown in worm‑free soil, because the worms aerate and mix the soil and create nutrient‑rich castings that increase water and nutrient availability to the plants.

Answer to lab question: The presence of one species (earthworms) can benefit another (lima beans) by improving abiotic conditions—soil structure, aeration, water infiltration—and by accelerating nutrient cycling, which increases the resources available for plant growth.