A plant biologist observed that a certain Arctic plant’s growth rate increases by 0.5 mm per day for every 1°C rise in average temperature. If the temperature rises from 8°C to 13.5°C over 10 days, by how much does the plant grow during this period, assuming linear temperature increase?

Tue, 05 May 2026 22:22:22 +0000

Title: How a Cold-Adapted Arctic Plant Responds to Warming: A Growth Rate Analysis Arctic plants have fascinating adaptations to survive in extreme cold, but new observations reveal they may benefit from climate warming—at least within certain temperature limits. A recent study by plant biologists shows that a specific Arctic plant exhibits increased growth in response to rising temperatures. Understanding how temperature affects growth helps predict how these sensitive species may adapt to a changing climate. According to research, this plant grows at a rate of 0.5 mm per day for every 1°C increase in average temperature. Over a 10-day period, the average temperature increases from 8°C to 13.5°C—a rise of 5.5°C. However, the temperature increase is not instantaneous; it occurs gradually over time. The plant biologist modeled this as a linear temperature rise, meaning the growth rate increases uniformly across the period. To calculate total growth:
- Temperature rise: 13.5°C – 8°C = 5.5°C
- Daily growth increase: 0.5 mm/°C × 5.5°C = 2.75 mm/day
- Total daily growth over 10 days: Growth increases linearly from 0 mm/day at 8°C to 2.75 mm/day at 13.5°C
- Average daily growth: (0 + 2.75) / 2 = 1.375 mm/day
- Total growth over 10 days: 1.375 mm/day × 10 days = 13.75 mm