As you gaze across a pond covered in duckweed, have you ever wondered just how many plants there are . . .
Duckweeds are robust, tiny flowering plants.
They frequently form an unbroken layer on the surface of bodies of still water, such as aquaria, ponds, ditches and lakes. In the classroom, these plants are very useful for investigations on population growth. So, despite their rather insignificant appearance, duckweeds are really quite versatile and useful little plants. The following technique shows how you can estimate the number of plants and the biomass of a duckweed population. Then follow the instructions below.