You have been hired as a field assistant for a researcher interested in the evolution of flower characteristics in orchids. Design an experiment to determine whether color, size, shape, scent, or amount of nectar is the most important factor in attracting pollinators to a particular species. Assume that you can change any flower's color with a dye and that you can remove petals or nectar stores, add particular scents, add nectar by injection, or switch parts among species by cutting and gluing.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Start by identifying a specific species of orchid to study. This will be your control group, which will remain unaltered throughout the experiment.
2. Step 2: Create five experimental groups from the same species of orchid. Each group will have one characteristic altered: color, size, shape, scent, or amount of nectar. For example, you can dye the flowers of one group, remove petals or nectar stores from another, add particular scents to another, inject nectar into another, or switch parts among species by cutting and gluing for the last group.
3. Step 3: Place the control group and the experimental groups in the same environment, ensuring that all other conditions are kept constant. This includes factors such as light, temperature, and humidity.
4. Step 4: Observe and record the number and type of pollinators that visit each group of orchids over a set period of time. This will provide data on which characteristics attract the most pollinators.
5. Step 5: Analyze the data to determine which characteristic had the greatest impact on attracting pollinators. The group with the highest number of pollinators would indicate the most important factor.