Lakegirl_49
Forest
1) How does your soil’s texture aid or hinder water flow and the movement of nutrients? Loam seems to hold water well and mine has a lot of organic matter in it which would hold water well also. I believe that this would hinder water movement because this soil would suck up water that was trying to move across it
2) What types of organisms are in the area where you collected the soil? I collected the soil at the base of a tree. Lots of little bugs were crawling around. There was moss cover and some small plants. There were many mosquitos as well!
3)What effects do these organisms have on the soil’s qualities? The trees and ground cover all leech nutrients from the soil, but as they die they give back many nutrients as well. The leaves that cover the floor all decompose and this soil seems very rich because of it.
4) Is the soil you collected likely to be eroded? Because of the ground cover and the large trees, it is unlikely that this soil will be eroded.
5) How would its loss affect the current location? Without such rich soil, there would not be such dense vegetation.
6) Where would it erode to in your site? How would its presence affect the location it moves to? It would move to the west, down a shallow hill, probably through the tracks. This would probably make more vegetation grow in that area.
7) As an ecologist why is it important to think about soil texture? Soil texture can have a great affect on the types of plants living there and the way it reacts to water. For plants, soil and water are very important and can greatly affect their survival. From plants, most organisms get their nutrients (mostly indirectly). Therefore soil is an integral part of an ecosystem.
Forest
1) How does your soil’s texture aid or hinder water flow and the movement of nutrients? Loam seems to hold water well and mine has a lot of organic matter in it which would hold water well also. I believe that this would hinder water movement because this soil would suck up water that was trying to move across it
2) What types of organisms are in the area where you collected the soil? I collected the soil at the base of a tree. Lots of little bugs were crawling around. There was moss cover and some small plants. There were many mosquitos as well!
3)What effects do these organisms have on the soil’s qualities? The trees and ground cover all leech nutrients from the soil, but as they die they give back many nutrients as well. The leaves that cover the floor all decompose and this soil seems very rich because of it.
4) Is the soil you collected likely to be eroded? Because of the ground cover and the large trees, it is unlikely that this soil will be eroded.
5) How would its loss affect the current location? Without such rich soil, there would not be such dense vegetation.
6) Where would it erode to in your site? How would its presence affect the location it moves to? It would move to the west, down a shallow hill, probably through the tracks. This would probably make more vegetation grow in that area.
7) As an ecologist why is it important to think about soil texture? Soil texture can have a great affect on the types of plants living there and the way it reacts to water. For plants, soil and water are very important and can greatly affect their survival. From plants, most organisms get their nutrients (mostly indirectly). Therefore soil is an integral part of an ecosystem.