silty loam

I found the soil in the area to be silty loam. This soil type retains nutrients and some water but water can still flow through the soil (its not trapped by it). The majority of the organisms in the area were plants. This helps to keep the soil in place (avoid erosion). If the plant life was to die off for some reason the majority of the soil would erode down into the drainage ditch and into the lower areas down stream of the ditch. Since even the low lying areas of the land I am observing are fairly populated by plants (there is not much of a slope in the area) the new dirt in the area might at first cover the existing plants but eventually new growth would take hold. The plant eating organisms (such as deer in the area) also help keep the soil nutrient rich when they eat and then defecate in the area. As an ecologist its important to think about soil types because it often dictates what types of organisms can be in the area due to its nutrient and water retention properties. Also it can help to know the type of soil when dealing with problems such as contamination because treatments will be different if you are dealing with a more sandy or more loamy soil

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