morgane.mouslim
IMG_20110612_185148 (2)
Silty Clay Loam (my soil was found under a litter of dead or decomposing organic matter with a lot of moisture, insects, fungi and decomposers. It was very dark in color and very smooth. I had to remove a lot of twigs and leaves from the soil before the test. It was already very compact without the added water)
How does your soil’s texture aid or hinder water flow and the movement of nutrients?
My soil is very adhesive and will hold water, preventing movement. This means that nutrients will not be washed away easily. It also means that the soil will retain water on the top layer of the soil.
What types of organisms are in the area where you collected the soil?
I found many worms, various insects and fungi. The soil was covered in a layer if decomposing material (leaves, twigs, etc)
What effects do these organisms have on the soil’s qualities?
They bring a lot of organic nutrients to the surface and borrow mixing the nutrients more evenly throughout. They also add to the organic matter of the soil by decomposing it.
Is the soil you collected likely to be eroded? How would its loss affect the current
location? Where would it erode to in your site? How would its presence affect the
location it moves to?
My soil is silt clay loam so it is mostly adhesive and compact and not very likely to be eroded. It would erode to the lowlands on the site which will be the west part of the land, mostly in the south. I think that my soil would mostly retain water and nutrients with very little movement so that they may build up. (Which would explain the high plant and tree density and very little grass).
As an ecologist why is it important to think about soil texture?
Soil provides the organic matter and nutrients plants and decomposers need to live. Soil determines which organisms will be able to live in a specific ecosystem. They also play a huge part in the storing and moving of water. They are a major part in an ecosystem and define it. They provide a huge array of information on an environment to ecologists (water movement, likely plants, organic matter content, etc)
IMG_20110612_185148 (2)
Silty Clay Loam (my soil was found under a litter of dead or decomposing organic matter with a lot of moisture, insects, fungi and decomposers. It was very dark in color and very smooth. I had to remove a lot of twigs and leaves from the soil before the test. It was already very compact without the added water)
How does your soil’s texture aid or hinder water flow and the movement of nutrients?
My soil is very adhesive and will hold water, preventing movement. This means that nutrients will not be washed away easily. It also means that the soil will retain water on the top layer of the soil.
What types of organisms are in the area where you collected the soil?
I found many worms, various insects and fungi. The soil was covered in a layer if decomposing material (leaves, twigs, etc)
What effects do these organisms have on the soil’s qualities?
They bring a lot of organic nutrients to the surface and borrow mixing the nutrients more evenly throughout. They also add to the organic matter of the soil by decomposing it.
Is the soil you collected likely to be eroded? How would its loss affect the current
location? Where would it erode to in your site? How would its presence affect the
location it moves to?
My soil is silt clay loam so it is mostly adhesive and compact and not very likely to be eroded. It would erode to the lowlands on the site which will be the west part of the land, mostly in the south. I think that my soil would mostly retain water and nutrients with very little movement so that they may build up. (Which would explain the high plant and tree density and very little grass).
As an ecologist why is it important to think about soil texture?
Soil provides the organic matter and nutrients plants and decomposers need to live. Soil determines which organisms will be able to live in a specific ecosystem. They also play a huge part in the storing and moving of water. They are a major part in an ecosystem and define it. They provide a huge array of information on an environment to ecologists (water movement, likely plants, organic matter content, etc)