Soil Texture

There are two types of soil at my location. Soil that is located on the trail and soil that is beneath the trees. I did not have to add water for either sample since it was raining and the soil was already wet. This is a picture of the trail soil after the bounce in my hand. The result: Loamy Sand

a. Sand aids in the movement of water and nutrients. It is a larger particle than clay or silt, so it allows water to move through it quicker. This water take nutrients with it as it is carried away through a process called leaching. This is good if you need drainage in an area, but bad if you are looking to encourage plant and organism growth.

b. The types of organisms that I found along this path ranged from small insects, worms, and it appeared it was used as a trail by animals as well as humans. There was no plant life, only debris.

c. The animals and humans definitely help to keep the soil compact and probably free of plant life. The other organisms don't appear to have any other affect except for superficially.

d. I think that it has the potential to be eroded. As you can see in the photograph of the location, sand has started to collect in patches. At the beginning of the trail head there was quite a bit more sand collecting than what is pictured here. This trail slopes gently down towards the trail head and as water flows down it carries the sand that has washed out of the soil with it. Sand is a larger mineral particle and because of this allows for more water to pass through quickly. this is probably why it was used in the mixture for the trail. The developers wanted the water to run off of the trail as quickly as possible so that it didn't collect and form puddles or soften the trail so that it eroded away faster when it was being used. As the trail loses the sand, this process will happen quickly. Also, without the sand to allow the quick drainage of water, plants will then have enough water and nutrients left so that they can start to colonize the trail. As the sand collects at the top of the trail head it will begin to build up. This will increase water drainage on either side of the trail because in front of the trail is the paved trail. This erosion could lead to deep holes or puddles forming.

e. It's important to think about soil texture as an ecologist because it is the basic building block for the environment/ecosystem that is being studied. It affects what type of plants and organisms can survive or are drawn to inhabit an area. It is especially important for agricultural practices or even redevelopment of habitat like with the Fender blue butterfly in Oregon. If you need water to remain in a site, then planting or developing an area that is sandy will not be beneficial to your project.

Done