Geelhoed_Theresa,zol355,2011,soiltest,group_8

How does your soil’s texture aid or hinder water flow and the movement of nutrients?

the clay loam of the soil feels as though water and nutrient movement would be fairly low due to the density of the soil.

What types of organisms are in the area where you collected the soil?

Lily of the Valley, small saplings, rotting logs with small decomposers living there

What effects do these organisms have on the soil’s qualities?

I think the more the variety in organisms the smaller the particles in the soil may be. It is also very nutrient rich to promote more growth.

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?

Yes, because of the clay composition, the soil would likely erode into the stream that is in the basin of the area. If this kind of top soil was washed away, the underlying soil is prbably sandier and rockier, making less plants able to survive in that environment.

As an ecologist why is it important to think about soil texture?

For plants to grow successfully, a good balance between waterflow and nutrient density needs to be maintained. There needs to be enough sand content for water movement, but also enough organic matter that holds nutrients.

Done