P1020351

1) The type of soil that I hypothesis to be at my site after doing the soil tests is Clay Loom:

a) The Moist Soil forms a ball: Not Sand

b) The Moist Ball does not break: Not a Loamy Sand

c) The Ribbon forms a 2.5 – 5cm ribbon: Clay Loom

 

2) The soil has some clay particles, allowing water and nutrients to be stored that plants can use to grow.

3) A lot of flowers grow in the area I collected soil. Some larger organisms, such as squirrels, birds, and insects, also live nearby.

4) Organisms such as plants living in the soil will use the resources stored in it to grow. The plants can also use their roots to better prevent erosion. Animals may excrete materials that the soil will absorb to become richer in quality.

5) The soil I sampled may be eroded, as it is not as heavy and dense as soil made entirely out of clay, but it is not as easily moved as soil made entirely of silt particles either. As a whole I don’t think the soil is in any danger of being completely eroded away. If the soil was lost then the habitat would find it harder to store resources to be used for organisms to live. It may have a positive effect on the location that is moves to, as it would be able to hold resources easier, but it may also cover up plants that are already in the location and kill them.

6) As an ecologist it is important to think about soil texture because it can be what determines what types of plants and other organisms can survive in the habitat. In the instance of agriculture, planting crops in an environment where the soil cannot support them by supplying them with the correct resources will prove fatal and be a huge waste of money.

 

Done