mindyle44
IMG_2674
a) What type of soil is at your site?
-Sandy loam
b) how does your soil’s texture aid or hinder water flow and the movement of nutrients?
-This soil texture is loosely packed and easily broken. This allows it to have easy water and nutrient movement in the soil.
c) What types of organisms are in the area where you collected the soil?
-Insects, worms, beetles, pine trees, shrubs
d) what effects do these organisms have on the soil’s qualities?
-Worms help turn organic material into compost and provide the soil with essential nutrients that plants need to grow healthy. When insects and bugs die, their bodies decompose in the soil adding to the organic matter within the soil. Pine trees and shrubs help to create more air space in the soil and add to the compost material of the soil.
e) 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?
-Sandy loam seems to be likely to erode because it is not very dense or compact compared to clay like dirt. Floods or harsh winds could cause erosion. The soil could also erode downhill if there are not as many trees and plants with roots that help keep the soil strong and intact. Loss of water and a dryer climate could also cause the soil to be more loose and crumbly. Its loss would take away the necessary soil and nutrients that plants species need for survival. Loss of plants will in turn cause insects and animals to loose their homes as well. If this soil were to erode, it would probably end up near the lake or downhill parts of my area. If the soil were to move, it would allow for growth of plants and organisms that grow best in sandy loam.
f) As an ecologist, why is it important to think about soil texture?
-As an ecologist, soil texture is essential to determine the overall condition of the environment and what type of organisms can survive there. Also, soil texture will allow ecologists to study interactions between species that live within a specific type of soil and precipitation trends.
IMG_2674
a) What type of soil is at your site?
-Sandy loam
b) how does your soil’s texture aid or hinder water flow and the movement of nutrients?
-This soil texture is loosely packed and easily broken. This allows it to have easy water and nutrient movement in the soil.
c) What types of organisms are in the area where you collected the soil?
-Insects, worms, beetles, pine trees, shrubs
d) what effects do these organisms have on the soil’s qualities?
-Worms help turn organic material into compost and provide the soil with essential nutrients that plants need to grow healthy. When insects and bugs die, their bodies decompose in the soil adding to the organic matter within the soil. Pine trees and shrubs help to create more air space in the soil and add to the compost material of the soil.
e) 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?
-Sandy loam seems to be likely to erode because it is not very dense or compact compared to clay like dirt. Floods or harsh winds could cause erosion. The soil could also erode downhill if there are not as many trees and plants with roots that help keep the soil strong and intact. Loss of water and a dryer climate could also cause the soil to be more loose and crumbly. Its loss would take away the necessary soil and nutrients that plants species need for survival. Loss of plants will in turn cause insects and animals to loose their homes as well. If this soil were to erode, it would probably end up near the lake or downhill parts of my area. If the soil were to move, it would allow for growth of plants and organisms that grow best in sandy loam.
f) As an ecologist, why is it important to think about soil texture?
-As an ecologist, soil texture is essential to determine the overall condition of the environment and what type of organisms can survive there. Also, soil texture will allow ecologists to study interactions between species that live within a specific type of soil and precipitation trends.