Soil test

a) Based on the soil test, I've determined that the type of soil at my site is sandy loam. The moistened soil was very hard to roll into a coherent ball; once the ball was formed it collapsed when I tried to flatten it. The soil formed a very small ribbon about 5mm long and the texture was very gritty.b) The soil aids in water flow and movement of nutrients because the sand allows excess water to be removed and aeration of the soil because its loosely packed. The loam made up of a silt and clay allows some water to be retained, nourishing plants in the immediate area. This constant access to water and nutrients allows plant roots to fully develop leaving them well anchored and protected from the wind.c) When I harvested my sample of soil I found two earthworms and three gophers. d) The organisms found increase the quality of the soil by increasing aeration and nutrient supply through decomposition, waste, and burrowinge) The soil would erode in a heavy rainstorm and because my site is located on a hillside the eroding would increase. The soil would run into the creek beds and could eventually fill them causing the creeks to disappear and any life forms dependent on that environment.f) Soil texture is important to ecologists because it’s a major factor in the health of an ecosystem, the soil texture can aid or hinder in nutrient supply to plants in the area, causing a chain reaction in the food web. An area with good soil texture can flourish, thrive and support another organisms dependent on the flora of a certain area. Areas of heavy erosion could be identified based on soil texture and efforts could be made to try to contain it.

Done