frogjamm
DSC07672
a) My site had sandy loam
b) Water moves more quickly through soil with larger particles, so since the soil it my site seems to be quite sandy, it should allow for relatively free/rapid movement of water. The soil will be able to retain less water than soils with finer particles. Since there will be less soil particles for them to associate with, nutrients should also move quite freely around the site.
c) The organisms in the area are mostly grasses.
d) Grasses are generally good for soil structure and can increase organic carbon content. If the grasses were being grazed then that could remove nutrients from the soil and possibly not return them (particularly if the grazers were excreting elsewhere). However, there does not seem to be many or any animals in the site that graze on these grasses.
e) The soil probably has a good chance of being eroded due to its texture, however the prevalence of grasses growing in the area limits the chance. Also, although there is a lot of human traffic through the site, there are very well defined trails and people tend to stay on them so this will limit erosion due to human activity. Erosion would reduce the quality of the soil and perhaps limit the number of plants that would grow there. Additionally, it would likely wind up in the creek, where it would muddy the water and effect the biotic systems there.
f) It is important to consider soil properties because soil is essentially at the base of all trophic systems. Since it determines how, where, and what plants will grow, it hence influences the entire system.
DSC07672
a) My site had sandy loam
b) Water moves more quickly through soil with larger particles, so since the soil it my site seems to be quite sandy, it should allow for relatively free/rapid movement of water. The soil will be able to retain less water than soils with finer particles. Since there will be less soil particles for them to associate with, nutrients should also move quite freely around the site.
c) The organisms in the area are mostly grasses.
d) Grasses are generally good for soil structure and can increase organic carbon content. If the grasses were being grazed then that could remove nutrients from the soil and possibly not return them (particularly if the grazers were excreting elsewhere). However, there does not seem to be many or any animals in the site that graze on these grasses.
e) The soil probably has a good chance of being eroded due to its texture, however the prevalence of grasses growing in the area limits the chance. Also, although there is a lot of human traffic through the site, there are very well defined trails and people tend to stay on them so this will limit erosion due to human activity. Erosion would reduce the quality of the soil and perhaps limit the number of plants that would grow there. Additionally, it would likely wind up in the creek, where it would muddy the water and effect the biotic systems there.
f) It is important to consider soil properties because soil is essentially at the base of all trophic systems. Since it determines how, where, and what plants will grow, it hence influences the entire system.