Silty Clay Loam

This sample is from the shoreline along Duck Lake. I determined that it would be classified as silty clay loam. Silty clay loam is notorious for having much slower water movement than a soil that contains some sand in it. Because the water moves slower through this type of soil, nutrients also will move slower. This texture of soil is good at holding nutrients. I did not see any large organisms within the soil but there were waterfowl around, deer tracks, frogs and other amphibians. There was also a lot of dead organic material and vegetation around also. The effects of the animal organisms on the soil would not be too severe. Digging, providing shelter for themselves and adding organic matter to the soil is what they would contribute. The vegetation would have a much larger effect on the soil because it provides a lot of organic matter. The soil is capable of being eroded, but where it is and the conditions around the soil, I would not see erosion as a problem. A loss of this soil would affect the vegetation as it is rich and provides nutrients for a lot of organisms. The only erosion would be the water moving it from the hore into the lake and the presence in the water would not have too much of an effect on those organisms. The loss on the shore could be detrimental is enough eroded. It is important to think about soil texture because the type of soil tells about the ecosystem, the organisms it can support and the possibility of erosion.

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