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Three layers of sediment inside a test tube topped with a cork; the higher layer is dark blue in colour, indicating neutral soil acidity (pH7), © B. de los Arcos.
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'pH7' by B.de los Arcos is released under CC BY
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My soil was a silty clay loam
•The high clay content of my soil does not allow water to infiltrate very quickly. Therefore, water flow and movement of nutrients through this soil may be hindered.
•This soil is from a deciduous forest/wetland area. It is a low point, so all of the water that runs off of the nearby fields collects here. There are many oak, maple, and birch trees. There are also a few raspberry bushes, some wildflowers, fungi/mushrooms. Lots of frogs and toads, worms, slugs, birds, etc. and I saw deer and raccoon tracks as well.
•The trees roots take up a lot of water from the soil, and the roots also help create a soil structure and pore space for water to infiltrate through. The worms and insects also create small pathways through the soil. Smaller plants and ground cover protect the soil from erosion, and all of the animal feces and dead plant litter adds nutrient and organic material to the soil.
•The soil I collected is susceptible to erosion because of its high clay content. The small clay particles can easily be picked up by moving water and carried away. However, there is lots of vegetation, which reduces erosion. If the soils in this area were to erode (in the case of a major storm, or flood) than it would affect this location by removing some of the topsoil. The topsoil the most nutritious and important part of the soil, so if it were eroded away it could damage the forest vegetation. High levels of erosion could also expose tree roots causing damage, and the runoff that enters the nearby pond/river would affect that aquatic ecosystem as well. However, the location I chose from is at a low point that collects water, so I would expect soil that erodes from the surrounding areas to settle here, as opposed to these soils leaving. The fact that other soils are eroding to here means that this area could have a higher content of topsoil than other areas. It could also be higher in nutrients than surrounding areas. The wet conditions at my location could also lead to higher levels of organic material in the soils, as leaves and plant material are washed in and decompose aerobically.
•Soil texture is extremely important because it is one factor in determining what kind of vegetation can grow in an area. For instance, Jack Pines need sandy soils to grow properly, and Kirtland Warblers rely on Jack Pines for their survival. So as an ecologist that cares about preserving Kirtland Warblers, you have to understand and care about soil textures.
I went home and dug up some dirt to bring back to the Jackson Garden and Patio Show so that experts could test it. It was said to be ph 5.1, whatever that means.
Lawrence Rhone (R), landowner, and Andy Johnsrud (L), NRCS district conservationist. Andy and Lawrence collecting soil samples to help inform the produce to be planted as well as water and nutrient management strategies inside the high tunnel. Lawrence and Gisela Rhone have worked with NRCS to install a high tunnel along with other practices. Their goals include growing their own food, sharing with neighbors, and inviting Veterans in crisis to their property for healing through support, service, and getting back on the land. Lawrence and Gisela themselves are beginning and historically underserved farmers. Lawrence and Gisela Rhone property, Daniels County, MT, June 2022.
Lawrence Rhone (R), landowner, and Andy Johnsrud (L), NRCS district conservationist. Andy and Lawrence collecting soil samples to help inform the produce to be planted as well as water and nutrient management strategies inside the high tunnel. Lawrence and Gisela Rhone have worked with NRCS to install a high tunnel along with other practices. Their goals include growing their own food, sharing with neighbors, and inviting Veterans in crisis to their property for healing through support, service, and getting back on the land. Lawrence and Gisela themselves are beginning and historically underserved farmers. Lawrence and Gisela Rhone property, Daniels County, MT, June 2022.
This is what you get:
Mailer envelope
Soil sample baggie
Several pages of instrux
Ultimately you peel one page out to send in (for home garden testing, as opposed to say, industrial agriculture)
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These were the second type of rods. They had already done the soil samples ... this test was to determine the soil density.
The soil in my location is clay loam, therefore, because of the small particles size, water flow is hindered. This means that nutrients can't flow down into the soil. This explains why there is a lot of standing water in my area. It sits on the surface because it can't all flow and be absorbed by the soil.
The organisms in this area are small plants and grasses. Most of the plants in this particular area were about this size of the one in the picture. There are a few trees scattered around.
The shallow roots of the small plants would absorb water and nutrients out of the soil near the surface. the roots would also help break up larger clumps in the soil, changing its physical characteristics.
The soil would not be likely to erode in large quantities because it clings together and the water flows over the top and doesn't penetrate through the soil. If the soil did erode it may allow for different and more types of plant growth in the current area and hinder plant growth in the area that it flows to. If it were to erode it would flow down to the bottom of he hill to the low area of land with lots of standing water.
It's important to think about soil texture because that determines what types of organisms can live there. Clay soils may cause roots to rot in the standing water and die, and sands may erode away leaving the area desolate. The soil is also how plants and other organisms get their nutrients, so the texture plays an important role in determining how those nutrients are received and how successfully they are received.
My soil turned out to be sandy loam.
1. This soil texture is very good for the retention of both water and nutrients, making it very fertile.
2. There are many types of pants, mostly grasses and ground cover here, also waterfowl and evidence of moles or other burrowing creatures.
3. The grasses help to prevent erosion, the waterfowl increase the nitrogen content by pooping and the moles help to airate the soil.
4. This soil is very likely to be eroded (I watched large chunks fall into the river 2 out of 3 times I was there). This would cause this area to have less grasses and ground cover which may also reduce the presence of the waterfowl. When eroded this soil would end up somewhere down stream or along to the river bed. The location that is moves to will be affected because to will then have this rich fertile soil and will easily grow vegetation and crops. This is an ongoing cycle with the Willamette Valley and is the exact reason that we have such fertile soil and lush landscapes in the valley with comparison to other parts of the state.
5. It is important to understand they type of soil as ecologists because then you know what types of plant life you should expect to be found at the site and why certain things aren’t found. It is also important to know from the conservation side of things as well, because it can help you plan what to do to protect the soil from leaching and erosion.
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UPDATE - Remediated through collaborative efforts between Jay Heritage Center, NY State Parks and Westchester County Parks. Info below is for archival purposes. There is more to be done - Westchester County has agreed to remediate additional environmental hazards.
------------------------------------------------------------------------This dump has been unremediated since 1993 when Westchester County Parks first took on management of their portion of the Jay Property. Old carpets, tiles, rusted metal and tires are poking through after the recent heavy rains. Storm runoff from this area leaches into a creek behind it that flows into Marshlands and towards Long Island Sound.
www.flickr.com/photos/jayheritagecenter/4490239785/in/pho...
Following concerns about Westchester County Parks lack of protocol on HAZMAT testing contaminated fill, the JHC also tested this area for contaminants and provided that data to Westchester County Parks, DEC, and OPRHP. This area should be remediated immediately as testing confirmed high levels of chemicals detrimental to our watershed, our wildlife and human health.
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YUCK -- When excess fertilizer runs off into the local stream, algal growth can be kickstarted. (U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture photo by John Pennington.)
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Half-caf to be precise.
I turned the coffee into the soil, and am patiently awaiting the arrival of seeds in the mail to take the next step.
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There are two types of soil at my location. Soil that is located on the trail and soil that is beneath the trees. I did not have to add water for either sample since it was raining and the soil was already wet. This is a picture of the trail soil after the bounce in my hand. The result: Loamy Sand
a. Sand aids in the movement of water and nutrients. It is a larger particle than clay or silt, so it allows water to move through it quicker. This water take nutrients with it as it is carried away through a process called leaching. This is good if you need drainage in an area, but bad if you are looking to encourage plant and organism growth.
b. The types of organisms that I found along this path ranged from small insects, worms, and it appeared it was used as a trail by animals as well as humans. There was no plant life, only debris.
c. The animals and humans definitely help to keep the soil compact and probably free of plant life. The other organisms don't appear to have any other affect except for superficially.
d. I think that it has the potential to be eroded. As you can see in the photograph of the location, sand has started to collect in patches. At the beginning of the trail head there was quite a bit more sand collecting than what is pictured here. This trail slopes gently down towards the trail head and as water flows down it carries the sand that has washed out of the soil with it. Sand is a larger mineral particle and because of this allows for more water to pass through quickly. this is probably why it was used in the mixture for the trail. The developers wanted the water to run off of the trail as quickly as possible so that it didn't collect and form puddles or soften the trail so that it eroded away faster when it was being used. As the trail loses the sand, this process will happen quickly. Also, without the sand to allow the quick drainage of water, plants will then have enough water and nutrients left so that they can start to colonize the trail. As the sand collects at the top of the trail head it will begin to build up. This will increase water drainage on either side of the trail because in front of the trail is the paved trail. This erosion could lead to deep holes or puddles forming.
e. It's important to think about soil texture as an ecologist because it is the basic building block for the environment/ecosystem that is being studied. It affects what type of plants and organisms can survive or are drawn to inhabit an area. It is especially important for agricultural practices or even redevelopment of habitat like with the Fender blue butterfly in Oregon. If you need water to remain in a site, then planting or developing an area that is sandy will not be beneficial to your project.
Metro work in Badichowdi, near Sultan Bazar part of the much delayed Line-2 (JBS-Falaknuma) of Hyderabad Metro Rail phase-I. Soil testing is going on at 3-4 places on this road although demoliton has not yet started.
Raw File: lpsy04c (watermark-images.com).SP_A0730.27022016
Metro work in Badichowdi, near Sultan Bazar part of the much delayed Line-2 (JBS-Falaknuma) of Hyderabad Metro Rail phase-I. Soil testing is going on at 3-4 places on this road although demoliton has not yet started.
Raw File: vfl4tcd (edited) (watermark-images.com).SP_A0731.27022016
pH is good, phosphorus is good, potash is borderline, nitrogen is nonexistant! The soil is sandy in texture. I'm having a load of composted horse shit delivered to work into it, that should help with both the texture and the nitrogen.
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Metro work in Badichowdi, near Sultan Bazar part of the much delayed Line-2 (JBS-Falaknuma) of Hyderabad Metro Rail phase-I. Soil testing is going on at 3-4 places on this road although demoliton has not yet started.
Raw File: ctljzvv (edited) (watermark-images.com).SP_A0732 (edited).27022016
An agricultural extension agent works with a coil testing kit at a CCAFS training in Ghana. Photo: K. Naaminong
My soil was sandy loam, because it formed a ball when squeezed and stayed in that shape when bounced, but ribbons could not be formed out of it at all.
This soil type both absorbs and retains water very well, which I also noticed by the massive pond forming due to all of the recent rain. This means that water tends to stay within the soil unless it is a part of a stream or river, meaning that the nutrients are only leeched along moving bodies of water; the ponds that form do not flow anywhere, leaving the nutrients where they were picked up.
Normal forest animals and river creautres, like squirrels, chipmunks, ducks and frogs, among many others, live in this area. There is also honeysuckle and prairie grasses, along with a lot of trees.
I think that most of the organisms I listed do not affect the soil too much, except for the trees helping hold the soil together more than it otherwise would. Overall, however, I do not think the animals change the soil too much from sandy loam but help it maintain that status.
My soil is not likely to erode, because it holds itself together very well (it was hard using my hands to pull of a sample even though it was wet) and since it absorbs and retains water so well only flowing water would really affect it, which only occurs by the river. Loss of this soil would radically change the plant life (and consequently the animals living there) because they rely on the sandy loam to support them without too much leeching of nutrients and the proper amount of water. This soil would erode into the nearby river, which would not affect the river too much because the soil there is pretty much like the soil in the environment.
It is important for an ecologist to think about the soil texture because it affects so many things within an environment. As shown, soil has a major affect on how water flows through an environment, and where, what kind, and how much nutrients are there for organisms to use. The soil also plays a major role in what kind of plants and burrowing creatures live there. Since the soil determines the possible biome an environment can sustain, it is effectively the "base" (no pun intended) for the biome itself.
A test kit for professional scientists and non-scientists alike, the SIW-1 Soil and Irrigation Water Test Kit is ideal for fertility analysis, site characterization, and irrigation water quality assessment under a wide variety of conditions. Farmers, researchers, extension agents, and educators can use the versatile test kit at remote sites, in the classroom, or even in areas lacking electricity.
The dirt texture for my location is silty clay loam. This texture hinders water flow because the individual particles can pack close together and prevent water molecules from fitting in between.
The types of organisms in my area are the general pond critters. Fish in the water, frogs, insects and dragonflies, grasses, and there is evidence of deer. These organisms likely make the soil very rich and nutrient with their excrements.
I think it is unlikely that this soil would be eroded. It is very packed and the roots run very thick in the top soil layer. I had to dig about 3-4 inches to reach plain soil with fewer roots and particles. If this soil did erode, it would just run into the water - it is on a pond bank as shown in the picture. If the soil moved into the pond, it would just add more nutrients into the water for the pond plants and algae.
It is important to think about soil texture because it affects several aspects of everyday life. First, as mentioned earlier, it affects the water cycle. It can prevent water from moving into the water table below. If the water stays on the surface, it is more likely to evaporate and will end up as precipitation somewhere. Also, soil texture can affect the plants able to live there. Pure clay is often too dense and wet for many plants, as pure sand is too dry and easily eroded. When you think about many of the in between textures, there are many different types that can support different plant life which, in turn, affects the animal life and the food chain.
Capstone 3
a. The type of soil found at my site is silt loam. There is a possibility it could be silty clay loam as well. However, repeated soil testing revealed it was likely silt loam.
b. Silt loam has a moderate amount of permeability and water can somewhat freely drain into the creek. The soil also allows for a moderate amount of nutrient movement through the soil when compared to clay soil.
c. The plant community living in this soil consists mostly of small clusters of grasses. Plant life was not thriving in the area as only a few species of plants were observed in the study site. A limited number of organisms were found in the soil. Small insects like ants were seen on the top layer of the soil. Deeper in the soil column, a few centipedes were found under rocks submerged in the soil.
d. The animals living in the soil mix the soil column through their movement and burrowing behavior. Animals and plants also add organic matter to the soil column through decomposition and excretion.
e. The soil in collected has a very high chance of erosion. Its location right against the edge of a creek suggests that erosion is possible with large levels of rainfall and it is likely that the eroding soil would spill into the creek. The loss of this soil would widen the creek itself as its surrounding soil disappears into the creek and is pushed down stream. This might provide a large aquatic environment, but take away from the riparian zone.
f. Soil texture has an influence on the productivity of the soil. Soil also contains organic matter that is important for a wide range of biotic communities. The type of soil limits with animal and plant organisms can live in the environment. For an ecologist, understanding the soil’s potential interactions with both plants and animals is essential in order to determine if introductions or conservation plans are reasonable for the community.
1. My soil seems to be a loamy sand. This allows water to pass through for plants to absorb, but doesn't pass so quickly that nutrients are leached out of the soil.
2. Where I collected soil there was some grass, flowers, weeds, trees near by, and mosquitos and other bugs.
3. These organisms keep the soil more packed by holding the soil in their roots.
4. I don't believe the soil will be eroded in this location because there are many plants that hold the soil within their roots. If the soil were lost, the current plants would probably be lost and would be replaced by plants that can live in whatever different type of soil replaces it. As the plant life changes, the animal life will change as well. I would assume that the soil would erode to the nearby ponds and rivers. If the soil does move to the ponds and rivers, this would make these sites more shallow and would probably cause flooding of surrounding areas. Plants and animals not adapted to flooding would not survive. Aquatic plants and animals would change due to the shallower water.
5. As an ecologist it is important to think about soil texture because the type of soil is a strong factor in the type of organisms that exist in that ecosystem. If the soil texture changes, many of the organisms in the ecosystem will change as well.
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AUSTRALIA
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a) Silty clay soil
b) This soil texture can store a large amount of water (which I tested, to be discussed later) due to the electronegativity of the clay particles present, this would also increase the soils ability to absorb nutrients from inputs. Furthermore, having the silty quality means while the deep soil is good for a tap root, the top layer also has more nutrients than a sandy layer would--these qualities combined make this soil type ideal for both larger perrenials (with large taproot systems), and grasses and annual herbs (with fibrous root systems), all of which seem to be present and persistent at this site. The presence of persistent plants in turn helps slow water erosion of the top soil, preserving it.
c) Vegetation variable: Perennial woody shrubs, annual herbs, annual grasses. In the soil annelids were noted, as well as Armadillium.
d) The effects of the vegetation on soil quality were discussed in section b. However, both of the animals found in the soil are decomposers, who would be turning dead organic matter into nitrogen containing compounds. This is good for two reasons: 1) It increases the soils nitrogen content. 2) It removes dead organic material from the system, which if left in the soil could cause it to become water-logged and hypoxic.
e) Erosion is not likely in the main body of my site. However, it would receive and trap soil being washed down the slopes surrounding it (possibly giving the clay soil its silty texture?), there would be some erosion at the NE portion of my site, where the plain begins to slope down towards the reservoir, however the effect would be muted by all the persistent plants.
f) I believe many of my answers above demonstrate the importance of the soil texture, from the texture a prediction could be made about which organisms would be found there, then looking at the realized organisms found there and their interactions (biotic, and abiotic) it can help in turn explain the soil texture--all together giving a more complex understanding of the system.
g) Because I'm a dork I took five soil cores from five random locations on my site, I recorded the average of their (Weight_wet) - (Weight_dry) after leaving the wet samples in a 150 degree Fahrenheit oven for 8 hours, and found the average water density (mg/cm^3) to be 127.4 mg/cm^3. This test was performed on soil samples taken from the site five days since it had last rained, which suggests as the texture test above did that this soil has a high capacity to retain water. An interesting follow up experiment would be to do this one again, however collect the first soil sample on the last day of a rain storm, then collect samples from the site every day for a week or two, and plot the decreasing water density of the soil--to measure drainage, and ultimate retention.
LOCATION #1:
a)What type of soil is at your site?
Silty Clay Loam!
b)How does your soil’s texture aid or hinder water flow and the movement of nutrients?
The clay in the soil helps retain water and nutrients for the plants to use; however, too much of precipitation can result in water retention above ground (i.e. poor drainage). And this would affect negatively on the flow of water and nutrients that can simply be washed away into drain spouts along the street.
c)What types of organisms are in the area where you collected the soil?
Squirrels, birds, insects, larvae, roots, and low grasses.
d)What effects do these organisms have on the soil’s qualities?
These organisms can fertilize the soil when their feces decompose. They even help to loosen it up slightly by digging up the top soil, such as when the squirrels or birds bury or look for their food, allowing for this dirt to possibly be washed away if it rained.
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?
This soil does have higher clay content, so it isn’t as likely to be eroded away such as sand. If it did erode, then it would erode down the hill towards the walking trail. Its presence would affect the location it moves to because the current organisms will probably move to their new home!
f)As an ecologist, why is it important to think about soil texture?
Soil texture is important because it determines the fertility of an area as well as how much moisture and nutrients it can retain. This determination can then be applied to what vegetation can be grown in this vicinity for other organisms to live off of.
Results of the NPK test confirmed my suspicions of being nitrogen deficient. The second tube had no pink at all!
Purple is Nitrogen
Orange is Potash
Green is pH
Blue is Phospherous
I have alkaline soil comprised of potash and nothing else. This was under the mulberry tree. Erosion took away the nutrients. The excess blue is the capsule lid I dropped inside by accident.
I took two soil samples. Soil sample A was determined to be loam, forming a ball and keeping its shape when bounced. But not forming any sort of ribbon. The second sample didn’t form any sort of shape and was deemed sand. Sample A hinders water flow but promotes holding water and nutrients in the ground while sample B promotes water flow but isn’t very good at retaining moisture. I collected both samples within a 20 foot distance from one another and both soils are home to the same sort of organism. Worms, banana slugs, birds, the same sorts of plants. This doesn’t really make sense to me considering the soils were so different. The worms promote soil health and incorporate nutrients into the soil as do the slugs and plants. The soil might be eroded somewhat because the samples were taken from a hillside so just the geography of the location would suggest some sort of erosion. Loss of soil from erosion would damage the ability of plants to settle and live there as well as loss of nutrients in the soil. The soil would erode down the hill to settle in the small valley and potentially help and hinder the valley at the same time. Help in that the soil is nutrient rich and has already proven its good for plant life but hurt in that its settling on top of other plants and organisms that have already made home to the soil previously there. It is important to make note of soil texture because the texture determines what kind of plants and animals may live in the area the soil is present.