What Lies Beneath? Draft 2

This topic submitted by Erin Lawson, Laura Wales, Ryan Finch, Philip Amedan, James Traylor ( lawsonee@muohio.edu ) on 10/24/05. [Section: McCollum]

Natural Systems 1 Syllabus---Western Program---Miami University

What Lies Beneath
Erin Lawson, Laura Wales, Ryan Finch, Philip Amedan, James Traylor

Introduction
How often do we contemplate the ground on which we walk? An entire world exists beneath our feet, unexplored and unimportant in the minds of those above the crust. Our goal within the confines of this project is to reveal what lies beneath, the effect of soil dwelling organisms on their natural habitat. The active presence of organisms within the soil increases its fertility and improves its overall quality, in relation to nutrition. Through our studies we hope to find a correlation between organism presence and soil quality. For instance, will more organisms in the soil have a positive affect on nutrient level? We will also explore how density and porosity level relates to the number of organisms present. We predict a lower density level will attract more organisms because of freedom of mobility within the soil. Our predictions extend to the relationship between density and porosity as well. We believe that a lower density correlates to more porous soil, in which an abundance of organisms can be found. The organisms need water to survive and thus will be attracted to the more porous soil.
"Soil organisms contribute to a wide range of essential services to the sustainable function of all ecosystems, by acting as the primary driving agents of nutrient cycling, regulating the dynamics of soil organic matter, soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission; modifying soil physical structure and water regimes, enhancing the amount and efficiency of nutrient acquisition by the vegetation, and enhancing plant health. These services are not only essential to the functioning of natural ecosystems but constitute an important resource for the sustainable management of agricultural systems" (http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/agll/soilbiod/fao.stm). Although we do not think of soil and its macro organism inhabitants as vital to our global environment, they play a pivotal role in the function of biomes. Macro organisms within the soil drag surface substances such as dry leaves, dead organisms and other materials down into the soil, promoting what we perceive to be soil fertility.
Method:
We will collect five 3 x 3 x 2 inch3 soil samples from the following locations: the prairie area of Peffer Park, the Western Woods, and near the aqueducts on Western Campus. The five soil samples in each location will have a separation of eight feet between the different areas. We will transfer the soil samples into ventilated plastic containers, where they will remain until measurements and observations can be taken. When we get the soil samples back to the lab, we will begin testing with a Burlese funnel, in order to take a quantitative measurement of the different organisms within the soil. Smaller macro organisms prefer the cool and damp found in the soil. The funnel will subject them to intense heat through the use of a heat lamp, and then trap them as they attempt to retreat. Then testing porosity, we will get a transparent cylindrical container and put the same amount (in weight) of soil from each of the five different areas of the prairie area of Peffer Park. We will then pour 1in cube of water on the soil in the cylindrical shaped container. With a stopwatch, we will measure the time it takes for the water to stop draining through the soil against the distance the water traveled. That is, we will be measuring porosity in ÒvelocityÓ. For example, if the water stopped sinking through the soil in 20 seconds and traveled a distance of 4 inches, then we would measure porosity = average velocity = change in distance divided by change in time. Let distance be ÒdÓ and time be ÒtÓ. Initial distance = d1 = 0
Final distance = d2 = 4in
Initial time = t1 = 0
Final time = t2 = 20second

Average velocity = d2 Ð d1 = 4 Ð 0 = 0.2 in/s
t2 Ð t1 20 Ð 0
We will do this for all 5 samples from Peffer Park and find the mean of the distributions.
We will then repeat the same procedure for the other two areas; the Western Woods, and near the aqueducts on Western Campus.
The next step is to find the density of the soils. We will gather some soil from each of the 5 samples from each of the three areas, and then we will weight the first soil and record its mass, for instance 3g. We will then fill a measuring cylinder to its half way mark with water and record its length, (l1= 2in^3). We will add the soil of 3g into the measuring cylinder and measure the new length of the meniscus say (l2 = 3in^3). Now density = mass/volume (l2 Ð l1) = 3/1 = 3g/in^3. We will repeat this same method with the other four samples and to the samples from the other two areas.
In our measurement for soil structure, our aim is to determine the difference in the soil particles from the three different areas. We will begin by passing warm air through the soil to separate the particles from each other. We will then take three different sized particles from one of the five samples from Peffer Park. We will place a microscope on the particle and measure its diameter from the microscopic view. We will divide this measurement by the range of the microscope. We may also use the microscopic reading. The same method will be used for the other samples.

Timeline:
October 22- Collect soil samples from different locations and store in ventilated containers
October 27- Student generated lab, Use class to collect data
October 28- Analysis of data from student generated lab, Possibly go to Science Center
In the remaining time allotted to our experiment we will compile our analyses and data and form a conclusion based on our experimentation.
References
Articles and Journals

MŠder, Paul (2002) Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming. Science, Vol 296, Issue 5573, 1694-1697 , 31 May 2002 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;296/5573/1694

Lavelle, Patrick ECOLOGICAL CHALLENGES FOR SOIL SCIENCE. Soil Science. 165(1):73-86, January 2000. http://www.soilsci.com/pt/re/soilsci/abstract.00010694-200001000-00009.htm;jsessionid=DYzChIFGqf6YVofRkC7oTcPNX927i5u2mtwnn89Mh5dUnmtNxk2b!-352798717!-949856145!9001!-1

Webster, E.A. The Relationship between Microbial Carbon and the Resource Quality of Soil Carbon. Journal of Environmental Quality 30:147-150 (2001). http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/30/1/147

Poll, C. Micro-scale distribution of microorganisms and microbial enzyme activities in a soil with long-term organic amendment. European Journal of Soil Science
Volume 54 Issue 4 Page 715 - December 2003 http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046%2Fj.1351-0754.2003.0569.x

Bonkowski, Michael Effects of soil decomposer invertebrates (protozoa and earthworms) on an above-ground phytophagous insect (cereal aphid) mediated through changes in the host plant. Oikos Volume 95 Issue 3 Page 441 - December 2001 http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2001.950309.x/abs/

Michae1, Beare Regulation of Microbial Activity and Organic Matter Dynamics by Macroorganisms : Integrating Biological Function in Soil http://natres.psu.ac.th/Link/SoilCongress/bdd/symp9/8009-t.pdf

Goovaerts P. Geostatistical modelling of uncertainty in soil science. Geoderma September 2001 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/els/00167061/2001/00000103/00000001/art00067

Websites
http://www.soils.org
This website provides information on career placements, public affairs, and certifications or exams. It is a useful tool if you are interested in getting involved with the Soil Science Society of America and becoming a member.

http://www.soilsci.com
The website is hosted by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and serves the purpose of educating people through and interdisciplinary approach to soil research. It has author and reviewer information, journal articles, web resources, and reprints of past articles.

www.agnic.org
The Agriculture Network Information Center is a distributed network that provides access to agriculture-related information, subject area experts, and other resources. It was established by an alliance of the National Agricultural Library, land-grant universities, and other organizations committed to facilitating public access to agricultural and related information.

http://soil.scijournals.org/
The Soil Science Society of America Journal is the official publication of the Soil Science Society of America. The SSSA Journal publishes papers on original research, reviews of research, and comments and letters to the editor

http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/aic-journals/cjss.html
The Canadian Journal of Soil Science is a division of the Agricultural Institute of Canada. It is a peer-reviewed journal that allows scientist to post comments and other information in response to their peers article submissions.

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