Conclusion-Dana

This lab consisted of a series of experiments that tested and analyzed different parts of a soil sample from Marlies' backyard. I didn't realize that there were so many aspects to soil and that each contributes to the soil composition as a whole. Through various tests we found that our soil was very moist, which is needed in order to sustain plant and organism growth, and that our soil had much pore space within it. In addition, we found that plants with a low salt content in their soil grow better as opposed to soil with a higher salt content. We also discovered the soil's pH, along with the amounts of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the soil. At the end of the lab we even remediated a sample of our soil with fertilizer and planted lettuce seeds in it and compared it to a controlled sample. We found that the remediated soil grew better because it had more lettuce sprouts. As a whole, this experiment taught me how to take a sample of soil and analyze it thoroughly and treat it based on the results. I liked this lab because there were many different tests, and while I didn't participate in each experiment, I still got the 'big picture' of our soil content. I thought that blogging as a way of recordings the lab findings was good because all of the information could be found in one place, but it was difficult to use at times. Overall, I enjoyed this experiment.