Salinization

Salinization 

Procedure:

Measure4g of salt

Mix salt with 100mL of water

Measure out 20ml of the solution 

Pour over paper towel 

Put in unclosed ziplock bag 

Place under grow light

Observations:

Looks like seeds 

Overtime the seeds get darker

The seeds get lager

Data: 

4g/100ml= 4% concentration of salt

Conclusions:

The seeds with a lesser concentration of salt got larger and puffed up more. Due to the size difference in seeds with smaller concentration vs. lager concentration it was concluded that the salt was a hindrance of growth, and the higher the concentration the header it is for crops to grow.

To remediate the soil one might use gypsum, lime, or calcium nitrate.

Cations can also be exchanged to remediate the soil.

Soil porocity

Soil porocity

Procedure:

A 250ml beaker was filled with 200ml of soil.

100ml graduated cylinder was filled with 100ml of water.

The water was then poured onto soil until completely saturated.

Observations were made.

The water left over was measured.

Observations and Data:

The soil  looked saturated 

Soil is wet

37ml of water left over after saturation

The measurement of water left over was subtracted from 100 to find the pore space.

100-37=63

63ml of pore space 

The pore space was divided by the amount of soil that was started with to find the percent soil porocity. 

63/200=31.5%porocity

Burlese Funnel

The following pictures are of the burlese funnel over the course of 5 days.

Salinization

 

The following photos are of the various salinization seeds.

 

Soil Collection

The soil was collected from Marlies's backyard. the sample was about a foot from a 5 foot tall wooden fence and about two feet away from a row of lilac bushes. All of the grass above and surrounding the soil sample was green and at similar heights. In the sample right as it was being dug out of the ground, there were many roots and a peach pit near it and leaves around it. There were many large chunks of soil all clumped together as well as smaller particles mixed into the sample.

The photos below show the soil sample, the hole it was dug from and the area surrounding the hole.

Soil Moisture

Soil Moisture

Data:

2.36g - aluminum tray

32.0g - tray w/soil

29.64g - soil

26.10 - mass after 24 hrs. in drying oven

23.74 - mass of soil after 24hrs. in drying oven

5.9g of water lost

20%water in soil 

Procedure:

 An aluminum tray was made.

The mass of the tray was recorded.

Soil was added to the tray.

The mass of the tray plus the soil was recorded.

The mass of the tray was subtracted from the mass recorded to find the soil mass.

The sample was put in the drying oven for24 hrs.

The mass was then recorded and observations were made.

The mass of the dry soil was subtracted from the mass from the original soil to find the amount of water lost.

Observations:

Before placing soil in the drying oven the soil looked moist and clumpy

After 24hrs in drying oven soil loos dry, clumpy, brittle

Results:

percent water in sample calculated:

((5.9g)\(29.64g))*100= 20%water

Water lost calculation:

29.64g(initial mass) - 23.74g(final mass) = 5.9g of water lost

Compared to the soil texture test our soil sample was very moist. In the moisture test we found a large mass of water in the soil, which directly correlated with the results of the soil texture test. The texture test showed that our soil was sticky with mostly clay and a silty loam. The high amount of moisture in our soil made our soil made our sample clay- like. This compared to the other tests done which also indicated our soil was moist. 

Soil Dry Percolation Rate: soil

     To perform this lab, I placed a small piece of filter paper in the neck of a 16 oz water bottle that has been cut off to act as a funnel. I filled the funneled section with soil samples to 1 cm of the top. I set the funnel section into the remaining bottom part of the water bottle. I then poured water onto the surface of the soil and started the timer when the water hit the sample and stopped the timer when there was a measurable amount of water that had fallen through the soil and filter paper.

     9.7 seconds went by before there was a measurable amount of water in the bottle. The total amount of water that fell through in 9.7 seconds was 35.2 mL. To calculate the rate of the percolation I measured in cubic centimeters of water per surface area of sample for second. The equation is 35.2 mL / 9.7 seconds. The surface area of the bottle was 28.27 cm^2. I found the percolation rate to be 3.63 cm^3 per second / the surface area of 28.27 cm^2.the sand took 18 seconds for a measurable amount of water to reach the bottom. The total amount of water that fell through in this period of time was 22.5 ML. The surface area was 28.27 cm^2. The percolation rate was found to be 1.25 cm^3 per second/ the surface area of 28.27 cm^2.

The following photos are of the bottle and funnel after the water was poured through the soil and the water that ran through the soil.

Percent Organic Matter

In the test to find the percent of organic matter in a soil sample, I weighed a clean, dry porcelain crucible on the scale and found it weighed 18.63 grams. I filled the crucible about 3/4 of the way full of soil, weighed it and found the mass of the soil and the crucible to be 48.23grams. I placed it in the drying oven overnight in an aluminum foil tray at a temperature between 90 and 95 degrees Celsius to remove water from the sample. I then weighed the crucible and the dry soil again after the night, and found that the mass was 44.73 grams. The crucible with the soil was placed on a ring stand inside a fume hood uaing an irong ring and a pipe-stem triangle. It was heated with a Bunsen burner with a small flame initially, and later with a large flame for thirty minutes. The burner was shut off and the crucible was allowed to cool. The crucible and the soil were the massed again and the mass was found to be 36.30 grams. The amount of organic matter in the sample was calculated by subtracting the final mass, 36.30, from the initial mass, 44.73, and the resulting organic matter content was found to be 8.43 grams. It was not necessary to measure the mass of the soil without the crucible, because all of the measurements were found with the crucible, so its mass would not change the amount of organic matter present in the soil sample. The crucible's mass is unchanging. Organic matter is vital to soil because it is a reservoir for nutrients, and the organic matter can release the nutrients to the soil to keep it healthy. Also, organic matter is like a sponge, and it can absorb and hold a lot of water that is released to plants. In addition, organic matter prevents erosion because of the increased water infiltration, and all together keeps the soil healthier for longer.

Quantitative Test

In the quantitative test of soil texture after 24 hours the soil sample and water filled 81 milliliters of the graduated cylinder, and the soil separated into three distinct layers. There were 15 milliliters of sand, 18% of the soil, at the bottom of the cylinder, then 25 milliliters of silt in the middle, 31% of the soil, then 8 milliliters of clay at the top, 10% of the soil, and the rest of cylinder was filled with water. Using a clay triangle, I can conclude that our soil was silty loam, which concurs with the results obtained from the qualitative method of the soil texture test. These results do agree with the soil dry percolation rate test, because the sand and clay percentages were relatively close in the soil content. Many of the other groups had similar soil samples when compared to our sample because they were obtained from the same area, which has mostly the same type of soil throughout. Soil is formed when parent material such as lava, ash, rock, or sediments is broken down through weathering. Biological activity allows for the accumulation of organic matter later on. Soils are unique to each area based on parent material, climate, living organisms, topography, and time. The plants in this area most likely prefer the silty loam soil type because many of the groups soils had this type of soil and is needed for successful plant growth.

Soil Texture Test (Qualitative Test)

To do this test you must take a small moist wad from the sample and squeeze it between your thumb and forefinger. If the soil is not moist, add a little water to it and form a small ball. If the soil feels gritty, it is mostly sand. If it feels sticky, then you have mostly clay. If it feels neither gritty nor sticky, then you have mostly silt. If you can squeeze out a long, unbroken ribbon you have clay.
Our soil sample was sticky and could easily be rolled into a ball. When the soil was being rolled into a ball, a few small, gritty pieces were falling off. Our soil sample was most likely silty loam.

The following picture is of our soil ribbon after a small amount of water was added to make the soil more able to be made into a ribbon

Soil Fertility Analysis

Ph Test Procedure:
1. Fill to 4 with water
2. Use 0.5g spoon to add three measures of soil sample
3. Cap and mix gently for one minute
4. Allow tube to stand for ten minutes to let soil settle
5. Match color reaction with the Ph color chart
6. Record result as Ph

Ph Test Result: 7.0
The ideal pH range for plants is 6-7.5. The plants growing near where the sample was taken are grass and bushes. All the plants surrounding the sample looked healthy. The grass was green and at a similar height.

Phosphorus Test Procedure:
1. Fill test rube to line 6 with phosphorus extracting solution
2. Use 0.5g spoon to add three measures of soil sample
3. Cap and mix gently for one minute
4. Remove cap. Allow to stand and soil to settle until liquid above water is clear
5. Use one pipet to transfer the clear liquid to a second clean test tube.
6. Add six drops of phosphorus indicator reagent into soil estrada in a second tube
7. Cap and mix
8. Add one phosphorus test tablet
9. Cap and mix until the tablet dissolves
10. Match color reaction

Phosporus Test Result: Low

Nitrogen Test Procedure:
1. Fill test tube to line 7 with nitrogen extracting solution
2. Use 0.5g spoon to add two measures of soil sample
3. Cap and mix gently for one minute
4. Remove cap and allow soil to settle
5. Use a clean pipet to transfer the clear liquid to a second test tube
6. Fill second tube to 3 with liquid
7. Use 0.25g spoon to add two measures of nitrogen indicator powder to soil extract in the 2nd tube
8. Cap and gently mix. Wait five minutes for pink color to develop above the powder
9. Match test color with nitrogen color chart

Nitrogen Test Result: Trace


Potassium Test Procedure
1. Fill test tube to line 7 with Potassm Extracting Solution
2. Use 0.5g spoon to add four measures of soil sample to test tube
3. Cap and shake vigorously for one minute
4. Remove cap and allow soil to settle
5.use pipet to transfer clear liquid to a second clean test tube. Do not pull up any soil to the pipet. Fill the second tube to line 5 w/ liquid.  
6. Add one potassium indicator tabletop soil extract in second tube
7. Cap and mix until tablet dissolves. A purplish color will appear.
8. Add 5709 solution, two drops at a time keeping count. Mix contents after each addition. Stop adding drops when the color changes from purple to blue. 
9. Use the potassium end point color chart to read the color change. Keep an accurate count of the number of drops added. Read results from table. 

Potassium Test Result: Low (18 drops of Potassium Test Solution were needed to change the color from purple to blue)
Based on these results, our soil sample was low in potassium and phosphorus. The nitrogen test resulted in trace, which means there is little nitrogen in our soil.

The following pictures are of the nitrogen test and of soil settling after being mixed and before the water is going to be extracted.

Salinization 4g

Salinization Procedure

20%

Measure4g of salt

Mix salt with 100mL of water

Measure out 20ml of the solution 

Pour over paper towel 

Put in unclosed ziplock bag 

Place under grow light

Looks like seeds

Quantitative test and Berlese funnel

Quantitative Test
I performed the quantitative soil test. I had to mix 60-70 ml of soil and add water up to the 100 ml line. I shook it for about 2 minutes with my hand covering the top to mix it all together. I used several different techniques to make sure the soil was completely declumped. 

Berlese Funnel 
I cut the top off of the bottle and used staples to secure the funnel to the sides of the bottle. I poured the ethanol into the bottle. Next I got a piece of mesh that Served as a filter for the mud. I had trouble deciding what size of mesh to use.  I ended Ip using a 2x2 square piece. I held the piece in place as I dumped the soil in.This prevented soil from getting through cracks and falling into the ethanol. I used my hand to gently pack the soil in. 

Role that organsims play in soil:
Our group did not find any organisms in our soil. However if we had, it would have been likely for our soil to contain oraganisms such as earth worms and rollly pollies. Worms have a big impact on soil. They stimulate microbial activity through their faces. The feces Turns organic matter into A form that can be taken up by plants and used for growth. Also, they increase infiltration. Earthworms make the soil more porous through borrowing. They also Provide channels for plant root growth. The borrows made by the worms create a nutrient rich path where the plants can grow their roots. 

Introduction

Introduction:
1. Soil is a natural body consisting of layers (known as soil horizons) that are primarily composed of minerals which differ from their parent materials in their texture, structure, consistency, colour, chemical, biological and other characteristics. It is the loose covering of  rock particles that cover the surface of the earth. It is composed of 50% minerals, 5% organic matter, and 45% air and water.
2. One of the major difference between soil and dirt is that soil contains living organisms while dirt is dead. Being 'dirty' is being unclean, and one can find dirt on his or her body, like under the fingernails, while soil is the layer of the ground on which we walk.
3. Soil is formed when parent material such as lava, ash, rock, or sediments is broken down through weathering. Then biological activity allows for the accumulation of some organic matter, living organisms, allowing the soil to form.
4. The major factors examined in soil texture are structure, texture, density, porosity, consistency, temperature, color, and and resistivity.
5. Light colored or reddish soils are very dry and fine, while some soil is very dark, which means it is enriched with organic matter.  In general, soil color is used to identify organic matter content, drainage conditions (water concentration), and oxidation degree (of organic, salt and carbonate contents).
6. Soil can have different structural sizes, such as very fine, fine, medium, thick, or very thick. Also, it can be classified into different grades, like weak, where soil easily falls apart, moderate, where there are few clumps, strong, where the clumps are strong and do not break apart easily, and structureless, where the soil clumps do not break apart at all and the soil is one big slab. The effect of pH is to remove from the soil or to make available certain ions. Regarding pH, soils with high acidity usually have toxic amounts of elements aluminium and manganese. Plants which need calcium need moderate alkalinity, but most minerals are more soluble in acid soils. Soil organisms are hindered by high acidity, and most agricultural crops do best with mineral soils of pH 6.5 and organic soils of pH 5.5. The cation exchange capacity is when roots donate positive hydrogen ions to the soil in exchange for nutrients, which the plants replenish by exchanging water with  the soil. However, if too much occurs the soil will become acidic damaging the soil and the plants growing in it.
7. Soils in Lake Zurich, Illinois are relatively dark signifying organic matter inhabiting it. Also, it relatively clumped, probably being in the 'moderate category. The soil structure is also about medium sized.
8. Hawaiian soil is very diverse. The effect of rainfall is the cause, where the islands, surrounded by water, have very moist soils, while on the mainland there are drier soils. Georgia has much red soil, signifying that it consists of a lot of clay and iron. The red also results from warm, humid weathering and climate and rainfall. The soil doesn't consist of much organic matter so many organisms don't live in the Georgian soil. Almost every soil type is found in Arizona, with the exception of tropical soils. Arizona soils have a lot of clay and are very alkaline as a result. Beneath the surface soil there is often a very hard-to-penetrate layer called caliche. Soils there can be low in nutrients and difficult to work with, requiring the addition of organic matter to assist the soil in holding water and nutrients.
9. Farmers should care about soil analysis because they need to use it in order to ensure that their soil can sustain crops to make a profit. Also, farmers care about soil analysis because they need it to ensure their fertzilizers are producing excess elements, like nitrogen, which can harm the environment, and can lead to the farmers having to pay taxes to the government for it. A social reason farmers should care about soil analysis is because they produce the food for the world, and their soil needs to be in excellent shape to do this. Also, when there are harmful things used in the soil that alter the analysis, such as pesticides, and people consume plants from this, they can make the people sick which causes death in society.