soil analysis presentation
DESCRIPTION
This document is a PDF version of my soil analysis research project presentation I gave on 6 August 2008. Field work for this project involved selected sites in the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Woodland Garden and was conducted during the summer of 2008.TRANSCRIPT
Soil Analysis of Selected Sitesin the Cleveland Botanical Woodland Garden
by Lisa K. Schlag on 6 August 2008
Purpose of Research
• Begin to record baseline values of soil quality
indicators of the Woodland Garden soil for subsequent
evaluation and comparison; and, in the course of collecting
specific data on earthworm densities, provide pilot testing
for earthworm collection procedures.
• In addition to the plant inventory data, collecting
data on Woodland Garden soil will provide additional
information that will assist with future management and
planning.
Introduction
What is soil ?Unconsolidated mineral and organic material on the
immediate surface of the earth that contains living and nonliving matter and serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.
Functions of soil for plantsanchorage • water • oxygen • nutrients
Soil Quality Indicatorsqualitative and/or quantitative techniques
• collect measurements
• evaluate patterns, if any• compare results to measurements taken at different
time/location
Site Characteristics
Soil Quality Indicatorsevaluate within context of site and climate characteristics
Soil Series: UeA (Urban land Elnora complex)
Elnora: 0 - 9“ loamy fine sand
Oshtemo: 0 - 8“ sandy loam
Glenford: 0 - 7“ silt loam
Stafford Variant: 0 - 4“ sandy loamCuyahoga county lies entirely within glaciated part of Ohio.Bedrock underlying glacial deposits is sandstone and shale.
Management History: low Slope %: varies with site
Climate Information : 35.4” average annual precipitation
Site Characteristics
Site OneOO - NW quadrant
Site TwoNN - NW quadrant
Site ThreeMM - NW quadrant
Site FourLL - NW quadrant
Site FiveKK - NW quadrant
Site SixJJ - NW quadrant
Properties of Soil -- Soil Quality Indicators
Physical Property Indicators• Soil Texture • availability of Oxygen (aeration)
• Soil Structure • mobility of water through soil
• Bulk Density • ease of root penetration and growth
• Soil Temperature • soil fertility
Chemical Property Indicators• Electrical Conductivity • availability of nutrients and water
• Soil pH • plant growth
• Soil Nutrient Availability • macro/micro organism activity
Biological Property Indicators• Earthworm Density • all above to a greater or lesser extent
Physical Property Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Texture
Proportions of mineral separates in a particular soildetermine soil texture class
Sand • house key thickness• small pin head• book page thickness
Silt • visible under microscopeClay • most are not visible
even under a microscope
Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil TextureProcedures
Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil TextureProcedures
Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil TextureProcedures
Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil TextureProcedures
Site OO -- Soil Texture ClassSandy Loam
4% Clay
41% Silt
55% Sand
Site NN -- Soil Texture ClassSandy Loam
3% Clay
39% Silt
58% Sand
Site MM -- Soil Texture ClassLoamy Sand
2% Clay22% Silt
76% Sand
Site LL -- Soil Texture ClassSilt Loam
4% Clay
57% Silt
39% Sand
Site KK -- Soil Texture ClassSandy Loam
6% Clay
35% Silt
59% Sand ●
Site JJ -- Soil Texture ClassSandy Loam
4% Clay
25 Silt
71% Sand
Soil Texture Classes of all Sites
OO: sandy loam
NN: sandy loam
MM: loamy sand
LL: silt loam
KK: sandy loam
JJ: sandy loam
Physical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Soil Structure
How soil particles grouped together into stable aggregates Characteristics
Type (shape) Class (size) Grade (cohesion strength)• angular blocky • very fine • weak• subangular • fine • moderate• granular • medium • strong• columnar • coarse• platy • very coarse• prismatic
Site OO -- Soil Structure
A horizon
>20 cm
dark grayish brown sandy loam, moderate medium and fine granular structure
Site NN -- Soil Structure
A horizon
3 cm//6 cm//11 cm
dark grayish brown sandy loam, moderate medium and fine granular structure
Site MM -- Soil Structure
A horizon
8 cm//10 cm//15 cm
dark grayish brown loamy fine sand, weak medium and fine granular structure
Site LL -- Soil Structure
A horizon
2 cm//6 cm//9 cm
very dark grayish brown silt loam, moderate medium and fine granular structure
Site KK -- Soil Structure
A horizon
>20 cm
dark grayish brown sandy loam, weak medium and fine granular structure
Site JJ -- Soil Structure
A horizon
13 cm// 20 cm
dark grayish brown sandy loam, weak medium and fine granular structure
Physical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Bulk Density
Measurement of soil mass for a volume of soil as it appears naturally, including any air space and organic materials.
• Determines if soil layers are too compacted to allow root penetration or adequate aeration
• soil mass calculated dry• soils with different bulk densities due to different textures may
be equally good for plant growth
Soil Quality Indicator -- Bulk DensityProcedures
Bulk Density of all Sites
Water > 20 - 30% organic mattermineral soil densities weigh more organic soil densities weigh less
1g/cm3OO JJLL KKMM NN
Site Bulk Density (g/cm3) Soil Texture Ideal BD for plant growth OO 1.584966 sandy loam < 1.60NN .749718 sandy loam < 1.60MM 1.481139 loamy sand < 1.60LL 1.492541 silty loam < 1.40KK .918373 sandy loam < 1.60JJ 1.097283 sandy loam < 1.60
Physical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Soil Temperature
Determined by
• Heat supply to soil surface
> organic soil covering reduces
• Dissipation of heat in soil
> if soil water content higher, more
heat needed for temperature
changes
Soil temperature changes with depth and time of day.
Daily air temperature fluctuations seldom affect soil deeper than 12 -16” (30 - 40cm).
Soil Temperature of all Sites
Soil Temp/Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ<=12”depth 72oF 65oF 63oF 66oF 68oF 68oF
Soil Temperature of all Sites
Soil Temp/Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ12”depth 68oF 62oF 61oF 64oF 63oF 63oF18”depth 63oF 60oF 60oF 62oF 63oF 63oF
Chemical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Electrical Conductivity
Measurement of soil salinity
Factors affecting EC• Porosity: greater porosity more easily electricity conducted• Temperature: decrease in temperature toward freezing point of
water soil EC decreases• Precipitation: if too low, usually <15" annually, to provide
leaching, most or all soluble salts remain in soil• average Cleveland annual precipitation is
35.4"
Chemical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Soil pH
Indication of the acidity or basicity of soil
Soil Quality Indicators --Electrical Conductivity and Soil pH
Procedures
1:1 soil-water suspension
Electrical Conductivity of all Sites
Normal Soils< 4 dS/m
Site EC Salinity ClassOO .8 dS/m non salineNN .9 dS/m non salineMM 1.6 dS/m very slight salineLL .9 dS/m non salineKK 1.2 dS/m very slight salineJJ .6 dS/m non saline
Soil pH of all Sites
Soil pH/Site OO NN MM LL KK JJSensor 7.3 7.1 7.1 7.8 6.2 6.2Lab 7.1 6.8 6.8 7.4 6.5 6.3
Chemical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Soil Nutrient Availability
Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ labpH 7.1 6.8 6.8 7.4 6.5 6.3
Soil Nutrient Availability of all SitesLab Analysis
Site Measure of Available Soil NutrientsP K Ca Mg
OO surplus high medium mediumNN high high medium mediumMM medium high medium mediumLL high high medium mediumKK high medium medium mediumJJ high medium medium medium
Nutrient availability appears good
Biological PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Earthworm Density
Earthworms important, but not necessary soil organismsin all habitats
Earthworm populations vary with food availability and soil conditionsFavorable Conditions Unfavorable Conditions
Temperature 10 - 20ºC (50 - 68ºF) 25 - 35ºC (77 - 95ºF)Soil properties medium texture sandy/clayeySoil pH 5-7.4 pH <=4.5pHFood source do NOT eat living vegetation conifer needles -- pine
elm, ash, & birch litter eaten and spruce hardly eatenmore freely than oak & beech
Soil disturbance undisturbed soil system
Generally, improve soil quality• increase availability of nutrients in soil• accelerate decomposition of organic matter (can be
unfavorable, especially in certain hardwood forest habitats)• improve physical properties
Soil Quality Indicator -- Earthworm DensityProcedures
Soil Quality Indicator -- Earthworm DensityProcedures
Earthworm Density of four of the six Sites
No Adults/Juveniles
Site per 13.3cm2 per m2
OO 8 72NN 7 63MM 8 72LL 7 63(most appeared to be nearsurface dwellers (epigeic))
Do Differently
1. retain core samples taken for soil structure
2. collect more core samples
3. collect more soil samples for soil texture average
4. record slope percentage
5. record soil color as indicators of parent material,organic material, and soil conditions, such as water retention
6. test bulk density using another method to compare results
7. do earthworm sampling in spring or autumn
State Soil of OhioMiamian Soil
Consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in a thin layer of loess and in the underlying loamy till, which is high in content of lime. The original vegetation consisted of deciduous forest species, principally white oak, maple, elm, ash, and hickory.
Most extensive soils in Ohio. They occur on more than 750,000 acres in the state. They are productive soils. Corn, soybeans, and winter wheat are the primary crops. The average annual precipitation ranges from 33 to 42 inches.
Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; common fine roots; 1 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) thick]