The+Force

 =**Trial Study for Chandler Pond Site** =

= = **Reference Links for learning about and interpreting soil data**   __**Our research question:**__ What is the relationship between soil quality and nearby tree type at Chandler's Pond? Parameters: Measures of soil quality: pH, phosphate content, potassium content //(possibly macroinv. count)// Number of data sets: 2-3 sites for each of 3-4 tree types (total of 10-12 sites) Collect soil sample halfway between trunk of the tree and canopy edge, at a constant depth of 3-4".

__**Our hypothesis:**__ We predict that the soil quality is affected by the species of tree nearest to the site.

__**Background information**__ from http://soil.gsfc.nasa.gov/soilfert/npk.htm


 * Potassium**
 * Potassium (K) is very important in the plant photosynthesis process and in helping plants metabolize their food to get energy, like humans and other animals do when they eat. Potassium controls water and chemicals inside plants that help plants function well. Potassium also controls the absorption of water into plant pores.
 * Plants lacking in K do not have enough energy to properly grow, their roots are not well formed, and they have weak stems and stalks. The edges of older plant leaves appear "burned", as K deficient plants cannot regulate and use water efficiently. K deficient plants are more easily affected by pests, bugs, and diseases. Also, they cannot survive through winters or droughts (periods of time when water is not available to plants).


 * Nitrogen**
 * Nitrogen (N) helps plants use carbohydrates to gain energy, like certain foods we eat help us to gain energy. Nitrogen controls how plants take their form and how they function inside, and nitrogen helps plants make protein that help them grow strong and healthy. Humans and animals benefit from eating vegetables and plants that are rich in nitrogen because proteins are passed on to humans and animals when they eat vegetables and plants.
 * Plants deficient in nitrogen have thin, spindly stems and their growth is stunted. Their older leaves turn yellowish-green from nitrogen starvation (chlorosis), while newer leaves are supplied with the available, but limited nitrogen.
 * Plants that get too much nitrogen have alot of foliage (leaf) growth but are not strong.Plants that are not strong can get diseases more easily, can be bothered more by bugs, and can eventually fall over and die. An excess amount of nitrogen in plants can affect the amount of sugar and vitamins in fruits and vegetables, making them taste different. More importantly excess nitrogen can build up in plant tissues causing toxicity (poisoning) in livestock and in small children who eat nitrogen rich, leafy vegetables.


 * Phosphorus**
 * Phosphorus (P) plays an important part in how plants and animals form and in how they function and grow.Phosphorus is known to help plants during photosynthesis, and is a player in cellular respiration. Phosphrus provides energy transfer and storage (in the form of ATP), and also helps plants efficiently use water. Seedlings and roots grow more quickly and vegetable and fruit production is increased when plants get enough phosphorus. Soil phosphorus comes mainly from the weathering of rocks that contain the inorganic mineral


 * Soil pH**
 * Soil pH affects phosphorus availability to plants. In alkaline soils, in arid climates, calcium phosphate (CaPO4) is dominant. If soil pH gets too high a chemical reaction takes place that fixes the phosphorus and makes it insoluble and unusable by plants. In acid soils aluminum phosphate (AlPO4), iron phosphate (FePO4) and sometimes manganese phosphate (MnPO4)are dominant. If soil pH gets too low a chemical reaction takes place that fixes phosphorus to Al, Fe, or Mn and phosphorus becomes insoluble and unusable by plants.


 Soil test kit (LaMotte kits)  Garden shovel or trowel Collection bucket and plastic bags for soil samples Bottle with lid for waste chemicals Clipboard and data recording sheets Tree ID books Safety glasses and gloves Tape measure Site marker flags goggles //extras: clinometer, stratification jar, permeability test, heat lamp ...)//

 Class** ||~ **Diameter** ||~ Health ||~ Phosphate level ||~ Nitrogen level ||~ Potassium level ||~ pH ||~ Scientific Name ||
 * __Method__:**
 * 1)  Identify and select tree types in the study site.
 * 2)  Measure diameter, crown and overall health of each tree in the study; estimate the height class of each tree.
 * 3)  Determine the sampling site by locating the half-way mark between the tree trunk and canopy edge; mark the site location with a stick or flag.
 * 4)  Collect and label a soil sample at each sampling site; run tests for pH, Phosphate, Nitrogen and Potassium.
 * __Data__:**
 * ~ Tree ID ||~ Canopy ||= **Tree Height
 * = 1 ||= 10' ||= 3 ||= 22" ||= 2.5 ||= trace ||= ‹ trace ||= 120-200 lbs/acre ||= 5.5 ||= Litte-leaf Linden//, Tilia cordata// ||
 * = 2 ||= 18' ||= 3 ||= 20.3" ||= 3 ||= trace ||= ‹ trace ||= 120-200 lbs/acre ||= 5.0 ||= Litte-leaf Linden//, Tilia cordata// ||
 * = 3 ||= 9' ||= 1 ||= 4.3" ||= 3 ||= low ||= ‹ trace ||= 120-200 lbs/acre ||= 4 ||= Paper Birch//, Betula papyrifera// ||
 * = 4 ||= 12' ||= 1 ||= 8" ||= 3 ||= trace to low ||= ‹ trace ||=  ||= 5.9 ||= Paper Birch//, Betula papyrifera// ||



Here are some incriminating photos of us doing fieldwork this week.

Here's an embedded Google Earth view of the site; still need to figure out how to transfer the placemarks and polygons. media type="custom" key="958755"

Here's a static image of the site, showing the site boundary and approximate tree locations:

__**Discussion:**__ One of our goals was to establish some baseline data for soil characteristics in the study site. __**Conclusions:**__ There was insufficient data based on this trial study to determine how/ if tree type affects or is affected by soil type. Additional samples are needed. We were able to see similarities in values between sites. The data suggests that healthy trees require only trace amounts of phosphates and nitrogen in the soil. __**Experimental Error:**__ some soils difficult to process; inconsistency in soil settling introduced soil to the samples that may have altered results. The birch trees were closer to the pond than the Linden trees and could be utilizing water, with different nutrient levels, from the pond. __**Additonal tests to improve base-line information:**__ soil percolation, levels of solid materials (turbidity tube), soil moisture; macroinvertebrates present.

Here's a funny Jeff Corwin video, just because: media type="youtube" key="5c4ThdwbnTo&hl=en&fs=1" height="344" width="425" Hi there everyone. What a great day we had today.

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