SCI207 - Week 2 Lab Report - Kimberly Selby
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University Of Arizona *
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Geography
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Jan 9, 2024
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Properties of Soil: Agriculture and Water Availability Impacts Laboratory
Kimberly Selby
SCI 207: Our Dependence Upon the Environment
Marc Hnytka
10/11/2023
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*Use this template to write your lab report each week. Complete the sections below, pasting in all completed data tables, graphs, and photographs where indicated. Before you submit your report, run it through Turnitin using the student folder to safeguard against accidental plagiarism.
Please delete this text along with all other template instructions before submitting your report. Title of Lab Goes Here
Introduction Through this lab, we learn how to identify soil properties to make soil feasible for plants and crops to thrive. The soil type of an area becomes important when determining what type of crops or plants will grow there. For high-quality soil, organic materials must be present, so if there is none currently detected, we can add organic fertilizers so that the soil can have the highest levels of nutrients available for growth. Let's say we're planting an apple tree and want to
determine whether the soil is suitable for it. Our first step will be to determine whether to add fertilizer or reduce the amount of acid in the soil so that it can grow properly.
This lab was designed to show how soil types can differ from one another. It explains why certain plants or crops may not grow in certain soil types. It also shows how to determine what plants or crops will thrive in the kind of soil you have in your area. During one of my experiments, I found that water travels slower through clay than sand or my soil sample. Many plants or crops growing in clay may not receive sufficient nutrients from the water source before they become depleted. Sand passes water quickly, so crops could be overwatered, which could also cause them to die. Aside from testing soil for acids and harmful pollutants, this lab also taught me how to check the texture of soil.
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Hypotheses
Activity 1: I Predict there will be 60% sand, 30% silt, and 10% clay. I chose these amounts because North Florida soils are typically very sandy, and there is not a high presence of clay.
Activity 2: I predict that Soil Sample A will be the most porous. I chose this sample because the soil texture is sandy loam. Sand and loam by themselves are porous, so mixed I think that it will be even more porous. We use this for potting soil for our plants and vegetables.
Activity 3: I predict that Soil Sample A will be more acidic because it came from my yard, and it
constantly rains in Florida, so the water moves through the soil faster because it has a more significant sand content, meaning the nutrients get washed through. Sample B will be the remaining clay from this lab, as most other soil areas near me would be the same as my yard.
Activity 4: I predict that Soil Sample B will have more nutrients because I am using the remaining clay from this lab. I believe that the nutrients would be able to be stored longer in clay
soil because it is not as porous as Soil Sample A, which is predominately sand. With Soil Sample
A, with the amount of rain we get here, the nutrients would be washed through faster than the clay in Soil Sample B.
Results
Data Tables and Observations
Data Table 1: Particle Size Distribution and Soil Type
Depth of clay layer (cm)
Depth of silt layer (cm)
Depth of sand layer (cm)
Total depth (cm)
% clay
% silt
% sand
Soil texture
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Soil sample A
0.6
1.3
3.3
5.2
11.5%
25%
64%
Sandy loam
Data Table 2: Determination of Soil Porosity
Time taken for first drop to emerge from column (s)
Sand sample
29.9 seconds
Clay sample
67.4 seconds
Soil sample A
14.8 seconds
Data Table 3: pH Comparison of Soil Samples
Soil sample A
Soil sample B (Location description: clay from lab)
pH
pH 5.0: very acidic
pH 6.0: acid
Data Table 4: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash Comparison in Soil Samples
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Potash
Soil sample A
N1: deficient
P1: deficient
K3: sufficient
Soil sample B
N4: surplus
P4: surplus
K0: depleted
Graphs and Photographs
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Analysis
For activity one, I predicted 60% sand, 30% silt, and 10% clay in Soil Sample A. During my observations, I calculated 11.5% clay, 25% silt, and 64% sand in the soil sample from my yard (Soil Sample A). After reviewing the results of this experiment, although I was close to my predictions, I reject my hypothesis because my percentages were not accurate to the results.
For activity two, I predicted that Soil Sample A would be the most porous. I also predicted that the Clay Sample would be the least porous because the shape and state of its particles would not easily allow the water to travel through. During my observations, I determined that the time taken for the first drop to emerge from the Sand Sample was 29.9 seconds, the Clay Sample was 67.4 seconds, and the Soil Sample A was 14.8 seconds. After reviewing the results of this experiment, I accept my hypothesis of Soil Sample A being the most porous and the Clay Sample being the least porous.
For activity three, I predicted that Soil Sample A would be more acidic than Soil Sample B, the remaining clay from this lab. During my observations, I determined that Soil Sample A had a pH
balance of 5.0, which is ‘very acid,’ and Soil Sample B had a pH balance of 6.0, which is ‘acid.’ After reviewing the results of this experiment, I accept my hypothesis of Soil Sample A being more acidic than Soil Sample B.
For activity four, I predicted that Soil Sample B would have more nutrients than Soil Sample A, because Soil Sample B is the remaining clay from this lab. During my observations, I determined
that Soil Sample A was deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus but sufficient in potash. Soil Sample B had a surplus of nitrogen and phosphorus, but was depleted of potash. After reviewing the results of this experiment, I accept my hypothesis of Soil Sample B having more nutrients
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than Soil Sample A because B had a surplus of 2 out of 3 nutrients that were tested, and A was only sufficient in one out of three nutrients that were tested.
In one or more well-written paragraphs: 1) Restate your original hypothesis for the lab activity; 2) Communicate the results of the lab, referring back to specific results from your data tables, photos, graphs, or observations; 3) Compare your hypothesis to your results and decide either to accept your hypothesis or to reject it; 4) State whether you accept your hypothesis or reject it and
explain with evidence; 5) Move on to the next hypothesis and repeat these steps.
Reminder: this section should be written in paragraph form
, not as bulleted or numbered lists.
Discussion
From this lab, I now understand the significance of knowing how to determine soil properties for supporting healthy plants and crops. If you know the levels of sand, silt, and clay in your soil, you can determine the particle size of your soil and its specific soil type. This will provide you with a better understanding of the time it takes for water to reach any plants or crops
that you are growing to make sure they are not depleted of the necessities they need to thrive. It is also pivotal to understand the pH levels of your soil because if it is too acidic, or not acidic enough for the specific plant or crop type, it can hinder optimal growth opportunities. Based on this information, you can correct pH levels if necessary. You also need to know the NPK levels of your soil, since they provide nutrients to your growing plants and crops, and if the levels are off, they may not be able to grow properly.
I had two main challenges with this lab. One was how much time it took me to complete. I read the announcement beforehand, so I knew it was going to take multiple days. However, if I read the instruction manual thoroughly first before beginning the activities, I would have been
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able to determine that I could have done the overnight activities at the same time instead of spreading them out over the course of two nights. I would have been able to have this whole lab completed in two days instead of four. Next time, I will read the instructions all the way through before beginning anything to ensure I do not waste my own time. The second challenge I had with this lab was doing the NPK and pH tests. The instructions were very clear, and the process of doing everything was straightforward, however I had a difficult time looking at my samples in
the vial and determining the color because I have a little bit of color blindness, so I had to ask my
boyfriend to look at them for me. This resulted in me not knowing 100% if my results were correct, but since it is an experiment, the results would be what I determined them to be.