R e m o v e a n y d e b r i s f r o m t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e t e s t a r e a .

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Soil Analysis Purpose: Analyze a soil sample and compare growth rate, taste, and other factors in group samples from re-mediated and non-re-mediated soils. Materials: Local soil sample Lettuce seeds hand cans 100-ml graduated cylinder 200- ml graduated cylinder Centimeter ruler Aluminum foil Porcelain crucible Drying oven Ring stand and burner Filter paper Plastic bottles Ethanol Soil test kit Sample of clay Sample of sand. Part 1: Observations General Observations: The soils is a mix of dark and light brown soil with white beads in the mixture. Abiotic components: Nutrients, dirt, and sand. Biotic components: Roots and grass. Part 2: Soil Texture Background: Soil texture refers to a soil's sand, silt and clay composition. Soil content affects soil behavior, including the retention capacity for nutrients and water.[20] Sand and silt are the products of physical weathering, while clay is the product of chemical weathering. Clay content has retention capacity for nutrients and water. Clay soils resist wind and water erosion better than silty and sandy soils, as the particles are bonded to each other. In medium-textured soils, clay is often moved downward through the soil profile and accumulates in the subsoil.

Qualitative Test: Procedure: 1. Take a moist wad of sample and squeeze. 2. If gritty-sand, sticky-clay, neither-silt. Type of soil: Our type consists of sandy loam because it is gritty and does not form, clumps when squeezed together.

Quantitative Test: Procedure: 1. In a 100 ml cylinder, place 100-70mL soil. 2. Add water, saturated soil and keep adding water till the 100 ml mark. 3. Place hand over open end of cylinder, shake. 4. Place for 24 hours. Data: Total Height: 44 cm, 100 % Silt: 3 cm, 21.3% Sand: 2 cm, 14.3% Clay: 2 cm, 14.3% Type of soil: Loamy Sand It compares to our qualitative method because we assumed it was loamy sand to begin with due to the gritty feeling of the sample. Our soil is consistent with with our percolation test in the sense that our sample contains mostly sand and it shows in comparison with sand, the data is similar. Our sample contains mostly sand due to it's surrounding area being in a sandy region. Plants in the area prefer a similar soil. Part 3: Soil Moisture Background: Compared to other components of the hydrologic cycle, the volume of soil moisture is small; nonetheless, it of fundamental importance to many hydrological, biological and biogeochemical processes. Soil moisture information is valuable to a wide range of government agencies and private companies concerned with weather and climate, runoff potential and flood control, soil erosion and slope failure, reservoir management, geotechnical engineering, and water quality.

Procedure: 1. Using the aluminum create a bowl. 2. Find the mass of the empty aluminum tray. 3. Put a sample of your soil in the bowl and record the mass of both the bowl and sample. 4. Put in oven. 5. Find the mass of both the bowl and sample and then calculate the loss in mass due to heating. The soil moisture of our sample in comparison to our soil texture in part 2 is that since it is loamy sand it does not contain a lot of water. Part 5: Soil Porosity Background: Soil porosity refers to that part of a soil volume that is not occupied by soil particles or organic

matter. Pore spaces are filled with either air, other gases, or water. Large pores (macropores) allow the ready movement of air and the drainage of water. They are also large enough to accommodate plant roots and the wide range of tiny animals that inhabit the soil. Large pore spaces permit fast infiltration and percolation of water through a soil or soil horizon. Small pores (micropores) exhibit attractive forces strong enough to hold water in the pore. They are the water retention system of the soil which provides water storage for plant roots. During precipitation, macropores conduct water into the soil where it fills the micropores. At field capacity all pores small enough to retain water against the pull of gravity are filled (Brady and Weil, 1999; Munshower, 1994).

Procedure: 1. Put your sample into a 200 ml cylinder filled to the top. 2. Put a certain amount of water into the 200 ml cylinder (Record the amount of water used). Data: Volume of soil: 200 ml Porosity: 41 % Volume of water used: 82 ml Part 6: Percolate Rate Background: Percolation is the movement of water through the soil. Measuring the percolation rate will help determine if the soil drains fast enough where you want to: direct water with a downspout, create a swale or use retention grading. The percolation rate will also help determine how suitable the soil is for certain trees. Some need welldrained soil while others prefer a water-logged site.

Procedure: 1. Find the volume of soil by adding a certain amount of your soil (record measurement) and then adding water (record amount used) in a plastic bottle with a piece of filter paper at the bottom and a measuring glass at the very bottom. 2. Count how long it takes for the water to go through the sample and find the amount of water remaining after the process. 3. Calculate porosity.

Data: Sand Sample area Time Elapsed Water Volume 30 mL 115 sec 12 mL Clay 15 cm 110 sec 85 mL Sample 15 cm 34 sec 35 mL

Percolation rate for all 3 samples: Clay: 5.5% Sand:11.3% Soil: 10.9% Part 8: Chemical tests pH Background: The soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity in soils. pH is defined as the negative logarithm (base 10) of the activity of hydrogen ions (H+) in solution. It ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. A pH below 7 is acidic and above 7 is basic. Soil pH is considered a master variable in soils as it controls many chemical processes that take place. It specifically affects plant nutrient availability by controlling the chemical forms of the nutrient. The optimum pH range for most plants is between 6 and 7.5, however many plants have adapted to thrive at pH values outside this range.

Procedure: 1. Label each cup with the name of the additive that will be used to treat the soil. 2. Fill each cup with one cup of soil from your garden. Test the pH of each sample and record the data. (The pH should be the same, but this just confirms that they are the same and that each sample is at the same starting point.) 3. Following the directions that come with the additive, add the correct amount needed to treat a cup of soil. Follow any other necessary conditions (time, watering) that are required of the additive. 4. After all of the soil samples have been treated, retest the pH of each soil. Record this data and compare. Data: Medium Meaning of results: There is a balanced level of pH in our sample soil. Nitrogen Background: Nitrogen in the soil is the most important element for plant development. It is required in large amounts and must be added to the soil to avoid a deficiency. Nitrogen is a major part of chlorophyll and the green color of plants. It is responsible for lush, vigorous growth and the development of a dense, attractive lawn. Although nitrogen is the most abundant element in our atmosphere, plants can't use it until it is naturally processed in the soil, or added as fertilizer.

Procedure: 1. Collect 1 cup of soil and put it in a large bowl. 2. Fill the bowl containing the soil with 5 cups of water.

3. Mix the water with the soil sample for one minute, using a spoon. Set the bowl aside. Proceed when there's water above the soil and it looks like all the sediment has sunken to the bottom. This can take up to a day. 4. Pick the comparator labeled for the nutrient you wish to test. The phosphorus test kit, for instance, is blue. Open it up and remove the capsules from it. 5. Fill the comparator only with water from the blend you prepared in step 3. Use the dropper provided to make it easy to suck up the liquid without disturbing the soil on the bottom. Add the water to the fill line. 6. Open one of the capsules that match the color of the kit you're using (e.g., blue capsule for phosphorus test). For the contents in the comparator with the liquid. 7. Find the liquid's color, or a close approximation, on the chart for that test. The number next to it indicates one of four levels: depleted, deficient, adequate or sufficient.

Data: Low Meaning of results: There is a low level of nitrogen existing in our sample of soil. Phosphorus Background: Phosphorus (P) is an essential element classified as a macro nutrient because of the relatively large amounts of P required by plants. Phosphorus is one of the three nutrients generally added to soils in fertilizers. One of the main roles of P in living organisms is in the transfer of energy. Organic compounds that contain P are used to transfer energy from one reaction to drive another reaction within cells. Adequate P availability for plants stimulates early plant growth and hastens maturity. Although P is essential for plant growth, mismanagement of soil P can pose a threat to water quality. Procedure: 1. Collect 1 cup of soil and put it in a large bowl. 2. Fill the bowl containing the soil with 5 cups of water. 3. Mix the water with the soil sample for one minute, using a spoon. Set the bowl aside. Proceed when there's water above the soil and it looks like all the sediment has sunken to the bottom. This can take up to a day. 4. Pick the comparator labeled for the nutrient you wish to test. The phosphorus test kit, for instance, is blue. Open it up and remove the capsules from it. 5. Fill the comparator only with water from the blend you prepared in step 3. Use the dropper provided to make it easy to suck up the liquid without disturbing the soil on the bottom. Add the water to the fill line. 6. Open one of the capsules that match the color of the kit you're using (e.g., blue capsule for phosphorus test). For the contents in the comparator with the liquid. 7. Find the liquid's color, or a close approximation, on the chart for that test. The number next to it indicates one of four levels: depleted, deficient, adequate or sufficient. Data: High Meaning of results: There is a high level phosphorus in our sample of soil.

Potassium Background: Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient for plant growth. Because large amounts are absorbed from the root zone in the production of most agronomic crops, it is classified as a macronutrient. Minnesota soils can supply some K for crop production, but when the supply from the soil is not adequate, K must be supplied in a fertilizer program. This publication provides information important to the basic understanding of K nutrition of plants, its reaction in soils, its function in plants, and its role in efficient crop production. Procedure: 1. Collect 1 cup of soil and put it in a large bowl. 2. Fill the bowl containing the soil with 5 cups of water. 3. Mix the water with the soil sample for one minute, using a spoon. Set the bowl aside. Proceed when there's water above the soil and it looks like all the sediment has sunken to the bottom. This can take up to a day. 4. Pick the comparator labeled for the nutrient you wish to test. The phosphorus test kit, for instance, is blue. Open it up and remove the capsules from it. 5. Fill the comparator only with water from the blend you prepared in step 3. Use the dropper provided to make it easy to suck up the liquid without disturbing the soil on the bottom. Add the water to the fill line. 6. Open one of the capsules that match the color of the kit you're using (e.g., blue capsule for phosphorus test). For the contents in the comparator with the liquid. 7. Find the liquid's color, or a close approximation, on the chart for that test. The number next to it indicates one of four levels: depleted, deficient, adequate or sufficient. Data: Low Meaning of results: There is low level of potassium in our sample of soil. Final conclusion: Works cited www.Wikipedia.com http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/landprocess/lp_home.html http://ecorestoration.montana.edu/mineland/guide/analytical/physical/porosity.htm http://www.treepeople.org/soil-percolation-rates http://lawncare.about.com/od/plantnutrition/a/nitrogen.htm http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC6795.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC6794.html http://www.ehow.com/how_7253296_rapitest-soil-test-kit-instructions.html