Level 11 Guiding Question: What are the factors that nurture good soil quality?
An incredible diversity of organisms make up the soil food web. They range in size from the tiniest one-celled bacteria, algae, fungi, and protozoa, to the more complex nematodes and micro-arthropods, to the visible earthworms, insects, small vertebrates, and plants.
As these organisms eat, grow, and move through the soil, they make it possible to have clean water, clean air, healthy plants, and moderated water flow.
There are many ways that the soil food web is an integral part of landscape processes. Soil organisms decompose organic compounds, including manure, plant residue, and pesticides, preventing them from entering water and becoming pollutants. They sequester nitrogen and other nutrients that might otherwise enter groundwater, and they fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, making it available to plants. Many organisms enhance soil aggregation and porosity, thus increasing infiltration and reducing runoff. Soil organisms prey on crop pests and are food for above-ground animals.
As these organisms eat, grow, and move through the soil, they make it possible to have clean water, clean air, healthy plants, and moderated water flow.
There are many ways that the soil food web is an integral part of landscape processes. Soil organisms decompose organic compounds, including manure, plant residue, and pesticides, preventing them from entering water and becoming pollutants. They sequester nitrogen and other nutrients that might otherwise enter groundwater, and they fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, making it available to plants. Many organisms enhance soil aggregation and porosity, thus increasing infiltration and reducing runoff. Soil organisms prey on crop pests and are food for above-ground animals.
Level 11 Investigation: Soil Food Web
To learn more about the fascinating soil food web please click on the button below to explore the more on the what is going on beneath your feet.
Level 11 Videos: Nutrient Cycling
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Biological indicators
Level 11 Elaborate: Soil Food Web
Gather soil from flower beds and compose piles and place small samples in petri dishes. Using dissecting and compound microscopes as well as probes search the samples for macro and micro-organisms. As you are surveying the soils take pictures of what you see using a cell phone, tablet or other device and send them to a cloud service or other storage drive that can be shared with your classmates and instructor so that the organisms can be identified.
Level 11 Review: Nutrient Cycles
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Level 11 Summary: Unit Test
Before the unit test is posted please study the following link: