SOIL LAB PART I: Soil Texture Sand- 60% Silt- 35% Clay- 4% Results: Sandy Loam PART II:

Soil pH pH of Soil Sample: About 7.3 Postlab Questions: 1. Use the soil triangle to determine the type of soils with the following particle sizes a. 20% silt, 10% clay, 70% sand = Sandy Loam b. . 30% sand, 10% clay, 60% silt = Silt Loam c. 10% silt, 50% sand, 40% clay = Sandy Clay d. 30% clay, 30% sand, 40% silt = Clay loam e. 60% clay, 10% sand, 30% silt = Clay f. 40% sand, 10% silt, 50% clay = Clay 2. List and describe three ways in which soil pH affects an ecosystem. - Nutrients: if the soil is either too basic or acidic, the nutrients within the soil will not be absorbed by the plants - Growth: plants have specific ranges of pH that they can grow best in. If the pH of the soil is altered, the plants have a hard time growing and adapting. - Microorganisms: the microorganisms in the soil need a balanced pH in order to make their job of decomposing easier 3. What types of vegetation does soil of the type and pH you sampled best support? Vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and radishes can be supported best. Flowers include snowdrops, daffodils, and anemones which will grow well in sandy loam. 4. What would be the ideal type and pH of soil to have around a home? The best would be a loam type soil with a pH between 7-7.5. 5. What would be the ideal type and pH of soil for agriculture? Loam would be best for agriculture and a pH of 7. 6. How do farmers adjust the pH of soils? Farmers can adjust pH by adding ground limestone to create more basic soil, or add soil sulfur to raise the pH.

Part III: Classification of Soil Texture by Hand A: Using the method described above, try to classify your soil as mostly sand, mostly silt or mostly clay. How did you classify your soil based on this by hand method? What lead you to this conclusion? The soil sample felt as if it contain a lot clay due to the ability of it being turned into a ball. B: Now use the dichotomous key to classify your soil. What soil texture would you classify your sample based on this method? From the dichotomous key, my partner and I got silt loam. C: Do it again with the flow diagram- how would you classify your soil now? Loamy sand. D: Did your answers to all of the methods agree with each other? Why or why not? My answers did not agree with each other. From the dichotomous key, I received silt loam. From the test results of part I, I received sandy loam or loamy sand. The soil sample from the dichotomous key was not wet compared to the other soil samples used for other tests. The wet soil could contribute to the different results.