Sandy, Loamy, or Clayey?
Hypothesis:
I think that the soil will not be the same depending on where it is harvested in the Native Plant Garden because there are different environments in that ecosystem. For example, a riparian environment will have a different type of soil texture compared to an environment where a pond used to be.
I think that the soil will not be the same depending on where it is harvested in the Native Plant Garden because there are different environments in that ecosystem. For example, a riparian environment will have a different type of soil texture compared to an environment where a pond used to be.
Sand, Silt, and ClayThese terms are defined by the sizes of the particles in the soil. These types of soils are most commonly found in the ground. Sand is composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. Sand particles range in diameter from 0.05 to 2.0 mm. and feels rough. Silt is composed of sand and clay and is described as a granular size. It is found in soil and a sediment that is mixed with water. The texture of silt has a plastic and floury feel when dry and slippery when wet. Silt particles range from 0.002 mm to 0.05 mm.. Clay is composed of fine-grained natural rock. It is also a soil material because when it is combined with one or more clay minerals with metal oxides and organic matter. The texture of clay is hard and brittle when it dries coming in contact with liquid. Clay particles range from 0.002 mm or smaller.
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Soil Texture TriangleThe soil texture triangle is used to find out if the soil consists of more sand, silt, and clay. Depending on that, the soil will be defined by sandy, loamy, or clayey. For example, our sample from a riparian environment has a soil between a sandy loam and loamy sand. The thickness of clay that we got was 4%, silt with a thickness of 10% and sand with a thickness of 87%.
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Identifying Soil Texture by MeasurementFor this experiment, we went to a Native Plant Garden to harvest some soil to measure how much sand, silt, and clay a certain spot has. The spot where I harvested my soil was in a riparian environment. The soil was dried, picked out other substances other than soil, tested for texture, and then put into a graduated cylinder with water to separate the soil. When the soil separated into layers, the thickness of sand was a deposit of 45 ml, a silt deposit of 5 ml, and a clay deposit of 2 ml. The results helped determine the actual soil texture of the harvested soil from a riparian environment. This soil is either known as loamy sand or sandy loam.
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