Community Ecology - Diversity and Interactions

Order of Operations for the Session:

Go over in the bus to choose dissecting scopes, set them up in the RV basement lab
Lab lecture upstairs Oshtemo
Look at the preserved Tullgren funnel specimens under dissecting scopes
Collect live specimens using sieves, look at them under dissecting scopes
Provide insect materials (nets and kill jar), pit trap and/or light trap if you want
Go out to the WPP to learn about plant diversity
1. - Plant & Soil Animal Feedback

Below Ground Life

THIS IS YOUR CENTRAL IDENTIFICATION SHEET FOR SOIL LIFE!

These are nematodes mostly...you won't really see these. But there are some arthropods, etc. that you will see.

Good resource on a variety of critters.

This one's a bit dramatic but it gets the point.

Example of how to collect critters from litter and the organic layer of soil.

Liquid Extraction of Earthworms

In this method you pour a solution of mustard water on the soil allowing it to percolate down. The mustard solution irritates the skin of earthworms and they come to the surface to avoid it, where they can be collected and counted. To make the solution, mix 4 liters (~1 gallon) of water with 40 grams (~1/3rd cup) ground yellow mustard seed. This is the same powdered yellow mustard you will find in the spice rack in any grocery store. However, if you plan on doing this a lot it is MUCH cheaper to buy it in bulk at the local food coop.

A 4L jug of mustard solution is enough to sample a 35cm x 35 cm (1 square foot) sample plot. Clear away the dry surface litter in your sample area (if the litter is wet you may have to search it by hand for errant earthworms). Slowly pour about half of the jug of mustard solution over the area allowing it to soak in as much as possible. If worms are present and active they should begin coming up almost immediately. If they don’t come up immediately, wait 2 minutes or so and then pour again. A forceps is handy for picking the earthworms up off the surface. Have a collection tray to put them in until you’re done, since they can come up in rapid succession and if you are collecting and preserving your earthworms, put some ethanol in the collection tray to anesthetize the earthworms as they surface. When picking up the surfacing earthworms, WAIT until they come all the way up and out of the soil before you grab them or they will try to go back down and you will most often get an earthworm piece, rather than a whole earthworm. After a few minutes, and the initial flush of earthworms slows down, pour more of the solution over the sample area. You will probably get another flush of earthworms coming to the surface. Continue this until the whole gallon is used up (2 or 3 pourings). Deeper dwelling species take longer to surface than those close to the surface to don’t be too impatient. Total sample time is usually 5-10 minutes.

This technique works well for all species of earthworms but only when the earthworms are active. If it has been very dry, very hot or very cold in the week(s) prior to sampling they may not respond as well since they may be in aestivation (earthworm version of hibernation). In contrast, if air temperatures have been moderate and it has rained recently they are likely to be active and respond well to the liquid extraction. AN EXCEPTION – if the soil is very compacted and/or has a poor structure (heavy clay, fields, roads, etc.) the extractant doesn’t move well through the soil and the earthworms will not respond because the liquid doesn’t reach them.

Insects in the Garden

Common Pests of Maize:

Diversity of Plants in the WPP

WPP Notes

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PJTk59t1rLzjY-K8blh8NsKAXCSEEVzp/view?usp=sharing

Description of Common Agroforestry Plants

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e8Wr1edZTcZEuoombBpQ2JmvXSf6cdmr/view?usp=sharing

We can’t talk about nutrient management without talking about soil biology

(Endophytes, mycorrhizae, N-fixing bacteria)

Ways to Deliver Nutrients:

Application of Compost
Incorporation into the soil where crops are being grown
Top dressing
Foliar feeding via compost tea

Remember - you are not just delivering nutrients but you are also innoculating the soil!

Also - some soils retain nutrients better than others. SOM and Biochar can be VERY useful!

Central Paradigm Shift!!!!!!

Nutrients have to be in their INORGANIC form to be taken up by plants.

NOPE

Rhizophagy Cycle: An Oxidative Process in Plants for Nutrient Extraction from Symbiotic Microbes

How to Keep Your Soil Living (and the nutrients flowing)

Watch out when applying inorganic nutrients (N & P) as this can shut the whole show down
Avoid compaction, tillage, harsh pesticides and fungicides
Inoculates like compost/compost tea may be helpful
Diverse cover crop mixtures - living roots in the soil as much as possible
Not all nutrient sources are equal - amino acids, peptides, urea are “less work” for the plant to take up - so nutrient use efficiency will increase!
Get soil tests relevant to your biology!

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