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Who we are
Who we are
documenters- Lizbeth Mendez and Annika Ling
researcher-June McKeel
visual director-Meredith Claassen-Wilson
Background
Background
For our project we tested the different types of soils in the different plots in the prairie. We used the soil texture jar test. The prairie has a unique tallgrass prairie restoration experiment. There are 18 plots in the prairie and three types of plot. One only has tallgrass and one has tallgrass and some flowers and the last one has tallgrass and a lot of flowers. There are lots of bugs and a beautiful view.
We did research on the soil and that has affected the grass height. The soil is an abiotic factor and has nutrients that make the grass grow at different heights. The grass height is important because the first consumers in the ecosystem eat the grass and if it's taller there is more grass to eat making the ecosystem more stable. There are many direct and indirect relationships between the grass, the soil, and the animals. One is that the grass can help the animals hide, eat and many other things. The animals can help ferment the soil by pooping it and that can decompose into nutritious soil that will help the grass.
Methods
Methods
To calculate whether soil type affects grass length, over the course of 2 days we get dirt samples from plots 13, 7, 1, 14, 8, and 2. We then measured the height of the plants in inches and went inside to find out our soil types. We put equal amounts of our soil samples in glass vials and filled them to the brim with water. We waited 48 hours so that the dirt would have time to layer. We then measured in centimeters and calculated the soil type using a soil graph. Then we put the data on the graph to see if there was a correlation between soil type and grass height.
Map
Map
Data
Data
During our first day in the prairie (10/28/22), we collected soil samples from plots 1, 7, and 13. For each plot we collected about a dixie cup full of soil with a handheld shovel. Next, we measured the height of the prairie grass in the locations of the collected soil. The final step in our process was taking pictures of our data collection. The next day on 10/28/22, we repeated the process but with plots 2, 8, and 14.
Conclusion
Conclusion
To summarize, we tested whether or not the soil type affected the grass height. Overall, we found that silt and silt loam soil had similar grass growth, but silt loam soil had slightly more. You can see in the graph that the grass height for the silt loam soil is greater than the grass height for the silt soil. Potential errors could have included; differing heights in prairie grass, inconsistent soil types, and the time of year that we collected the data.
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