Download Teaching soil ecology in one lab session

Teaching soil ecology in one lab
session
Becky Ball
Arizona State University West
Campus
Pre-lab lecture:
• Review basics of soil
formation, profile, and
components.
• Talk about variation
among ecosystems, as
well as within
ecosystems.
• Have students generate
hypotheses about how
soils might differ within
their campus ecosystem
(based on plant cover,
management, etc.)
Before measuring texture:
• Discuss how soil water
holding capacity and
aeration influence biology.
Using the tactile
method of making a
ribbon from a wet
ball of soil
Before measuring pH:
• Discuss role of base cations
and cation exchange
Using a soil test kit.
Methods from the
accompanying
instructions are
posted on the board.
Before measuring N:
• Review the importance of
nutrients in productivity.
• Discuss why N is frequently
limiting in ecosystems.
Use a soil test kit.
Methods from the
accompanying
instructions are
posted on the board.
Before counting microarthropods:
• Review the soil food web
• Introduce the various taxa they
are likely to encounter
• Emphasize that these biota are
responsible for key processes
(and that, essentially, they run
the world).
• Emphasize the vast amount of
biodiversity in the soil.
Using pre-extracted
microarthropod
samples that I collect
before the lab.
Method is discussed
in lab.