Download Soil Problems

Soil Problems
By W.Batke
Activity
Teacher Notes
Pick your problem:
You are a famous
soil specialist who
helps people with
their problems.
Identify the
problem and then
suggest some
possible solutions.
Gardening Problem 1
Gardening Problem 2
Septic Tank Troubles
Toilet Troubles:
I have raw sewage on the
bathroom floor. All of my toilets
have backed up.
This is the classic failure in which
raw sewage is rejected by the
disposal system.
Here are some possible causes:
Use of system beyond its designed capacity.
(too many showers,flushes,laundry)
Improper disposal of solvents, grease,
etc., in the septic tank. (clogged up)
Improper disposal or use of chemicals
that have killed the bacteria
Soil too impermeable, soil has a high
clay content
List some possible causes:
What is the cause? Click to see
Use of system beyond its designed capacity.
(too many showers,flushes,laundry)
Improper disposal of solvents, grease,
etc., in the septic tank. (clogged up)
Improper disposal or use of chemicals
that have killed the bacteria
Soil too impermeable, soil has a high clay
content causing the sewage to back up
Use of system beyond its
designed capacity.
No….
No….
No….
Try
again
Improper disposal of solvents,
grease
No….
Try
again
Improper disposal or use of chemicals
that have killed the bacteria
No….
Try
again
How a septic tank works
As a toilet is flushed, sewage travels
down by gravity to a tank and allowed
to settle. Floatable materials rise. The
partly clarified liquid stream flows from
a submerged outlet into subsurface
trenches filled with gravel, and sand.
Microorganisms biologically break
down the sewage into less a harmful
product. Eventually, it discharges into a
septic field.
On to problem
Microorganisms
Water then
soaks into
the soil
Microorganisms
Heavy clay
blocks water
flow
List some possible solutions:
Discuss
Back to more problems
My garden starts out well but
constantly needs watering and
fertilization
What might be causing these problems
Discuss
Problem: Too much sand in the
soil
Water and soluble
nutrients pass too
quickly through
sandy soil. Plants
need frequent
watering.
List some possible solutions:
Discuss
Possible Solution:
Back to more
problems
Add organic
matter which will
increase the
humus content.
This will improve
moisture and
nutrient retention.
My garden is hard
to cultivate,
plants do poorly,
and water puddles
at the surface
when I water it.
What might be causing these problems
Discuss
This soil has a
high clay content.
These particles
pack very close
together. This
hinders the
movement of
water and air.
Root growth is
restricted.
Possible Solution:
Back to more
problems
Add organic
matter or soil
amendments such
as sand which
will improve air
and water
movement
List some possible solutions:
Discuss
Possible Solution:
Add organic
matter which will
increase the
humus content .
Back to more
problems
Teacher notes:
*Slides that do not advance automatically must be
advanced manually by left clicking on the mouse
button.
*Back arrows on each slide move to previous slide.
*Topics are intended to be discussed in class and
science journal notes or records are encouraged.
*Programs may be viewed in any sequence although
they tend to build upon one another.
Soil Importance, Soil Formation Pt.1, Soil Formation Pt.2
Soil Conservation, Soil Problems
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More
Here are some additional resources on the web
http://www.hintze-online.com/sos/soils-online.html
http://nscss.org/ssource.html
http://www.bsyse.wsu.edu/~saxton/soilwatr/
If you have questions, comments, please send to
[email protected]
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