The Water Content of Soil
The water content of soil is a major factor that will determine what
sort of plants are able to grow, and when considering a system of sand
dunes will have considerable effects on the zonation and succession of
that environment. In order to investigate this, trial experiments were
initially carried out in order to determine the most effective method
of assessing a section of the dunes and obtaining results. Once these
results had been obtained, adjustments to the original method were
made, and the process of gaining results took place.
After tabulating the results, and drawing appropriate graphs, I
concluded that within a system of sand dunes, zonation and succession
of plant species is present, and as the distance from the strand line
increases, so too does the water content of the soil. I also concluded
that the water content of the soil is affected by the aspect of its
position as well, which relates directly to its exposure.
Planning
Aim
An experiment to investigate how the water content of soil within a
system of sand dunes affect zonation and succession.
Introduction
This investigation will take place on the southern coast of the Gower
Peninsula, at Oxwich Bay where an extensive system of sand dunes is
present. In order to complete a successful experiment with accurate
results, the investigation must be carefully planned out.
The complex structure and ecosystem of sand dunes must firstly be
researched and studied, drawing conclusions and predictions from any
information gained. Selecting the appropriate variables must also be
considered, while taking into consideration the relevant information
gained from the background information, and results from trial
experiments.
Biological Knowledge
The following biological knowledge is all directly related to this
investigation and is essential for predicting trends, and being able
to give some sort of explanations for what is seen.
Community Ecology And Succession
A community is a group of interacting populations living in any given
area representing the living part of an ecosystem.
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to investigate the various components of different ecosystems in a smaller representation and study the conditions required for the ecosystem’s sustainability as well as the connections between
Abiotic factors are things that are nonliving that influence an environment and it's inhabitants. Some of the abiotic factors that are attributed to coastal erosion in Louisiana are hurricanes, tropical storms, elevation, sunlight, overnutrition, sea-level rise, and deposition. Hurricanes bring about larger waves which cause dune erosion or beach erosion (Clark et al., 1998). This is significant because beaches and/or the dunes of the beach serve as buffers to the coastline and the ecosystem. As the beach or dunes recede from the erosion caused by these large waves and an increased sea-level the flora and fauna that help sustain the area die off or retreat to a more habitable zone leaving the wetlands in a critical state often resulting in a total loss of the area (Stockdon et al., 2012). Due to the nature of the Gulf of Mexico large destructive storms such as hurricanes or tropica...
Desert pavements are common landforms in arid regions. They consist of flat or sloping surfaces where stones are closely packed angular or rounded, and generally exhibit low relief (Mabbutt, 1977). Pavements tend to form on both alluvial fan toposequences and on weathering volcanic flow fields in arid regions. Soils are often found under desert pavements and they play an important role in the evolution of pavements (McFadden et. al., 1987). In the past there have been several theories as to the formation pavements and soil development beneath them. Deflation, or the erosion of finer grained particles from a surface, stone concentration by wash erosion and upward displacement of stone due to shrink and swell clay characteristics were at one time believed to be the main factors in the formation of desert pavements (Mabbutt, 1977). However, more recent research has shown that desert pavements are born and maintained at the surface, and that the soil below them is mainly eolian in origin. Slow accretion of eolian dust below the pavement is a process that eventually develops cumulate horizons. Eolian dust in environments where pavements often develop is rich in carbonate salts and clays due to the fact it often originates from nearby playa lake evaporate basins (McFadden et. al., 1987). Soils that form below the pavements over time develop calcic horizons and clay rich structure due to the influx of these eolian fines through the pavement surface. In turn the development of mature or plugged calcic horizons effects the form of the pavement surface because it alters the water drainage infiltration rate and causes pavements to decline.
According to Webster’s dictionary, agriculture is defined as the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products. Essentially, agriculture is a key element to a thriving and sustainable community for the seven billion habitants of our planet Earth. A key resource in providing life to necessary agriculture is the Colorado River. From its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California in Mexico, the Colorado River spans more than 1400 miles in its entirety. Encompassing the river, the Colorado River basin covers more than 256,000 square miles across the southwestern United States, providing valuable support to a large amount of systems (Cohen et al. V). This crucial resource supports more than thirty million people, four million acres of farmland, seven states, the two largest reservoirs in the United States, and the largest irrigation canal in the world (Water Uses). Although agriculture is still by far the largest user of water in the Colorado, more than ninety percent of pasture and cropland within the Colorado River basin receives water from the Colorado River as a supplement to support growth (Cohen et al. V). With this incredible amount of water comes a very large concern: are these water usage practices sustainable over a longer period of time? If not, how are we to combat the lasting effects set by unstainable water use?
Irrigation changed Yuma by vastly helping Yuma’s economy,help with hunger in Yuma and even help war veterans.It boosted economy by harnessing the colorado river which was diverted to Yuma to be turned into irrigation water,which combined with Yuma’s great soil;allowed Yuma to be a great factor in southern agriculture.Laguna dam further increased the importance of agriculture in Yuma,because it greatly increased the amount of acres of which can be irrigable.Irrigation also made Yuma have less of a hunger issue because of the amount of crops and farmland,so people can grow crops such as:lettuce,lemons,dates,and even oranges.Irrigation even helped war veterans stationed in Yuma and lots of supplies and water were given to the veterans in the
This paper introduces the environmental concerns of the loss of coastal wetlands. The paper will discuss the significance of wetlands and the devastation that is occurring because of human activity. Wetlands are an essential element of our environment both ecological and societal; conservation will be essential for the preservation of these precious ecosystems.
Have you ever stopped and thought, “ what would i do if my kid had a disability?” Or ever question why you act a certain way or if you 're strong enough? In the Articles “Notes From a Dragon mom, What we hunger For and the speech “ This is Water” These authors all share there thoughts on what makes a person act the way they do.
An Experiment to Investigate Osmosis in Plant Tissue. Aim: To conduct an investigation to compare the osmotic behavior of the osmotic animal. two types of plant tissue in varying concentrations of sucrose. solution. Then we can find the solution.
Water is a good solvent and picks up impurities easily. Pure water -- tasteless, colourless, and odourless -- is often called the universal solvent. Dissolved solids" refer to any minerals, salts, metals, cations or anions dissolved in water. Total dissolved solids (TDS) comprise inorganic salts (principally calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, bicarbonates, chlorides, and sulphates) and some small amounts of organic matter that are dissolved in water. TDS in drinking-water originate from natural sources, sewage, urban run-off, industrial wastewater, and chemicals used in the water treatment process, and the nature of the piping or hardware used to convey the water, i.e., the plumbing. In the United States, elevated TDS has been due to natural environmental features such as mineral springs, carbonate deposits, salt deposits, and sea water intrusion, but other sources may include: salts used for road de-icing, anti-skid materials, drinking water treatment chemicals, storm-water, and agricultural runoff, and point/non-point wastewater discharges. In general, the total dissolved solids concentration is the sum of the cations (positively charged) and anions (negatively charged) ions in the water. Therefore, the total dissolved solids test provides a qualitative measure of the
Project title of field of study The effect of soil salinity on plant growth is part of botany, the study of plants. Botany: the study and science of plants in a particular habitat and region, it is the branch of biology that deals with the life of plants. Soil Salinity, Should We Be Worried? Introduction Soil salinity is said to be “bad” for plant growth, but is this really true?
Agriculture also leads to soil erosion, both through rainfall and wind. This soil can damage the aquatic ecosystems it ends up in, an...
The Sahara's landscape features include shallow basins, large oasis depressions, gravel-covered plains, plateaus, and mountains, sand sheets, dunes and sand seas. Sand sheets and dunes cover over 25 percent of the Sahara’s surface. The most common types of dunes include tied dunes, blowout dunes, and transverse dunes. Within the Sahara are several pyramidal dunes that reach over 500 feet in height while others reach over 1,000 feet. Researchers have for many years tried to figure out how these dunes were formed, but the case remains unsolved.
Water Scarcity is harmful to human life because when water is poorly managed throughout the world, those who need water are deprived of nutrients they truly need causing them to die. This eventually affects the global population. Therefore many experts have proposed several solutions such as the LifeSaver Bottle, TrojanUVPhox treatment system, and Waste Water Recycling.
What do you think of when you hear the term “dirty water”? The term “dirty water” is primarily associated with developing countries, Africa being an example.. As of now, us Americans can assume that since we are a first world country, we will always have a basic necessity- clean water.
The branch of science that deals with how living things, including humans, are related to their surroundings is called ecology . The Earth supports some 5 million species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. These interact and influence their surroundings, forming a vast network of interrelated environmental systems called ecosystems. The arctic tundra is an ecosystem and so is a Brazilian rain forest. The islands of Hawaii are a relatively isolated ecosystem. If left undisturbed, natural environmental systems tend to achieve balance or stability among the various species of plants and animals. Complex ecosystems are able to compensate for changes caused by weather or intrusions from migrating animals and are therefore usually said to be more stable than simple ecosystems. A field of corn has only one dominant species, the corn plant, and is a very simple ecosystem. It is easily destroyed by drought, insects, disease, or overuse. A forest may remain relatively unchanged by weather that would destroy a nearby field of corn, because the forest is characterized by greater diversity of plants and animals. Its complexity gives it stability.