Here are some updated worksheets showing the change in soil biology in our Oak woodlands over time. Looks to me like most numbers go down significantly as soil moisture is reduced through the drier time of year. It’ll be interesting to continue tracking changes into next fall and winter.
During the analysis of the grassland experiment data we observed seasonal shifts/trends within each of the three communities (Perennial Wet, Perennial Dry and Annual Upland) leading us to further inquiry. In November 2007, we began conducting monthly soil biology and soil chemistry tests on the three control plots (west) used in the grassland experiment.
Here are the soil biology results from the first three months of monitoring:
Seasonal Grassland Monitoring First 3 Months
Currently I am coordinating with my botany teacher to schedule a time to collect soil samples from a few native grassland patches at Pepperwood preserve. This might give us some insight into how the baseline data of our non-native grasslands compare to the soil foodweb profile of native grasslands?
Below is a spreadsheet showing what data we have thus far for seasonally monitoring the biology of our Oak trial plots.
During the oak trials, we had three blocks with six plots in each block. The white plot in each was the control, which received no tea or compost or foods.
For our seasonal data collection, we have been taking a sample from each of the three white plots on the same day of each month to see how the soil biology changes through the year. The spreadsheet shows the average of the three samples for each date we have so far.
Seems like in the last three months, the protozoa are down overall, as are the total fungi. Normal seasonal pattern?
