Understanding Soil

Recently I learned from other students in SOIL366 during the fall term at OSU-Cascades. One student persented a review on how red alder (Alnus rubra), which is a nitrogen fixer, was having an impact on conifer stand. The effects of nitrogen from the red alder was influencing the soil microbial community. The study was done on the Oregon Coast. In the study they notice a difference in stands and soil composition. With the right conditions they notice a healthy ecosystem, increase in soil fertility, and thriving microbial biomass and activity. The red alder presenting nitrogen to the soil altered the physiological profile of the microbial community, even if the ecosystem was already high in Nitrogen. Thank you Sher’ri Jackson for explaining the article number 14, “Red Alder (Alnus rubra) Alter community-Level Soil Microbial Function in Conifer Forest of the Pacific northwest, USA”.



One student persented information about how global climate changing and a fire influence many understories by impacting legumes and the biological nitrogen fixation in forest ecosystems. Legumes have an interesting job in healthy ecosystems. The legumes interface between the soil, plant and microbial community by being a nitrogen fixer, but with climate change and an increase in fire severity was impacting the species composition. The understory composition and certain species play a large role in a healthy forest ecosystem by supplying Nitrogen that sometime can be limited . This also influences the carbon partition in the soil. Thank you Camara Beldell-Stiles for ecplaing the article number 5, “Impact of Global Climate Change and Fire on the Occurrence and Function of the Understorey Legumes in Forest Ecosystems

 

I was then told about a study done in California on how microbial communities were responding to changes in vegetation composition and climate change, but was not really understood. Studies were done in grassland and oak/grassland and compared on how the vegetation species were influencing the soil and the cycling of carbon. PLFA was performed on samples to research how the fatty acid was influencing the microbial biomass and exzyme activities, respiration rates, and the activity of microbial groups. They notice a difference between the grassland sample and the oak/grassland samples. The microbial communities were sensitive to the environmental change and there was change when the samples were transplanted to the open grasslands, but when samples form the grass land were transplanted to the oak/grassland reaction in the microbial community change and decreased. It showed how microbes react to the new environment conditions. Thanks you John Pittman for explaining article 15, “Response of Microbial Community Composition and Function to Soil Climate Change”.

Soil Process - Soil Contains Carbon

Soil is unique resource that most every living thing (above deep water sources) relies on it for survival. Just like water is key part of life. In the plant life, and health of atmosphere, Carbon intake is important and the plants absorb Carbon and releases oxygen.  Soil is a dynamic, living system that has sum of carbon (C), which is an important regulator of the global carbon foot print. Geological location on the planet, with climate and vegetation will influence the Carbon (C) storage as will topography. Uplands can have a low amount of Carbon (C) then low lands. In wet and hot climates increasing decomposing increase the Carbon (C) in soil bank compared to dry and hot or cold that . Soil faunas, roots, fungi, and microbes interact with mineral and organic material to process the soil Carbon (C). Soil gasses are temperature sensitive and with global warming occurring could release more C into the atmosphere. Carbon loss in soil can also occur in erosion and leaching were dissolved carbon can be present in groundwater. Carbon (C) storage can also be influence by the soil texture which is based on particle size. Carbon in the soil is used by plants along with CO₂ in the atmosphere and in the respiration oxygen is release. Many plant species form a reliance with certain fungi in the soil by producing  energy from their roots, like carbon (C), and in return the fungi provides the plant with nutrients like phosphorus..

Photo: The Natural Education

 
This is the introduction to who I am. Born in California, raised in Idaho and Oregon and can say I have seen and walked this great planet we call Earth in my years of dedication to serve this country and defending its freedom. I have some education and recently graduated with an ASS degree in Forestry Resource Technology. I am now in my second year at OSU-Cascade/Ecampus to complete my Natural Resource Degree.

Well how do I see soil? It can support life. It works to filter the water we rely on to live on and store it for living organisms that human race consumes. I have felt many types of soil from pure clay to sands of the desert. I have seen how soil can be very flammable to even be dead soil. The best thing I have seen soil form is in a mushroom cloud after a nice boom.

I have spent the last two summers monitoring vegetation in Central Oregon and travel from the Deschutes County line to Columbia River. From the east slopes of the Cascades to John Day River. I love the wildlive that call North America home.