Soil Analysis of Selected Sitesin the Cleveland Botanical Woodland Garden

by Lisa K. Schlag on 6 August 2008

Purpose of Research

• Begin to record baseline values of soil quality

indicators of the Woodland Garden soil for subsequent

evaluation and comparison; and, in the course of collecting

specific data on earthworm densities, provide pilot testing

for earthworm collection procedures.

• In addition to the plant inventory data, collecting

data on Woodland Garden soil will provide additional

information that will assist with future management and

planning.

Introduction

What is soil ?Unconsolidated mineral and organic material on the

immediate surface of the earth that contains living and nonliving matter and serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.

Functions of soil for plantsanchorage • water • oxygen • nutrients

Soil Quality Indicatorsqualitative and/or quantitative techniques

• collect measurements

• evaluate patterns, if any• compare results to measurements taken at different

time/location

Site Characteristics

Soil Quality Indicatorsevaluate within context of site and climate characteristics

Soil Series: UeA (Urban land Elnora complex)

Elnora: 0 - 9“ loamy fine sand

Oshtemo: 0 - 8“ sandy loam

Glenford: 0 - 7“ silt loam

Stafford Variant: 0 - 4“ sandy loamCuyahoga county lies entirely within glaciated part of Ohio.Bedrock underlying glacial deposits is sandstone and shale.

Management History: low Slope %: varies with site

Climate Information : 35.4” average annual precipitation

Site Characteristics

Site OneOO - NW quadrant

Site TwoNN - NW quadrant

Site ThreeMM - NW quadrant

Site FourLL - NW quadrant

Site FiveKK - NW quadrant

Site SixJJ - NW quadrant

Properties of Soil -- Soil Quality Indicators

Physical Property Indicators• Soil Texture • availability of Oxygen (aeration)

• Soil Structure • mobility of water through soil

• Bulk Density • ease of root penetration and growth

• Soil Temperature • soil fertility

Chemical Property Indicators• Electrical Conductivity • availability of nutrients and water

• Soil pH • plant growth

• Soil Nutrient Availability • macro/micro organism activity

Biological Property Indicators• Earthworm Density • all above to a greater or lesser extent

Physical Property Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Texture

Proportions of mineral separates in a particular soildetermine soil texture class

Sand • house key thickness• small pin head• book page thickness

Silt • visible under microscopeClay • most are not visible

even under a microscope

Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil TextureProcedures

Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil TextureProcedures

Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil TextureProcedures

Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil TextureProcedures

Site OO -- Soil Texture ClassSandy Loam

4% Clay

41% Silt

55% Sand

Site NN -- Soil Texture ClassSandy Loam

3% Clay

39% Silt

58% Sand

Site MM -- Soil Texture ClassLoamy Sand

2% Clay22% Silt

76% Sand

Site LL -- Soil Texture ClassSilt Loam

4% Clay

57% Silt

39% Sand

Site KK -- Soil Texture ClassSandy Loam

6% Clay

35% Silt

59% Sand ●

Site JJ -- Soil Texture ClassSandy Loam

4% Clay

25 Silt

71% Sand

Soil Texture Classes of all Sites

OO: sandy loam

NN: sandy loam

MM: loamy sand

LL: silt loam

KK: sandy loam

JJ: sandy loam

Physical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Soil Structure

How soil particles grouped together into stable aggregates Characteristics

Type (shape) Class (size) Grade (cohesion strength)• angular blocky • very fine • weak• subangular • fine • moderate• granular • medium • strong• columnar • coarse• platy • very coarse• prismatic

Site OO -- Soil Structure

A horizon

>20 cm

dark grayish brown sandy loam, moderate medium and fine granular structure

Site NN -- Soil Structure

A horizon

3 cm//6 cm//11 cm

dark grayish brown sandy loam, moderate medium and fine granular structure

Site MM -- Soil Structure

A horizon

8 cm//10 cm//15 cm

dark grayish brown loamy fine sand, weak medium and fine granular structure

Site LL -- Soil Structure

A horizon

2 cm//6 cm//9 cm

very dark grayish brown silt loam, moderate medium and fine granular structure

Site KK -- Soil Structure

A horizon

>20 cm

dark grayish brown sandy loam, weak medium and fine granular structure

Site JJ -- Soil Structure

A horizon

13 cm// 20 cm

dark grayish brown sandy loam, weak medium and fine granular structure

Physical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Bulk Density

Measurement of soil mass for a volume of soil as it appears naturally, including any air space and organic materials.

• Determines if soil layers are too compacted to allow root penetration or adequate aeration

• soil mass calculated dry• soils with different bulk densities due to different textures may

be equally good for plant growth

Soil Quality Indicator -- Bulk DensityProcedures

Bulk Density of all Sites

Water > 20 - 30% organic mattermineral soil densities weigh more organic soil densities weigh less

1g/cm3OO JJLL KKMM NN

Site Bulk Density (g/cm3) Soil Texture Ideal BD for plant growth OO 1.584966 sandy loam < 1.60NN .749718 sandy loam < 1.60MM 1.481139 loamy sand < 1.60LL 1.492541 silty loam < 1.40KK .918373 sandy loam < 1.60JJ 1.097283 sandy loam < 1.60

Physical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Soil Temperature

Determined by

• Heat supply to soil surface

> organic soil covering reduces

• Dissipation of heat in soil

> if soil water content higher, more

heat needed for temperature

changes

Soil temperature changes with depth and time of day.

Daily air temperature fluctuations seldom affect soil deeper than 12 -16” (30 - 40cm).

Soil Temperature of all Sites

Soil Temp/Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ<=12”depth 72oF 65oF 63oF 66oF 68oF 68oF

Soil Temperature of all Sites

Soil Temp/Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ12”depth 68oF 62oF 61oF 64oF 63oF 63oF18”depth 63oF 60oF 60oF 62oF 63oF 63oF

Chemical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Electrical Conductivity

Measurement of soil salinity

Factors affecting EC• Porosity: greater porosity more easily electricity conducted• Temperature: decrease in temperature toward freezing point of

water soil EC decreases• Precipitation: if too low, usually <15" annually, to provide

leaching, most or all soluble salts remain in soil• average Cleveland annual precipitation is

35.4"

Chemical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Soil pH

Indication of the acidity or basicity of soil

Soil Quality Indicators --Electrical Conductivity and Soil pH

Procedures

1:1 soil-water suspension

Electrical Conductivity of all Sites

Normal Soils< 4 dS/m

Site EC Salinity ClassOO .8 dS/m non salineNN .9 dS/m non salineMM 1.6 dS/m very slight salineLL .9 dS/m non salineKK 1.2 dS/m very slight salineJJ .6 dS/m non saline

Soil pH of all Sites

Soil pH/Site OO NN MM LL KK JJSensor 7.3 7.1 7.1 7.8 6.2 6.2Lab 7.1 6.8 6.8 7.4 6.5 6.3

Chemical PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Soil Nutrient Availability

Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ labpH 7.1 6.8 6.8 7.4 6.5 6.3

Soil Nutrient Availability of all SitesLab Analysis

Site Measure of Available Soil NutrientsP K Ca Mg

OO surplus high medium mediumNN high high medium mediumMM medium high medium mediumLL high high medium mediumKK high medium medium mediumJJ high medium medium medium

Nutrient availability appears good

Biological PropertySoil Quality Indicator -- Earthworm Density

Earthworms important, but not necessary soil organismsin all habitats

Earthworm populations vary with food availability and soil conditionsFavorable Conditions Unfavorable Conditions

Temperature 10 - 20ºC (50 - 68ºF) 25 - 35ºC (77 - 95ºF)Soil properties medium texture sandy/clayeySoil pH 5-7.4 pH <=4.5pHFood source do NOT eat living vegetation conifer needles -- pine

elm, ash, & birch litter eaten and spruce hardly eatenmore freely than oak & beech

Soil disturbance undisturbed soil system

Generally, improve soil quality• increase availability of nutrients in soil• accelerate decomposition of organic matter (can be

unfavorable, especially in certain hardwood forest habitats)• improve physical properties

Soil Quality Indicator -- Earthworm DensityProcedures

Soil Quality Indicator -- Earthworm DensityProcedures

Earthworm Density of four of the six Sites

No Adults/Juveniles

Site per 13.3cm2 per m2

OO 8 72NN 7 63MM 8 72LL 7 63(most appeared to be nearsurface dwellers (epigeic))

Do Differently

1. retain core samples taken for soil structure

2. collect more core samples

3. collect more soil samples for soil texture average

4. record slope percentage

5. record soil color as indicators of parent material,organic material, and soil conditions, such as water retention

6. test bulk density using another method to compare results

7. do earthworm sampling in spring or autumn

State Soil of OhioMiamian Soil

Consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in a thin layer of loess and in the underlying loamy till, which is high in content of lime. The original vegetation consisted of deciduous forest species, principally white oak, maple, elm, ash, and hickory.

Most extensive soils in Ohio. They occur on more than 750,000 acres in the state. They are productive soils. Corn, soybeans, and winter wheat are the primary crops. The average annual precipitation ranges from 33 to 42 inches.

Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; common fine roots; 1 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) thick]