Assessment: Compaction or tracking on soil. (1 Viewer)

[ParanoidAndroid]

For my last assessment in EES I need to create and perform a series of first hand investigations to determine the effect of compaction or tracking on soil.

Do any of you have any ideas or suggestions in types of experiments I can perform, something that is easy and doesn't take too much time e.g growing plants/grass.
I can use one or multiple variables.

 

[midnight]

My class hasn't really covered this yet, in terms of us being told about tracking/compaction, but from looking at the HSC Online website we've done the experiments a few times.
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/earth_environmental/core/caring/9_4_2/942net.html#net1
My teacher's favourite is #2, we go around and collect soils from the different horizons around the school, pour them in equal amounts into the tops of 2L bottles, [and we set it up with a retort stand and clamps and everything, with a beaker below to catch the water as it runs though (and we also put netting type stuff in the bottles so the soil doesn't all fall out)] and then we all add water and time how long it takes for all of the water to come through into the beaker, and then we compare the amount of water between the beakers. So you would find the difference in compaction of the different horizons, I suppose. My class is hopeless at actually knowing what the result is.
It's an easy enough experiment, and it could be done by yourself if you just poured the water into one bottle at a time.

I hope I explained that okay, sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Thank you so very much, I'll try those experiments out and see

 

[midnight]

I've remembered a more recent version that we did that might fit the assignment better: similar system, but we used the B and C horizons I think, and had 4 bottles (2 for B, 2 for C). The first bottle for each letter was just filled with the soil in the same state as we dug it up, but in the second one we went through and picked out any sticks/grass and then crushed up hard parts with a mortar and pestle, so that the soil was obviously very compacted and there were no spaces as you would get in it normally [the holes between the chunky parts let the water through more quickly, obviously, so you should see that in your results]. So then you continue as the first experiment, pouring the water and timing it, seeing how much comes through etc.

I guess if you wanted to do that experiment you could also have a look at what impacts the movement of the water through the soil has on things like plant growth?

Good luck with it anyway, I'm glad that I've finally done all my assessments.

 

[_manda_87_]

we actually went out into the skool grounds and did the experiment.
we had cans without the top or the bottom and pushed them into the ground then poured 250mls of water on to the soil in the can and using a stop watch timed how long the water took to absorb then we did something with the times ...but i forget .....its jst a different way of doin it.

the result was that the more compact the soil the longer it took the water to absorb, these areas mainly included pathways and areas where the girls sit...the less compact soils were in the garden

 

[Dougie]

u know what's going to happen, so do u need to do it, or can u just make it up?!

 

[dawso]

dougie m8, is that not the same question with nearly every prac part of this course, yes, u know wats gunna happen so u dont rele need 2 do it, but, make sure u know how u would do the prac, not just the conclusion cause they can ask u, 'describe and experiment u hav conducted', so no, u dont hav 2 do it, but at least learn how do do it, and basically wat u would write up if u wrote it up as a prac, gudluck peoples
-dawso

 

[Dougie]

i only meant if u know how EVERYTHING works, not just the results. I've made up 2 prac reports in ees, method, results, everything... and i haven't lost a mark yet

 

[goodrobo]

OMG Paraniod Android!! Do you like Radiohead!!! zomgz they're the best in the universe...too bad theyre dead lol

mm oi go to that other post about soil compaction - i put my whole assignment there 35/40 check it out yo

 

[(enigma)]

ummm...maybe don't reply to threads that are two years old? just a thought