The broader impact of the project we helped within the soils is to understand that without biota we would not be where we are today. Without the consumers and decomposers the cycle of soil would not continue. To get the soil we have we need soil biota. If there were no microorganisms in the soil, soil would not be broken down and thus the plants would not get the nutrients needed. When there is an abundance of microorganisms the soil is well aggregated which also means that there are good infiltration rates and plant growth. Without soil biota we would not have the soil we have and thus we would not have habitat because soil is habitat!
The broader impact of the project for this class was a service project because we prepared samples for in the soils lab sections. We labeled and sorted the samples so that they would be easy to access by members of our class. Because we prepared the microbiota beforehand, the labs could discuss other aspects of soil biota, such as the earthworm count per square foot and the respiration rate of the soil. Because the samples were already in cleaned preserved solutions the lab groups could easily find the microbiota. This service helped facilitate the learning experience in lab.
Looking at Soil Biota under the microscopes
Image through microscope lens. The large specimens are an archid and Colembola. We were amazed at the different scales of biota in the samples!
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