Microbial Biodiversity Report

Introduction.
Microbiology is the study of living organisms of microscopic size, which scientists refer
to as microbes. Microbes are tedious to analyze because they are tiny and appear in large
quantities everywhere. Yet, their study is vital as microbes affects every aspect of our lives.
Moreover, this lab will specifically focus on the microbes found in the soil. Environmental
factors impact microbial diversity, such as neighboring multicellular organisms (like flowers,
bushes, trees, and so forth) and levels of sunlight exposure. This lab will further showcase how
microbial diversity levels in soil depend on its surrounding conditions.
Methods.
Begin by collecting 2 soil samples from 2 sites with notably differing environmental
factors. Place each soil sample into a clean paper cup (1 cup per sample). Label each soil sample
by site number, date, and sample number. Then, add equal amounts of water to each soil sample
to dilute the soil. Using a clean toothpick, apply each soil sample to an agar plate (1 toothpick
per sample). Do this by gently dipping the toothpick in the watered soil sample. Be sure to
generously coat the toothpick with the soil-water solution. Then, gently draw an S-shape on top
of the gel. Be sure to not break the gel when applying the sample. Lastly, tape the outer edges of
the petri dish and label the soil sample by site, date, and sample number. Be sure to repeat this
procedure for all 4 soil samples. Once completed, store the soil samples in a cool place away
from the sun and check on them after a week. Make observations on all 4 soil samples.
Data.
Soil samples 1a and 1b were collected from a shaded area and were surrounded by
bushes. 1a and 1b’s basic form was filamentous, had a flat elevation, and held an entire margin.
Their surfaces appear wrinkly, the opacity is translucent, and the overall color is white. They
both had a few bacterial colonies that were small, circular, and appeared to be wet. The only
difference between 1a and 1b was that 1b contained a few small bacterial colonies that were
yellow in color.
Soil Samples 2a and 2b were collected from a place with immense sun exposure and were
surrounded by flowers. 2a and 2b’s basic form was filamentous, had a flat elevation, and had an
entire margin. Their surfaces appear wrinkly, the opacity is translucent, and the overall color is
white. There were no major differences between 2a and 2b, but there were differences between
1a and 1b. 2a and 2b contained wet and circular bacterial colonies that were larger in size than 1a
and 1b. However, they were still relatively small.
Results.
Soil Sample 1a had a bacterial colony number of 6, had circular shapes, and was white.
Soil Sample 1b had a bacterial colony number of 8, had circular shapes, and was white and
yellow. Soil Sample 2a had a bacterial colony number of 13, had circular shapes, and was white.
Soil Sample 2b had a bacterial colony number of 9, had circular shapes, and was white.
From these observations, bacteria were present in all 4 soil samples. Bacterial colonies in
all 4 soil samples were mainly white and had a circular shape. The main difference is that Soil
Samples 1a and 1b had fewer and smaller bacterial colonies than soil samples 2a and 2b. In
addition, Soil Sample 1b had a mixture of white and yellow. Therefore, Soil Samples 1a and 1b
had smaller bacterial colonies and grew less in quantity, but there was more variety. Soil
Samples 2a and 2b had more colonies and were a little larger in size.
Discussion
Soil Samples 1a and 1b were collected from the soil that had minimal contact with the
sun and transpired near bushes. In contrast, soil samples 2a and 2b were collected from the soil
with regular sun exposure and grew near flowers. With differing environmental factors, these
two sets of soil samples held contrasting bacterial colonies in quantity, size, and color. The data
does not suggest that certain multicellular organisms or specific levels of sun exposure work
independently to impact microbe diversity since this study did not explore the impact of
independent environmental factors. Nonetheless, the results in this lab support the hypothesis
that microbe diversity in soil relies on environmental conditions and that multiple factors can
affect the growth of bacterial colonies.

Soil Samples

1a 1b 2a 2b

Form Filamentous Filamentous Filamentous Filamentous

Elevation Flat Flat Flat Flat

Margin Entire Entire Entire Entire

Surface Wrinkly Wrinkly Wrinkly Wrinkly

Color Translucent Translucent Translucent Translucent

Shape Circle Circle Circle Circle

Size Small Small Big Big

Quantity 6 8 13 9

Sun Exposure None None Yes Yes

Neighbors Bushes Bushes Flowers Flowers