ECOLOGlCAL STUDY OF A

TEHHESTHlAL OH AN
AQUATlC AHEA



Aame: 1ang Seng Chieng
Alvina Puah Hsu Wey
1ee Say Wen
Lim Hui Peng
Khor 1ia Hui
Class: PRA-UB1
Date: 3 Aovember 211
1eacher: Pn. 1enny Chia





No. Content Page
1 Acknowledgement
2 Part A: Introduction
3 Experiment 1: Soil Sampling Technique
4 Experiment 2: Determination of the Texture of The Soil
5 Experiment 3: Determination of Water Content of Soil
6 Experiment 4: Determination of Organic Matter Content
7 Experiment 5: Determination of Air Content of Soil
8 Experiment 6: Determination of Soil pH
9 Determination of the Types of Soil Organisms
10 Discussion & Conclusion
11 Experiment 1: Quadrat Sampling Technique
12 Experiment 2: Sampling Technique Using Line Transect
13
Part B: Determination of The Density of The Density of Plant
Species in A Habitat

14 Reference
ACKAOWLEDCEMEA1


The special thank goes to our helpIul Biology teacher, Pn Jenny Chia. The
supervision and support that she gave truly help the progression and smoothness oI
the project work we went through. The co-operation is much indeed appreciated. Our
grateIul thanks also go to both our Iriends and Iamily. A big contribution and hard
work Irom them during this period oI time is very great indeed. This project would
not end well without the enthusiasm and imagination Irom them.

This project had sprouted interest and love towards nature within our heart,
spirit and soul.

Once again, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our Biology
teacher, Pn Jenny Chia Ior opening the door that was shut Ior a vast time, preventing
us Irom approaching mother-nature.

Last but not least, we would like to thank our teacher and Iriends Ior providing much
support throughout the project.

IA1RODUC1IOA

An important Iactor inIluencing the productivity oI our planet's various ecosystems is
the nature oI their soils. Soils are vital Ior the existence oI many Iorms oI liIe that
have evolved on our planet. For example, soils provide vascular plants with a
medium Ior growth and supply these organisms with most oI their nutritional
requirements. Further, the nutrient status oI ecosystem's soils not only limit both plant
growth, but also the productivity oI consumer type organisms Iurther down the Iood
chain.

Soil itselI is very complex. It would be very wrong to think oI soils as just a
collection oI Iine mineral particles. Soil also contains air, water, dead organic matter,
and various types oI living organisms. The Iormation oI a soil is inIluenced by
organisms, climate, topography, parent material, and time. The Iollowing items
describe some important Ieatures oI a soil that help to distinguish it Irom mineral
sediments.












Part A: Soil Analysis

1) Soil sampling technique

Apparatus: etal cylinder and piston (to dig out soil)

Procedure: 1.) The metal cylinder was pressed into the soil.
2.) A piston was used to remove the soil sample Irom the cylinder.


2) Determination of the texture of soil
Objective: Determination oI the texture oI soil
Apparatus & material: 1000cm
3
measuring cylinder
100cm
3
soil sample
300cm
3
water

Procedure: 1.) The soil sample was added to the measuring cylinder and covered with
water.
2.) The content was shaken vigorously.
3.) The mixture was allowed to settle out according to density and surIace
area oI particles Ior 48 hours.
4.) The volume oI the Iraction oI various soil sample was measured.
5.) The results were then recorded.

Results:
No.

Details


Soil sample

Peat Sand Clay
1 Height oI soil sample 15 15 15
2 Height oI sand in soil sample 6.7 11.6 3.5
3 Percentage component 44.67 77.33 23.33
4 Texture oI soil
Slightly
rough
rough smooth

Formula: sand component
HcIght oI sand
HcIght oI soII sampIc
%

Conclusion:

The texture oI peat is slightly rough, the texture oI sand is rough, and the texture oI clay is
smooth.








3) Determination of water content of soil
Objective: Determination oI water content oI soil
Apparatus & Materials : Aluminium Ioil pie dish, weight balance, oven, desiccators,
tongs , thermometer & 80g soil

Procedure: 1.) An aluminium Ioil pie dish was weighed while it is still empty. The mass
was recorded.
2.) The broken up soil sample was added to the pie dish and weighed. The
mass was recorded.
3.) The pie dish containing the soil sample was placed in the oven Ior 110C
Ior 24 hours.
4.) The sample was removed Irom the oven and cooled in a desiccators. The
sample was weighed when cooled and the mass was recorded.
5.) The sample was returned to the oven at 110C Ior a Iurther 24 hours. The
weighing oI the sample aIter cooling was repeated until consistent weighing
were recorded. The mass was recorded.
6.) The percentage oI water content was calculated using the Iormula as
Iollows:
b - c
b - o
%

7.) The soil sample in the desiccators was retained Ior experiment 4.
Results:
Formula : water content oI soil
cIght oI watcr
cIght oI soII
%
Conclusion: The percentage oI water in garden soil is 26.8, in clay is 33.48 while in sand is
only 1.31.

No. Title Soil Sample

A B C
1 Types oI soil Peat Clay Sand
2 Weight oI aluminum Ioil pie dish (a) 82.7g 75.1g 46.1g
3
Weight oI aluminum Ioil pie dish soil beIore dried
(b)
162.7g 155.1g 126.1g
4
Weight oI aluminum Ioil pie dish soil aIter dried
( c )
141.26g 128.32g 125.05g
5 Weight oI water (b-c)g 21.44g 26.78g 1.05g
6


Percentage oI water in soil
26.8 33.48 1.31
(b-c) X 100
(b-a)
4) Determination of organic matter content.
Objective: Determination oI organic matter content
Apparatus & material: Desiccators and lid, tripod, Bunsen burner, asbestos mat &
Iireclay triangle tongs, dried soil sample

Procedure: 1.) The crucible and lid was heated strongly in the Bunsen Flame to remove
all trace oI moisture.
2.) It was placed in the desiccator to cool.
3.) The mass was weighted and recorded.
4.) The dried soil sample Irom the desiccators was added and weighted. The
mass was recorded.
5.) The soil sample in the crucible, covered with the lid, was heated to read-
heat Ior 1 hour to burn oII all the organic matter. It was allowed to cool Ior
10 minutes and removed to the desiccators.
6.) The crucible and sample were weighted when cool.
7.) The heating and weighting oI the soil sample was repeated until a constant
mass was recorded. The percentage oI organic content was calculated as
Iollow:

%
The experiment on soil samples taken Irom diIIerent areas was repeated to
demonstrate variation oI organic content.
Results:
Type oI Soil Weight
Cruciblelid
Cruciblelidsoil
beIore heating
Cruciblelidsoil
aIter heating
Soil
sample
used
Organic
atter
Peat 25.33g 32.62g 31.06g 7.29g 1.56g
Clay 25.5g 32.0g 31.35g 6.5g 0.65g
Sand 23.41g 35.45g 35.29g 12.04g 0.16g
Formula: % o oronc coponn =
wegt I rg ter
wegt I s se
%

oI soil
component
Peat 21.40
Clay 10.00
Sand 1.34

Conclusion: The percentage oI organic matter content in garden soil is 21.40 while in clay is
10 and in sand is 1.34.
.

5) Determination of air content of soil

Objective: To determine the water content oI soil

Apparatus: Tin can oI volume about 200cm
3
, 500cm
3
beaker, metal seeker

Material: Water

Procedure: 1) The volume oI a clean empty can was determined by using a measuring
cylinder.
2) The base oI the can was perIorated by using a drill.
3) The open end oI the can was pushed into the soil Irom which surIace
vegetation has been removed until soil begins to come through the
perIorations. Then, the can was gently dug out, turned over and soil Irom the
surIace was removed until it was leveled with the top oI can.
4) An empty can with the same volume was Iilled with water and the water
was poured into the measuring cylinder. The volume (a) oI the water was
recorded.
5) The soil sample Irom the can was gently placed into the measuring
cylinder and the mixture was stirred. Then, the volume (b) oI the water aIter
stirring was recorded.
6) The percentage oI a ir in the soil sample was calculated as Iollow:

7) The experiment on soil sample Irom diIIerent areas was repeated.
Results:
Formula:
% o or n so sop
=
o o so sop - o o so porcs (or -r so)
o o so sop

%
=
o o or n so
o o so sop
%


Conclusion: The percentage oI air in peat is 65.98, 64.61 in clay and 65.29 in sand.
Type oI soil

Volume (cm
3
)
Percentage
oI air in soil
sample ()
Soil sample(a) Air in soil(b)
Soil particles
(air-Iree
soil)( c )
Air in soil
sample (ab-c)
Peat 600 400 205 795 65.98
Clay 600 400 215 785 64.61
Sand 600 400 210 790 65.29


6) Determination of soil pH

Objective: Determination oI soil pH

Apparatus: Long test-tube, test-tube rack, spatula, 10cm
3
pipette

Materials: Universal indicator

Procedure: 1) About 1cm
3
oI soil and 1 cm
3
oI barium sulphate, which ensures
Ilocculation oI colloidal clay, were added to the test-tube.
2) 10cm
3
oI distilled water and 5cm
3
oI BDH universal indicator solution was
added. The test-tube was sealed with the bung.The contents were shaken
vigorously and allowed to settle Ior 5 minutes.
3) The colour oI the liquid in the test-tube was compared with the colours on
the BDH reIerence colour chart and the corresponding pH was read oII.
4) The experiment on soil samples Irom diIIerent areas was repeated.

Results:
Type oI soil Colour oI liquid pH
Peat Orange Acidic
Clay Light yellow Acidic
Sand Yellowish-green Neutral

Conclusion: Peat and clay are acidic while sand is neutral.








Determination of the types of soil organisms

Objective: To determine the types oI soil organisms using tullgren Iunnel and bearmann Iunnel.
Apparatus: Tullgren Iunnel, retort stand, beakers, magniIying glass, microscope, glass slide,
Bearmann Iunnel
Materials: 4 Iormalin solution











Figure 3.1 : Tullgren Funnel Arrangement
Procedure:
a) Soil sample is collected around the roots part oI the plants.
b) Tullgren Iunnel is arranged as shown in Iigure 3.1
c) The soil sample is then gently placed on the mesh screen inside the tullgren Iunnel.
d) 50ml oI 4 Iormalin solution is then poured into the beaker and the beaker is then placed
directly below the Iunnel.
e) This unit is placed in a place which will not be disturbed. 60W light source which is placed
above the Iunnel is then turned on.
I) Leave the unit Ior 2 days beIore the Iormalin in the beaker is examined Ior any trace oI
organism.
g) The soil organisms that are Iound in the Iormalin solution in the beaker is then identiIied and
recorded in a table.


Results:














No.
Type oI
soil
Order oI
organisms
Common Name Looks (Drawing)
1 Clay Nematoda Roundworms

2 Peat Opisthopora Earthworms










Figure 3.2: Bearmann Funnel Arrangement

Procedure:
a) A clamped rubber tube was placed below the Iunnel.
b) The Iunnel is placed into a rack or holder.
c) The soil sample wrapped with cheese cloth was tied to a glass rod and placed on top oI the
Iunnel.
d) Water was added to the Iunnel setup until the soil sample was immersed.
e) The setup was leIt overnight.
I) The Iirst couple oI drops oI water was gathered
Irom the bottom oI the tube by slowly releasing the clamp on the tubing.
Results:
No. Type oI soil Order oI organisms Common name Looks (Drawing)


1.


Peat


Protozoan


Amoeba

Conclusion: Type oI organism that extracted Irom the soil sample by using Tullgren Funnel is
known as macro Iauna which is Iairly large soil organism including ants, earthworm and millipedes
while the organism that extracted Irom the soil by using Bearmann Funnel is known as micro Iauna
that is Iairly small soil organism such as Amoeba.
Part B
Determination of the density of plant species in a habitat
1) Quadrat sampling technique
Apparatus: "uadrats measuring 1m
2


Procedure: Systematic sampling procedure - quadrats were placed at the same intervals
along transects which runs across the investigated area at the same intervals.
Random sampling procedure random number table was used.










64














Systematic Distribution oI "uadrats Random Distribution oI "uadrats

Results:























Systematic Distribution oI "uadrats Random Distribution oI "uadrats











Sampling technique using line transect
Apparatus: Rope (15.30 meters)
Procedure: 1) A base line was determined along the border oI the area under investigation.
2) A series oI points were chosen along this base line either randomly or
systematically.These points are used as the starting points Ior the transects to run across
the area being investigated.
3) The plants which touch the line as seen vertically above or below the transect
line were recorded.
4) 10 to 20 lines are placed randomly in the area to provide enough samples to
investigate the community.


Results:
The Irequency oI a species using the Iollowing Iormula was calculated:

rqnc =
oo nbr o nros r spcs or on
oo nbr o nros o ronsc
%

The percentage oI surIace cover oI each species was calculated:
% spcs cor =
oo cross scono n o o spcs
oo n o ronsc
%

The relative species cover was calculated:
o spcs cor =
oo cross scono n o o spcs
oo cross scono n o o spcs
%

Summary of the measurements obtained by the line transect technique
No. Name of species
Number of
intervals
where
species are
recorded
Percentage
cover ()
Relative
cover ()
Frequency
()
1
Axonopus compressus
9 77.6 25 90
2
imosa pudica
7 55.31 19.4 70
3
Chrysopogon aciculatus
5 22.3 13.9 50
4
Cyperus iria
8 60.21 22.2 80
5
Cyperus acromaticus
7 55.31 19.4 70


Reference

- Senior`s project Iolio, 2008
- Senior`s project Iolio, 2007
- www.wikipedia.org