There are three main categories for soils. They are:-
Light in weight, heat up quickly, allows water to drain quickly, coarse particles, well separated and is easily eroded by water.
Cold, heavy, often waterlogged, very fine particles which are closed together and form clumps when wet.
Cold, heavy, medium sized particles which are quite close together and cam possible become waterlogged.
Dark in colour, good crumb structure having a mixture of particles of different sizes and retains water to grow most plants but, at the same time drains well to avoid water loggin. This is the best type o soil to grow vegetation in.
UPLAND AREAS.
On upland arrears there tends to be more grazing by animals like sheep and so populations of the species existing in upland areas are small. Typically, uplands are on higher grounds as they comprise of slight peaks and plateaux than lowlands. Thus, making the temperature very slightly colder, and a small number of species of plants may find it harder to survive in the colder conditions. Uplands areas also have slightly stronger wind currents and vegetation is more easily destroyed or lose water through transpiration causing plants to dehydrate more.
LOWLAND AREAS
Lowland areas have warmer temperatures as there is more sheltering from strong winds from the canopies. This warmer temperature allows different types of vegetation to survive effectively and grow faster. Wind currents are weaker than upland areas and so plants are less likely to dehydrate from water loss through transpiration. Lowlands areas also are less grazed by animals.
My final hypothesis is that there is larger species diversity of vegetation in lowland ecosystems than there is in the upland ecosystem.
Equipment that will be required when taking samples on upland and lowland areas.
-
Quadrat (size: 50cm2) for the sampling data
- Thermometer to measure air temperature
- Electronic thermometer or thermistor to measure temperature of soil
- Plastics bags to take back unknown samples of vegetation in
- Books on plant species to identify any unknown species of vegetation
Equipment required analysing samples at the laboratory.
- pH meter to measure the pH of the soil samples taken.
- Beakers
- Measuring cylinders
- Funnel
- Glass wool for filtration of soil
- Nitrate tables to measure soil nitrates.
To test my hypothesis I will use a sampling technique where samples are taken using quadrat. I will take a sample of eight quadrats in each of the areas to be compared. The results that I will collect must be fair and so, they need to be randomised. The samples that I will be taking will represent the whole population.
Also, another way of testing my hypothesis is by using the T-test which will show if populations differ significantly.
METHOD
Quadrat Sampling
The 50cm2 quadrat must be randomly placed on a area of land. To randomly place a quadrat you will have to throw the quadrat over your shoulder using your left hand, making perfectly sure that it is safe to throw it behind you. When sampling with a quadrat problems may occur. It may not be possible to count how many individual plants there are in a dense clump. You can solve this by measuring the proportion of ground covered by each species of plant using an approximate percentage. When the quadrat has been thrown make an accurate as possible approximation of the percentage cover of each different species of vegetation within the quadrat and record the result. Repeat this sampling method eight times on the upland area and the same on the lowland area.
Testing the Soil pH
Using a trowel take a soil sample from both upland and lowland ecosystems to test their pH and nitrate levels.
For each soil sample separately put a small amount of the soil into a beaker, add some water to it and stir using a stirring rod so that the soil also gets broken up. Filter the soil sample through a funnel with glass wool in it into clean empty beaker. Filter the filtered sample once more but, this time using filter paper in the funnel. Filter enough of the sample into another beaker so that end of the electrode on the pH meter can be fully dipped into the sample. To test the pH two buffer solutions will be needed to standardise the electrode. One buffer solution should be at pH 4.0 and the other pH at 7.0. To make the buffer solutions dissolve one pH 4.0 tablet into 100ml distilled water in beaker. In another beaker do the same but using a ph 7.0 tablet. Fill another beaker with 100ml of distilled water. Turn of the pH meter ensuring that the electrode has been fitted correctly. Rinse the electrode in distilled water and place it in the pH 4.0 buffer solution. Turn the dial of the meter until it reads exactly 4.0. Then place the electrode in the pH 7.0 buffer solution and once again turn the dial until read exactly 7.0. The electrode has now been standardised. To find the pH of each sample place the electrode in one of the filtered samples, stirring gently with the electrode. Let the sample settle for a while and read the pH off the meter. Repeat with the other sample but, rinse the electrode with distilled water first.
RESULTS
Lowland area
After measuring the pH of the soil collected from the lowland ecosystem, the reading was pH 6.31.
Soil texture was uneven, retained water when a little was added o the soil without any clumping. Soil was very dark in colour.
Upland area
After measuring the pH of the soil collected from the upland ecosystem, the reading was 4.74.
Soil texture was slightly fine, small amount of clumping when a little water was added to the soil. The soil was particularly dark in colour.
DISSCUSION
I feel that by carrying out this investigation I have proved hat the initial hypothesis I had stated is correct. From my results, the lowland area that I studied had a slightly wider species diversity of vegetation than the diversity on the upland area. The random sampling method I used shows, there was approximately eight types of species of vegetation growing in the lowland area. In the upland area I found there was approximately five different types of species growing.
There appeared to be a lot of grazing occurring on the upland area and significantly more than on the lowland area. The evidence that suggested to me that grazing occurred more on the upland area was that large tracks had been made and there was large amount of deposits of faeces from the animals. I also sighted a few sheep on couple of occasions which positively suggested that upland areas are grazed. The grazing of animals destroys vegetation as they are regularly trampled over and eaten by animals. Certain species of plants may not be able to grow further and reproduce and so reduce the species diversity of vegetation in that particular area.
The upland area was not sheltered by a large canopy like the lowland area was. This exposed the vegetation growing on the upland area o wind. This exposure causes the vegetation to retain less water as more transpiration occurs through the stomata in the leaves of the plants. Some plants have evolved to cope with this problem by having less stoma on the underside of their leaves as well as a number of other adaptations. There may be a number species of plants that have not adapted to these kind of conditions and so have been unable to survive. This could be a possible reason for why there is less species diversity on the upland area.
By testing the soil pH of each area using the pH meter, the results showed that the upland soil was slightly acidic (pH 4.74). The lowland soil was close to being neutral (pH 6.31). Due to the slightly acidic soil on the upland area vegetation that are lime loving struggle to survive. Since the lowland soil has a relatively neutral soil it is able to support vegetation that is both lime loving and lime hating, giving the lowland area more species diversity. The upland soil had the characteristics of both clay soil and loam and the lowland soil had the characteristic of loam. Loam retains enough water to grow a variety of plants but, there could also be a chance of some water logging. There observations I have made about each soil suggests that lowland soil is a better type of soil to grow vegetation in.
I feel that I could have improved my investigation more if I took a lot more quadrat samples for each area I was taking samples from. I was unable to test the nitrate levels in the soil samples as there was not any nitrate tablets available to do so. By doing this test I could have added to my conclusions.
My end conclusion is that lowland ecosystems have more species diversity than upland ecosystems.