Final EDD Proposal

Experimental Design Diagram


Location: My Backyard

Research:Soil Moisture change over time


http://www.uta.edu/ce/geotech/lab/Main//wtrcnt/wtrcnt.htm
You need to dry it out for between 16-24 hours to get all the moisture out. Keep it in the oven with the lid off. Keep the temperature between 105-115ºC (220-240ºF about) for best results. Make sure to only do one sample testing at a time.

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/soils/testmethods/mc.pdf
When you take the mass before and after you have to find the change in percentage so you can find the percentage of moisture that was in the soil sample after each visit. If you take the difference in the two masses it will be different based on how much dirt you used. Use at least 30g of the material you are drying out.

http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/average-state-precipitation-in-fall.php 
Average rainfall in the months of September-November decreases steadily. If you look at the average rainfall in Michigan for the summer and winter months it steadily decreases as time passes. Spring time is the only time when the precipitation increases.


Hypothesis: If the amount of time increases, then the amount of soil moisture will decrease because it doesn’t rain as much in the fall and there isn’t much precipitation until snow falls.



5 controlled variables
-same location of rain gauge
-amount of time spent in the incubator
-depth of the sample dirt
-location of sample dirt
-same container for the dirt in the incubator


Materials
-ziploc bags, small garden shovel, bucket for rain gauge, incubator



Procedure:                                                         
1. Gather a bucket for a rain guage on the first visit only, a small gardening shovel, and a small ziploc bag.
2. Go to the selected spot in the plot of land
















3. Use the small shovel to dig a small hole about 3 inches deep.
4. Take a shovelful of soil and place into the ziploc baggie.

















5. Put your name on the bag and your visit number so you won’t lose it in the incubator.
6. Take the bag to school
7. Put a crucible on the scale and tear it so it will subtract the weight of the crucible.
8. Place your dirt sample in 3 crucible and take the masses.
9. Place your crucibles into the incubator for between 24-48 hours depending on the moisture in the soil.
10. Take the soil sample out of the incubator when finished.
11. Take the mass of the soil sample once again.
12. Take the percentage of change between the two masses not the difference between the two.
13. Write down the percentage change on a chart
14. Repeat steps 1-13 for each of the 6 visits.


Same Spot Pictures:







Data Tables

Percent Change in Mass
depends on the Date



Visit No#
Before Masses (grams)
After Masses (grams)
Percent Changed (percent)
#1 Sept 9
27.73, 28.28, 28.30
26.01, 26.59, 26.62
6.2, 5.9, 5.9
#2 Sept 25
27.81, 31.08, 28.23
26.52, 29.48, 26.88
4.6, 5.1, 4.8
#3 Oct. 14
28.78, 28.76, 26.55
26.68, 26.53, 24.75
7.3, 5.1, 4.8
#4 Oct. 30
26.78, 26.69, 28.02
24.66, 24.79, 25.67
7.9, 7.1, 8.4
#5 Nov. 13
25.59, 30.65, 29.70
23.54, 28.44, 27.44
8.1, 7.2, 7.6
#6 Nov. 22
27.78, 28.65, 28.52
25.61, 26.50, 26.24
7.8, 7.5, 7.0
Source:
Daniel Walters
November 2013



Precipitation depends on the Dates

Dates
Precipitation (in.)
Sept. 2-8
0.00
Sept. 9-15
0.61
Sept. 16-22
0.90
Sept. 23-29
0.45
Sept. 30-Oct. 6
1.45
Oct. 7-13
0.27
Oct. 14-20
3.03
Oct. 21-27
2.88
Oct. 28-Nov. 3
2.24
Nov. 4-10
3.25
Nov. 11-17
1.74
Nov. 18-24
1.57
Nov. 25-Dec. 1
0.00
Source:
Daniel Walters November 2013



Graphs



Conclusion
My data showed that the moisture in the soil changed over time according the amount of precipitation. This data didn’t support my hypothesis. I thought that the soil moisture would decrease over time. After my first three visits the soil moisture wasn't increasing or decreasing. The graph of precipitation shows this in precipitation as well. It wasn't trending up or down. With my last three visits the soil moisture had a decreasing trend. The precipitation graph and data directly correlates with this decreasing trend.
To change this experiment, I would have visited at least once a week. It would give me more data to work with. Also I would be able to see how directly the moisture correlates with precipitation. I would have also taken samples in more locations. This would tell me if certain areas of soil are more moist than others. I would have liked to make the field study start earlier that way I would have been able to see change over a longer period of time, but I realize that first semester is only so long.
Data has shown that over time in the fall that the average rainfall in the months of September, October, and November gradually decrease. My graph with precipitation shows that in the month of september there was very little precipitation. In the month of october there was a sudden spike and then it began to gradually decrease until the present date. Scientifically the average rainfall decreases and that correlates with my hypothesis that there will be less rain, therefore less soil moisture. My data didn’t clearly show one way or another. This fall we didn’t get the average rainfall per month. In the month of October we were well over the average precipitation and this caused the soil moisture to spike in the month of October as well. Also these past fall months it was more sunny and warm. More sunshine caused for more evaporation of water vapor into the air. When more water was evaporated this caused more precipitation during these months.

Sources:




Visit #6

Date and time: 12:38 PM November 22, 2013

Weather Conditions: Snow on the ground, temperatures below freezing, sunny and cold

Temperature: 21º Farenheit
Length of day: 9h 17m 43s

Organisms/Sounds/Sights: This is my first visit with snow on the ground. All the leaves are off the trees and on the ground now but they are covered by snow. I didn't observe any animals or hear any birds while I was doing my visit and taking pictures. There wasn't much left of the fungi I saw on my last two visits. The fungi was all shriveled and much of it was gone.

Other data or observations: I did see many animal footprints in the snow showing that there are still organisms at my location. It was cool to see the tracks in the snow because normally if you don't see animals then you don't know they are there.

Pictures:
 







 




Same Spot Pictures:




Visit #5

Date and time: 3:56 PM November 13, 2013

Weather Conditions: Very overcast, and cold, with a strong wind breeze

Temperature: 41º Farenheit
Length of day: 9h 43m 27s

Organisms/Sounds/Sights: The mushrooms that I observed on my last visit were still there. There were less in number and they were somewhat shriveled up. Most of the leaves were off the trees now and there were piles where they were raked or blown by the wind. No birds were observed on this visit.

Other data or observations: The ground was much harder and the weather much colder than my precious visit. There was snow this past week on the ground even.

Pictures:








Visit #4

Date and time: 4:48 PM October 30, 2013

Weather Conditions: Cloudy no breeze, and very overcast.

Temperature: 60º Farenheit
Length of day: 10h 22m 14s

Organisms/Sounds/Sights: I saw some mushrooms or fungi growing on the tree stump right next to where I get my soil samples from. That has grown on the stump since the last visit I made.

Other data or observations: There were a bunch of leaves I had to clear and the ground was very hard. This is probably because of the cold weather that we have been having and even some snow. This hardens the ground and makes it colder.

Pictures:















Visit #3

Date and time: 4:00 PM October 14, 2013

Weather Conditions: Sunny and a slight wind.

Temperature: 58º Farenheit
Length of day: 11h 5m 59s

Organisms/Sounds/Sights: I saw a squirrel running up a tree while getting my dirt sample. I also saw some robins which surprised me because they normally fly south this time of year.

Other data or observations: The ground was soft from recent rainfall. The length of day has been shrinking rapidly lately. I noticed that there was a large number of leaves that had already fallen from the trees.

Pictures:






Visit #2

Date and time: 7:30 PM September 25, 2013


Weather Conditions: A small breeze and cloudy cloudy


Temperature: 70º Farenheit
Length of day: 12h 3m 13s


Organisms/Sounds/Sights: I noticed a few squirrels scurrying from branch to branch on this visit. I didn't hear any tree frogs and I didn't hear nearly as many birds.


Other data or observations: The ground was very hard tonight and it was hard to get my soil sample. It was also a lot darker than it was on my last visit even though they were both the same time of night.

Pictures:





Visit #1


Date and time: 7:30 PM September 9, 2013


Weather Conditions: A small breeze and partly cloudy


Temperature: 80º Farenheit
Length of day: 12h 46m 45s


Organisms/Sounds/Sights: I could hear some tree frogs singing their songs and also some birds in the trees chirping away. I did not see an organisms on this visit.  


Other data or observations: I took a soil sample and the soil was really easily to dig in because of the precipitation we received this morning. I took the soil and put it in the bag without any problems.

Pictures: