Joe Secoges

Basic Needs of Organisms (covers LS 4)

The Down and Dirty Truth about Plant Growth

• Who I am and Why I am here

• Introduction:
  • What plants need to grow
    • Light, water, nutrients
    • Where plants get water/nutrients
• Soil
  • Three particle sizes (sand, silt, clay)
  • Parent material (Rocks)
  • Sand over clay demonstration
    • infiltration
    • saturation
  • Soil ribbons for identification (sand, silt, clay)
    • hands-on activity
• Vegetation and their relationships with soil
  • Hydrophobic
    • cactus
  • Hydrophytic
    • sycamore
  • Riparian areas
• Rooting and relationships with soil/rock
  • Porosity (as shown in sand over clay demonstrations)
  • Depth to bedrock

• Conclusion:
  • State soils
    • significance/type
  • Final thoughts as to why soil is important for plant growth
  • Questions???

   

***There is potential to perform this presentation outdoors. The presentation can be modified to a llow students the opportunity to identify soil horizons and see how soil affects rooting.