microscopic view of a flax root showing cell walls, line-like hyphae, and dark-stained spots called arbuscules
Soil is a dynamic material, influencing life in #soil and being influenced by living things as well. This new #GroundedInSoils blog explains some of the processes happening under your feet! Shown: #mycorrhizal fungi in flax root. wp.me/pclOv9-yy
Research showed that using willow chips as a #soil amendment for potato crops can enhance soil organic matter and help prevent #nitrogen leaching from fields. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-eD
A multi-colored litmus test chart, with a piece of wet litmus paper above it. The litmus paper is slightly green, for a pH between 7-8, a fairly neutral pH
Soil pH matters because nutrients can be held or released by soil particles depending on soil pH. You can test and amend your soil so your garden has maximum potential, just like farmers do. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-y3
An infographic showing the sources for compost: manure, bedding, feed wastes. In the middle is a pile of compost showing microorganisms inside, and arrows showing the flow of oxygen into the pile, and outflow of water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and methane. On the right is the contents of mature compost: decomposed organic matter, minerals and microorganisms. The benefits are reduced volume and weight and good water content.
#Composts are partially decomposed organic #soil amendments. They add #carbon and other nutrients to the soil. They can also influence soil texture in a positive way. Learn more in this new #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-dz
A diagram showing water molecules bonded to each other and clay particles in soil. Underneath are the words cohesion: the attraction of water molecules to each other and adhesion: the attraction of water molecules to a solid
Cohesion and adhesion are forces that help soil retain and release water. Read about how soil is important in the water cycle in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-xV
An area of land that was reclaimed after mining. The land is now covered with grassy vegetation and some shrubs.
Land reclamation is a requirement of companies seeking to alter the landscape for natural resource operations and/or land use changes. This photo shows a restored mining operation. Learn more about soil reclamation in this #GroundedInSoils blog: wp.me/pclOv9-cP
A hand wearing a yellow gardening glove on top of soil. Nearby is a packet of seeds.
Soil can capture & retain water for a substantial amount of time, depending on the type of soil particles present. By storing water, soil supports plant & soil microbe health and growth. Learn more about how soil holds water in this #GroundedInSoils blog: wp.me/pclOv9-xV
Graphic of two farm fields. One has controlled traffic, with wheel marks in parallel lines. The other shows random traffic where lines vary.
Controlled traffic farming is an approach to address soil compaction. Controlled traffic farming limits where all field equipment is driven. This method reduces soil compaction and improves soil health. Read our #GroundedInSoils blog: wp.me/pclOv9-cn
A diagram that compares soil that has a carrot growing in it, which loosens the soil in a process called biodrilling. Crops that follow biodrilling plants have better root growth.
The goal of soil health management is to minimize threats to #soil health that result in soil degradation. This #GroundedInSoils blog covers reducing soil compaction - including using root vegetables! More: wp.me/pclOv9-cc
Pie chart showing soil is a three-phase system; solid, liquid and gas. The proportion of each phase may vary, but ideally, it consists of 50% solid, 25% liquid, and 25% gas. © Asim Biswas, Univ. of Guelph is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license. ALT a pie chart showing the % phase of soil as outlined in the caption.
Soil is a complex three-phase system, comprised of solids, liquids, and gases. This area of soil science study is called soil physics. Learn about this important area of study in this new #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-xc
Learn about the soils of Ontario! The Wisconsinan #glaciation covered Ontario with ice thicknesses exceeding one kilometre. This glacial event deposited almost all the parent materials from which Ontario #soils have developed. #GroundedInSoils tells more: wp.me/pclOv9-c4
White patches on top of reddish soil with dried grasses in the background
You may have heard that #soil can have salts in it. Does this mean table salt? Not really. There are many types of salts that build up in the soil – which can be a bad thing. Learn more about soil salinization in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-x5
Individuals can improve the organic matter of the soil in their own yard (or workplace!) by adapting the best practices of farmers. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: https://wp.me/pclOv9-wZ
Individuals can improve the organic matter of the soil in their own yard (or workplace!) by adapting the best practices of farmers. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wZ
Most soils are composed of inorganic mineral materials comprising the overwhelming bulk of a soil. Well-structured soils are composed of about 50% solids; most of the solids are mineral materials. Learn more about soil mineralogy in this #GroundedInSoils blog: wp.me/pclOv9-bA
Snow-covered former corn field. The lower part of the stalks - stubble - about 8 inches tall, is in rows sticking up from the snow.
Scientists are working with farmers and others to find ways to increase the soil organic matter on their farms. Leaving plant litter, reducing tillage, and using cover crops are a few methods being used. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wZ
Major sources of inputs that form soil organic matter. The types and quantities of inputs vary with different ecosystems and land management practices. © Myrna Simpson. Figure created with BioRender (www.biorender.com). ALT infographic showing the major sources of soil organic matter: leaves, needles and wood; bacteria & fungi; arthropods & earthworms; roots (coarse and fine)
What is soil organic matter? #Soil organic matter consists of both living and non-living organisms and their components. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wQ
A large hill with a gully - hole - in the middle of it, where soil has eroded. On each side is green grassy material
How have humans influenced #soil development? Activities like agriculture and logging disrupted the natural processes of soil development that were in place before the settlers arrived in Canada. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wI
Image description: Graphic showing cylinders of soil with two types of tailings tested in a recent study. Each column shows: (1) the type of native plant community tested (woody fen or graminoid fen on right, graminoid fen on left), (2) the capping material (peat mineral mix or a mixture of peat mineral mix and till), and (3) depth used for the tailings tested in the study (ranging from 0cm to 85cm). Infographic by Fuse Consulting LTD.
A research team at the Natural Resources CA, CAForest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, AB, recently published results of a study using native #wetland species to reclaim treated fluid fine tailings. Read more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-eQ
Person with shoulder length dark hair wearing a jacket, pants and boots, stands in a field. A blue sky is next to them.
Charitha Hansima is earning her PhD in soil science at the University of Manitoba. Her research is especially relevant for Prairie agroecosystems, where sustainable management of soils is key. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-xo
In this #GroundedInSoils blog, we begin exploring biomes of Canada with #forest soils. Depending on the parent material, climate and more, #soils can be rich in organic matter and nutrients, or acidic with fewer #nutrients. Read more: wp.me/pclOv9-ax
Soil formation begins when exposed sediments or rocks are acted upon by various physical, chemical, and biological processes. They fall into 4 major groups: additions, losses, transfers, & transformations. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-wd
Image description: graphic representation of the soil food web. Shown are primary producers: plants and organic substrates; herbivores and decomposers: root-feeding nematodes, fungi and bacteria; microbial grazers: collembolans, mites, nematodes, flagellates; tertiary consumers which are various types of nematodes)
One thing you don’t see when looking at soil is all the energy exchanges happening in the #soil! This is called the “soil food web.” Shown: fungi that live in the soil. Read our #GroundedInSoils blog to learn more! bit.ly/3v644Us
Map of parent materials for Canadian soils. Created from the 1:1,000,000 Soil Landscapes of Canada. © Darrel Cerkowniak, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license.
What are Canadian soils’ glacial legacies? The great ice sheets are responsible for the majority of sediments that Canadian soils have formed in and for the shape of the land surface itself. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-w6
A field of wheat after harvest showing stalks about 6" long left as "stubble" to protect from erosion. Dead plant litter lays on top of the soil
A recently published Canadian Journal of Soil Science
paper compares the results of conservation ag on commercial production fields to long-term small-plot systems, giving more concrete information on best practices for farmers. Learn more in this new #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-vT
A blue flag marks a section of cover crops in the study. The cover crops are a mixture of tall grassy plants and fringed-leaf plants.
A new study published in the Canadian Journal of Soil Science investigated the effects that cover crops may have on #soil thermal properties. Read more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-vC
a long, dark, wormlike animal with many legs coming out from the sides on top of soil
A major impact on developing #soils was the emergence of terrestrial invertebrates about 420 to 400 million years ago. Read more in part two of “How did the first soils evolve?” In this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-uI
Soils are now recognized as the most biodiverse habitat on Earth. Some biota in the #soil can be seen, like ants and earthworms. Others can only be seen using a microscope. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog: bit.ly/3gzuiuH
streptomycin under a microscope looks like worms with small sectioned bodies
Many bacteria live in the #soil. Soil biologists discovered a strain of Streptomyces, leading to the use of streptomycin to cure tuberculosis. Read about its discovery in this #GroundedInSoils blog: bit.ly/3OLym7Swor
large bolders in foreground with smaller boulders moving away from the river's edge. A few evergreen shrubs are growing in the soil. In the background a field and forest.
Canadian soils’ geological legacies starts with bedrock, acted upon by environmental forces, including glaciers. The nature of this pulverized bedrock is a very important control of #soil formation processes. Learn more in this #GroundedInSoils blog post: wp.me/pclOv9-vt
Microscopic view of a stained section of flax root that displays root-like structures called hyphae and circular structures called arbuscules
Soil is a dynamic material, influencing life in #soil and being influenced by living things as well. This new #GroundedInSoils blog explains some of the processes happening under your feet! Shown: #mycorrhizal fungi in flax root. bit.ly/3VJyQOI
