Effects of Erosion Lab Collaborators Sarah Roberson, McKenna Keetch, Cody Robinson, Luke Knudsen, Brandon Abstract The

problem was how does grass effect the movement of water in an ecosystem? The hypothesis is if erosion is tested with grass, gravel, or just soil, then the grass will help prevent erosion best. Then, the gravel, and worst the soil. The control is the container with just the soil in it. The experimental groups are the two containers with either the gravel, or the grass in them. The dependent variable is what is on top, or growing in each soil container. The independent variable is how much, and the quality of the water that runs of from each container. For the experiment, there were three bottles, one with grass growing in soil, one with gravel on top of soil, and another with just soil. Water was poured into holes in the bottles, and the runoff was measured and the appearance was noted. The bottle with the soil and the grass prevented erosion the best. And, the one with just soil prevented erosion the worst. And the one with soil and gravel prevented erosion in the middle best of the three. This was true to the hypothesis. Lots of soil as eroded around the world, and it takes a long time to be replaced, and the government does not consider it a high priority. So, now we have to grow more food in less soil Problem How does grass effect the movement of water in an ecosystem? Hypothesis If erosion is tested with grass, gravel, or just soil, then the grass will help prevent erosion best. Then, the gravel, and worst the soil. Parts of the Experiment The control is the container with just the soil in it. The experimental groups are the two containers with either the gravel, or the grass in them. The dependent variable is what is on top, or growing in each soil container. The independent variable is how much, and the quality of the water that runs of from each container. Materials 3 2 liter bottles cut in half Potting soil Grass seed Water Pebbles, gravel, or leaf litter A wooden block

Methods Sowing the Seeds Place soil in an empty 2 Liter bottle that has been cut in half. Spread grass seed evenly throughout the soil. Water grass seeds every 3 4 days. Allow the grass to sit near a source of sunlight or under a plant grow lamp. Testing the Effects 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. When the grass has grown 2 4 inches tall, it is ready to be tested. Fill two empty 2 Liter bottles with soil. Cover one with gravel, and leave the other one alone as a control. Place the bottom end of one of the bottles on top of the wooden block for elevation. Place an empty beaker underneath the mouth of the bottle. Prepare a graduated cylinder with 100mL of water. Start the timer and pour the water into the soil with grass. If the soil absorbs the water, add more until the water starts to come out. Record the time, amount, and color of the water that comes out of the container. Repeat for the two other containers. Data Bottle Water collected (mL) Time for Water to Stop Flowing (sec) 80 seconds (1.2 mins) 148 seconds (2.28 mins) Qualitative Observations (color, density, etc.) Yellow brown water Dark, milky brown. Like watered down chocolate milk Dark brown. Some soil in the water

1. 2. 3. 4.

With Grass With Gravel

50 mL 100 mL

With Soil Only

150 mL

159 seconds (2.30 mins)

The three bottles: soil, gravel and soil, grass soil

Bottle with soil and grass

Runoff from the soil and grass

Bottle with soil and gravel

Runoff from gravel and soil

Bottle with soil

Runoff from soil

Data Analysis The bottle with grass and soil had the least amount of runoff, and it had the clearest runoff. The bottle with the gravel and soil had more runoff than the soil and grass, but less than just the soil. The bottle with the gravel and soil had less clear runoff than the soil and grass, but more clear runoff than the just soil bottle. The bottle with just the soil had the most amount of runoff, and also the least clear runoff. This means that the bottle with the soil and the grass prevented erosion the best. And, the one with just soil prevented erosion the worst. And the one with soil and gravel prevented erosion in the middle best of the three. This was true to the hypothesis. Conclusion Every year great amounts of soil are lost to erosion because soil quality has been degraded. The implications are terrifying. The world is facing a serious threat of a major food shortage within the next 30 years. All because the top six inches of soil have eroded away, and it takes 200 1,000 years to replace 2.5 cm of soil. As livestock rates have increased, so has erosion because there are no plants left to keep the soil down. And, The thin layer of topsoil that covers the planet's land surface is the foundation of civilization. And, without them, it would be hard to grow food. Now we are trying to grow more food in less room. And, this wont soon change because soil erosion is not a high priority among governments and farmers because it usually occurs so slowly that its cumulative effects take decades to become apparent. 1. The water was clearest in the soil and grass bottle, the water was the middle clearest with the gravel and soil, and the least clear in the just soil bottle. 2. After deforestation, planting grass seed would be most effective to prevent erosion because the soil will be best able to hold the water for the plant, and the grass that will grow will prevent the soil from washing away with the run off. 3. The grass and soil setting would allow the greatest chance of water filtration because the grass holds he soil down, and the soil would filter the water. This was shown in the experiment when the water from the grass and soil came out the cleanest. 4. To do this lab on a larger scale, to test the effects over a longer period of time, it would be best to plant grass in soil in a large plot, put soil and then gravel on top in another plant, and then just soil in another. All of the plots would be the same size, and then the amount of soil would be measured before, after, and periodically during a one year period to see how groundcover effects erosion in the long run.

Works Cited Vidal, John. "Soil Erosion Threatens to Leave Earth Hungry." Guardian Weekly. Guardian News and Media, 14 Dec. 2010. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.