Wildfires have a variety of impacts on soils, altering physical, chemical, and biological properties. In this activity, the impact of fire is simulated by heating soil in an oven, and the fungal community in the soil is observed based on growth of visible structures in the presence of a microbial food source.
Though we cannot see respiration, we can observe the result. This simple activity can be used to demonstrate the relative amount of microorganism activity in the soil. Water and a food source are added to the soil, and a balloon is placed on the bottle to collect the carbon dioxide released as the organisms decompose the food source.
In healthy soils, sand, silt and clay particles are held together by "soil glues", or glomalin. This activity demonstrates how these soil glues help aggregates hold together, especially when very wet.
This video is accompanied by supporting materials including background essay and discussion questions. The focus is on changes happening to permafrost in the Arctic landscape, with Alaska Native peoples and Western scientists discussing both the causes of thawing and its impact on the ecosystem.
Students analyze changes in precipitation as predicted by climate change models to consider how a changing climate could influence erosion rates in agricultural areas
