Site # 1

Title: Investigating how edaphic factors affect plant species diversity from
shoreline to hillside at Las Cuevas Bay.

Aim: To investigate the soil properties and species diversity at Site #1.
Apparatus/Materials:

Fieldwork: Meter ruler, 4 wooden stakes, string, garden shovel, laboratory

thermometer, freezer bags, permanent marker, salinity meter

Lab work:
● Water content- petri dish, oven, spatula, electronic balance, soil sample

● Water retention- electronic balance, 200mL measuring cylinder, funnel,

spatula, filter paper, 2 Petri dishes, 200mL beaker, Distilled water, Dried soil
sample

● Salinity- 200mL beaker, Salinity Meter

● pH- Petri dish, Dropper, Universal Indicator pH paper

● Humus Content- Boiling tube, test tube holder, Electronic balance, Bunsen
burner, lighter, spatula, 50mL beaker, soil sample

● Soil composition- 500mL beaker, Petri dish, spatula, Electronic balance,

Stirring rod, 12cm ruler

Procedure:

Fieldwork:
1. An area on the beach was chosen. The area was observed to be as natural
as possible.

2. A line transect was constructed from the shoreline to the hillside at the
area chosen measured to be 18m.

3. Then, six quadrats sizing 1x1m were set up 3m apart from each other,
and wooden stakes were used to section off each quadrant.
Site # 1

4. A shovel was then used to dig a 10cm hole into the soil at each site and a
laboratory thermometer was placed in the hole. The temperature of the
soil was recorded as well as the temperature of the atmosphere.

5. Then, a sample of soil at the 10cm depth was taken from each site,
placed in a freezer bag, labelled and taken back to the laboratory for
further testing.

6. A salinity meter was used to measure the salinity of the water at Las
Cuevas Bay

Hand texture analysis:

1. From each of the sites investigated, a handful of soil was taken from the
10m depth. The soil was then rolled about the hand and the texture was
noted.

2. Step 1 was repeated but the soil was instead tested to see if it could
maintain its shape

Species Diversity:
1. Within the quadrat the number of plant species observed and the
frequency at which they occurred was recorded.

Water Content:

1. A petri dish was weighed using an electronic balance and its weight was
recorded
Site # 1

2. Then 50g of fresh soil was placed in the petri dish and the new weight
was recorded

3. The petri dish was then placed in the oven set to 100 degrees Celsius and
was left for two days

4. After the 2 days the dish was removed and left to cool down

5. Once the dish had cooled the weight of the petri dish containing the dry
soil was taken and from this, the water content of the soil was
calculated.

Water Retention:

1. Using a spatula and electronic balance, 20g of the dried soil sample was
transferred

2. A 200ml beaker was then filled to the 200ml mark with distilled water

3. A funnel was placed above the mouth of a clean and dry 200ml
measuring cylinder and filter paper was placed in the funnel

4. The 20g of dry soil was then carefully added to the filter paper in the
funnel
Site # 1

5. Then, distilled water from the 200ml was carefully poured through the
solid in the funnel. It was ensured that no water overflowed out of the
funnel.

6. This continued until there was no distilled water left in 200ml beaker.

7. Finally, the amount of water within the 200ml measuring cylinder was
recorded. The colour of the water observed in the 200ml measuring
cylinder was also noted.

Salinity:

1. Some of the water left over after the water retention test was transferred
to a clean 50ml beaker to be further tested and examined.

2. Another clean and dry 50ml beaker was filled with water and the salinity
meter was used to test its salinity as a control.

3. Then, the salinity meter was placed into the 50ml beaker containing
water from step 1and its salinity was recorded.

pH:

1. A small piece of universal indicator pH paper was placed on a clean and

dry petri dish and a few drops of water from the water retention
experiment were placed on the paper using a dropper.
Site # 1

2. The colour change of the aper was used to deduce the pH of the water
using pH colour chart

Humus Content:

1. A clean dry boiling tube was weighed using an electronic balance and its
weight was tabulated.

2. Using a spatula, 5g of dry soil was placed in the boiled tube.

3. A Bunsen burner was ignited with the use of a lighter. Then the boiling
tube was strongly heated for 5 minutes using the Bunsen burner while
being held with a test tube holder

4. The boiling tube was then left to cool and then re-weighed. The new
weight of the boiling tube and its contents was recorded and used to
determine the Humus content of the soil.

Soil Composition:
1. With the use of a spatula and electronic balance, 25g of fresh soil was
placed on a clean dry petri dish

2. A 500ml beaker was then filled with regular tap water to the 500ml mark
and placed on a white

3. Then, the 25g of fresh soil was added to 500ml beaker, stirred with a
stirring rod, and left to settle.
Site # 1

4. Once the mixture was settled into layers, the layers, the height of each
visible layer was measured and recorded using a 12cm ruler.

Results/Observation:
Table 1:Results for observations and tests at site 5

Test Site 4 Results

Species Diversity 3.32

pH 6

Temp 24

Moisture(%) 33

Humus(%) 18

Salinity 0.22

Water Retention(%) 32
Site # 1

Discussion: