Students study soil erosion

     On Oct. 24, Monticello High School students in Mrs. Manternach’s ninth-grade science classes participated in soil health demonstrations with the aid of three conservation partners from the Jones Soil and Water Conservation District office in Anamosa.

     Students discussed the importance of soil in their daily lives with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) District Conservationist Joe Wagner. They identified food, clothing, and infrastructure foundations as vital products of healthy soil. Wagner explained that Iowa’s fertile soils developed from the decomposition of tall grass prairies over centuries, but the quality of the soil is steadily declining as erosion increases.

     Soil erosion, as it relates to different soil types, was explained by Michelle Turner, conservation technician with Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship – Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality (IDALS-DSCWQ). She showed students how to identify the soil types found on their own property using the Jones County Soil Survey Book.

     Students had the opportunity to participate in a hands-on soil experiment with NRCS resource conservationist Michelle German, who asked volunteers to place clods of soil into jars filled with water. The demonstration, known as a slake test, lets students see how soil from heavily tilled ground quickly falls apart in water due to loss of structure, emphasizing how this leads to increased soil erosion in fields and bare ground. Soil clods collected from no-till fields held their shape in water because they were “glued together” by healthy soil microbes.

     Using a tabletop rainfall simulator, students poured water onto a sod covered tray of soil and watched clear water filter into the bottom of the tray. On the second tray of bare soil, the water ran off, resulting in a “chocolate milk” situation. This difference showed students how vital cover crops are in keeping soil healthy and streams clean.

     As a final activity, students searched for soil life and microbes, such as fungus, bacteria, and worms using microscopes. Seeing the wiggly creatures elicited a mixed reaction of “Wows” and “Yuks.” Despite some aversions to creepy crawlers and dirty hands, the students learned how healthy soil is important to all Iowans.

     For more information on soil and water conservation, stop by our office in the USDA Service Center at 300 Chamber Drive in Anamosa, visit us at www.jonesswcd.org, or give us a call at 319-462-3196, ext. 3.