Week : 6

Date :

March 30, 2015 & April 2, 2015

Topic :

Microorganisms in Terrestrial Ecosystem

Activities :

During the first lecture, we finished our lesson on microbial interactions. We also had quizzes at the end of the lecture. On the next day, we learnt about the microorganisms in lithosphere. Dr Wan showed us the flipped classroom video done by group 4. Before the class began, we needed to sign up the voicethread and took a look for the lesson that is presented by group 4. We had a very interesting lecture on microorganisms in soil after a short brief of flipped classroom. After the lecture end, we did a group work. We needed to look for the depth, microorganisms, temperature, content and etc for different layer of soil and share those information in Blendspace.

Notes :

This is an article about the variations in microbial community composition through two soil depth profiles,

 http://www.colorado.edu/eeb/EEBprojects/FiererLab/Fiereretal.2003profile%20communities.pdf

Own Reading and Exploration :

This topic explains the microorganisms that live in different layer of soil till the core of earth. Microorganisms are most abundant found in top soil. There are different types of microorganisms reside in each layer of the soil depending on the component of the soil. 4 layers of soil are topsoil, subsoil, parent material and bedrock. The physical and chemical factors influence the existence of microorganisms in soil.

The physical and chemical characteristics of a soil are different in different parts of the soil profile. Generally, the upper layers of a soil have more organic matter and roots than the lower layers. Other differences are related to the nature of the soil constituents, to weathering processes and to past land management practices. The origin of the soil determines the particle size distribution, which in turn affects the way the soil is packed, creating spaces and surfaces that are either accessible or inaccessible to soil organisms. The proportion of clay or sand influences the structural characteristics of soil and determines its response to management practices.

Reflection on This Topic :

This topic increased my knowledge about the component of the soil. I was able to differentiate the microorganisms that live in soil. I also knew the formation of soil based on the task that Dr Wan gave us. Weathering is one of the process for the formation of parent material. Since the texture of soil is getting harder near the core, the probability to find microorganisms in bedrock is less due to less oxygen, nutrient content and etc.