The document summarizes a soil analysis of 6 sites in the Cleveland Botanical Woodland Garden. Key findings include: - Soil textures varied between sites but were generally sandy loams. Bulk densities were below 1.6 g/cm3. - Soil structures were mostly moderate to weak granular. Temperatures decreased with depth from the 60s to low 60s F. - pH levels ranged from 6.2 to 7.8. Nutrient availability was generally good across sites. - Earthworm densities were between 63-72 per m2 at the 4 sites sampled.

1. Soil Analysis of Selected Sites
in the Cleveland Botanical Woodland Garden
by Lisa K. Schlag on 6 August 2008

2. Purpose of Research
• Begin to record baseline values of soil quality
indicators of the Woodland Garden soil for subsequent
evaluation and comparison; and, in the course of collecting
specific data on earthworm densities, provide pilot testing
for earthworm collection procedures.
• In addition to the plant inventory data, collecting
data on Woodland Garden soil will provide additional
information that will assist with future management and
planning.

3. Introduction
What is soil ?
Unconsolidated mineral and organic material on the
immediate surface of the earth that contains living and nonliving
matter and serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.
Functions of soil for plants
anchorage • water • oxygen • nutrients
Soil Quality Indicators
qualitative and/or quantitative techniques
• collect measurements
• evaluate patterns, if any
• compare results to measurements taken at different
time/location

4. Site Characteristics
Soil Quality Indicators
evaluate within context of site and climate characteristics
Soil Series: UeA (Urban land Elnora complex)
Elnora: 0 - 9“ loamy fine sand
Oshtemo: 0 - 8“ sandy loam
Glenford: 0 - 7“ silt loam
Stafford Variant: 0 - 4“ sandy loam
Cuyahoga county lies entirely within glaciated part of Ohio.
Bedrock underlying glacial deposits is sandstone and shale.
Management History: low Slope %: varies with site
Climate Information : 35.4” average annual precipitation

5. Site Characteristics

6. Site One
OO - NW quadrant

7. Site Two
NN - NW quadrant

8. Site Three
MM - NW quadrant

9. Site Four
LL - NW quadrant

10. Site Five
KK - NW quadrant

11. Site Six
JJ - NW quadrant

12. Properties of Soil -- Soil Quality Indicators
Physical Property Indicators
• Soil Texture • availability of Oxygen (aeration)
• Soil Structure • mobility of water through soil
• Bulk Density • ease of root penetration and growth
• Soil Temperature • soil fertility
Chemical Property Indicators
• Electrical Conductivity • availability of nutrients and water
• Soil pH • plant growth
• Soil Nutrient Availability • macro/micro organism activity
Biological Property Indicators
• Earthworm Density • all above to a greater or lesser extent

13. Physical Property
Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Texture
Proportions of mineral
separates in a particular soil
determine soil texture class
Sand • house key thickness
• small pin head
• book page thickness
Silt • visible under microscope
Clay • most are not visible
even under a microscope

14. Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Texture
Procedures

15. Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Texture
Procedures

16. Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Texture
Procedures

17. Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Texture
Procedures

18. Site OO -- Soil Texture Class
Sandy Loam
4% Clay
41% Silt
55% Sand

19. Site NN -- Soil Texture Class
Sandy Loam
3% Clay
39% Silt
58% Sand

20. Site MM -- Soil Texture Class
Loamy Sand
2% Clay
22% Silt
76% Sand

21. Site LL -- Soil Texture Class
Silt Loam
4% Clay
57% Silt
39% Sand

22. Site KK -- Soil Texture Class
Sandy Loam
6% Clay
35% Silt
59% Sand ●

23. Site JJ -- Soil Texture Class
Sandy Loam
4% Clay
25 Silt
71% Sand

24. Soil Texture Classes of all Sites
OO: sandy loam
NN: sandy loam
MM: loamy sand
LL: silt loam
KK: sandy loam
JJ: sandy loam

25. Physical Property
Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Structure
How soil particles grouped together into stable aggregates
Characteristics
Type (shape) Class (size) Grade (cohesion strength)
• angular blocky • very fine • weak
• subangular • fine • moderate
• granular • medium • strong
• columnar • coarse
• platy • very coarse
• prismatic

26. Site OO -- Soil Structure
A horizon
>20 cm
dark grayish brown sandy loam, moderate medium and fine
granular structure

27. Site NN -- Soil Structure
A horizon
3 cm//6 cm//11 cm
dark grayish brown sandy loam, moderate medium and fine
granular structure

28. Site MM -- Soil Structure
A horizon
8 cm//10 cm//15 cm
dark grayish brown loamy fine sand, weak medium and fine
granular structure

29. Site LL -- Soil Structure
A horizon
2 cm//6 cm//9 cm
very dark grayish brown silt loam, moderate medium and fine
granular structure

30. Site KK -- Soil Structure
A horizon
>20 cm
dark grayish brown sandy loam, weak medium and fine
granular structure

31. Site JJ -- Soil Structure
A horizon
13 cm// 20 cm
dark grayish brown sandy loam, weak medium and fine
granular structure

32. Physical Property
Soil Quality Indicator -- Bulk Density
Measurement of soil mass for a volume of soil as it appears
naturally, including any air space and organic materials.
• Determines if soil layers are too compacted to allow root
penetration or adequate aeration
• soil mass calculated dry
• soils with different bulk densities due to different textures may
be equally good for plant growth

33. Soil Quality Indicator -- Bulk Density
Procedures

34. Bulk Density of all Sites
Water > 20 - 30% organic matter
mineral soil densities weigh more organic soil densities weigh less
OO LL MM JJ 1g/cm3 KK NN
Site Bulk Density (g/cm3) Soil Texture Ideal BD for plant growth
OO 1.584966 sandy loam < 1.60
NN .749718 sandy loam < 1.60
MM 1.481139 loamy sand < 1.60
LL 1.492541 silty loam < 1.40
KK .918373 sandy loam < 1.60
JJ 1.097283 sandy loam < 1.60

35. Physical Property
Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Temperature
Determined by
• Heat supply to soil surface
> organic soil covering reduces
• Dissipation of heat in soil
> if soil water content higher, more
heat needed for temperature
changes
Soil temperature changes with depth and time of day.
Daily air temperature fluctuations seldom affect soil deeper than 12 -
16” (30 - 40cm).

36. Soil Temperature of all Sites
Soil Temp/Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ
<=12”depth 72oF 65oF 63oF 66oF 68oF 68oF

37. Soil Temperature of all Sites
Soil Temp/Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ
12”depth 68oF 62oF 61oF 64oF 63oF 63oF
18”depth 63oF 60oF 60oF 62oF 63oF 63oF

38. Chemical Property
Soil Quality Indicator -- Electrical Conductivity
Measurement of soil salinity
Factors affecting EC
• Porosity: greater porosity more easily electricity conducted
• Temperature: decrease in temperature toward freezing point of
water soil EC decreases
• Precipitation: if too low, usually <15" annually, to provide
leaching, most or all soluble salts remain in soil
• average Cleveland annual precipitation is
35.4"

39. Chemical Property
Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil pH
Indication of the acidity or basicity of soil

40. Soil Quality Indicators --
Electrical Conductivity and Soil pH
Procedures
1:1 soil-water suspension

41. Electrical Conductivity of all Sites
Normal Soils
< 4 dS/m
Site EC Salinity Class
OO .8 dS/m non saline
NN .9 dS/m non saline
MM 1.6 dS/m very slight saline
LL .9 dS/m non saline
KK 1.2 dS/m very slight saline
JJ .6 dS/m non saline

42. Soil pH of all Sites
Soil pH/Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ
Sensor 7.3 7.1 7.1 7.8 6.2 6.2
Lab 7.1 6.8 6.8 7.4 6.5 6.3

43. Chemical Property
Soil Quality Indicator -- Soil Nutrient Availability
Site OO NN MM LL KK JJ lab
pH 7.1 6.8 6.8 7.4 6.5 6.3

44. Soil Nutrient Availability of all Sites
Lab Analysis
Site Measure of Available Soil Nutrients
P K Ca Mg
OO surplus high medium medium
NN high high medium medium
MM medium high medium medium
LL high high medium medium
KK high medium medium medium
JJ high medium medium medium
Nutrient availability appears good

45. Biological Property
Soil Quality Indicator -- Earthworm Density
Earthworms important, but not necessary soil organisms
in all habitats
Earthworm populations vary with food availability and soil conditions
Favorable Conditions Unfavorable Conditions
Temperature 10 - 20ºC (50 - 68ºF) 25 - 35ºC (77 - 95ºF)
Soil properties medium texture sandy/clayey
Soil pH 5-7.4 pH <=4.5pH
Food source do NOT eat living vegetation conifer needles -- pine
elm, ash, & birch litter eaten and spruce hardly eaten
more freely than oak & beech
Soil disturbance undisturbed soil system
Generally, improve soil quality
• increase availability of nutrients in soil
• accelerate decomposition of organic matter (can be
unfavorable, especially in certain hardwood forest habitats)
• improve physical properties

46. Soil Quality Indicator -- Earthworm Density
Procedures

47. Soil Quality Indicator -- Earthworm Density
Procedures

48. Earthworm Density of four of the six Sites
No Adults/
Juveniles
Site per 13.3cm2 per m2
OO 8 72
NN 7 63
MM 8 72
LL 7 63
(most appeared to be near
surface dwellers (epigeic))

49. Do Differently
1. retain core samples taken for soil structure
2. collect more core samples
3. collect more soil samples for soil texture average
4. record slope percentage
5. record soil color as indicators of parent material,
organic material, and soil conditions, such as
water retention
6. test bulk density using another method to compare
results
7. do earthworm sampling in spring or autumn

50. State Soil of Ohio
Miamian Soil
Consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in
a thin layer of loess and in the underlying loamy till,
which is high in content of lime. The original
vegetation consisted of deciduous forest species,
principally white oak, maple, elm, ash, and hickory.
Most extensive soils in Ohio. They occur on more than
750,000 acres in the state. They are productive soils.
Corn, soybeans, and winter wheat are the primary
crops. The average annual precipitation ranges from
33 to 42 inches.
Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, pale brown
(10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to
weak fine granular; friable; common fine roots; 1 percent gravel; neutral;
abrupt smooth boundary. [13 to 25 cm (5 to 10 inches) thick]