Renee; UR: Lets switch it up a bit

This week I am going to start with the questions I received in my last blog because they are important concerns that I felt I should elaborate on more than I usually would at the end of an epic blog.

Q&A
Q: Angela Boney
My question: How does rain affect the measurements? E.g., could there be differences, deficiencies in some samples, due to rain the day of or before sampling?

A: I am honored by your question! And it is a great question which I asked myself in the beginning but have not brought up with you guys. 

After much pondering I decided that rain's affect on the nutrients is something I will focus on in the future after I have taken several rounds of samples. I simply do not have the time frame with which to do that question justice right now.

Right now the forecast is looking hot
and dry immediately preceding our
sample day.

Next week I will be taking my ten samples (five samples in close proximity to S. minor and five at a contrasting distance) with 

Dr. Emmett at Longleaf Pine Preserve. I will be taking note of the weather conditions for the area in the days leading up to our site visit along with plenty of observational notes about the site condition while we are out there.

I plan to continue this research for as long as Dr. Emmett and Dr. Woodall will put up with me. So hopefully next fall there will be an opportunity to take another round of samples and contrast them with the first round. I will again keep good documentation on the weather and site conditions so that I can draw some useful conclusions. If I'm extra lucky I will be able to take more samples next spring perhaps after a rain to see how those samples differ from dry spring time samples. That might be extra interesting since spring is generally a dry season. 

Q: Deb n' Paul (Dr. Woodall)
On a different note--what about soil bulk density. Have you and Dr. Emmett ever talked about sampling for this??

A: I talked to Dr. Emmett this afternoon and we are going to go ahead and do soil bulk density tests. It is simple and doesn't take much time so we might as well. The information could prove useful in the long run.

I do not project it to be a great concern as the organic, sphagnum moss heavy soil is hydric (VERY wet) most of the year and doesn't compact like sand; however, it could prove to be an issue. Dr. Emmett has described the roots to be loose and not very far reaching and in my experience from re-potting my exotic babies they are very sensitive to the "fluffiness" of the soil or lack thereof. 

Thank you so much for the suggestion!

My other reason for leading with the blog questions is because between being sick and not having much else but paper work and sampling prep left to do it has been fairly boring...Important happenings are going on but they are not particularly exciting. Meeting with Dr. Emmett today was probably the most exciting thing I've done besides meeting with Dr.Woodall and printing out the paperwork for sending my soil samples to be tested. 

Oh but guess what I'll be doing this weekend? I'll give you a hint: Yay paper work! ;)