Third Lab Report: Balsam Ballerina (+ Video Report)

BALSAM BALLERINA

LECTURER’S NAME: MADAM DIANA DEMIYAH MOHD HAMDAN

TITLES: SOIL PERMEABILITY TEST

             SIEVE TEST ANALYSIS (VIDEO REPORT)

COURSE: SS11403 ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL SCIENCE

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 10th^TH APRIL 2018

NAME OF MEMBERS	MATRIC NO
FARLIANA BINTI PADUPAI	BS17110276
KIM MUN KIT	BS17110536
MARYELL IRISHA BINTI HILLARIAN	BS17110372
NURUL FATIEN NADZIRAH BINTI JAITULLAH	BS17110289
RATNA FAIRUZ BINTI NOOR AZAM	BS17280750
TEO YU ROU	BS17110465

SOIL PERMEABILITY TEST

1. INTRODUCTION

A soil permeability is a measure of the ability of air and water to move through it.Soils are generally made up of layers and soil quality often varies greatly from one layer to another. Soils are permeable materials because of the presence of interconnected voids that permit the flow of fluids from locations of high energy to locations of low energy. Permeability depends on characteristics of soil such as soil types and particle size. Soil particle are not completely solid, as they are filled with air, water and solids. Soils contain pores, which allow room for water, which contributes to permeability. Proper measurement or evaluation of soil permeability is required for calculating the seepage under hydraulic structures and water quantities during dewatering activities. While on the other hand, the falling head method may be used to determine the permeability of both fine-grained soils such as silts and clays and coarse grained or granular soils.

Permeability is how well water flows through rock or other earth substance. Factors that affect permeability are how large the pores in the substance are and how well the particles fit together. Water flows between the spaces in the material. If the spaces are close together such as in clay based soils, the water will tend to cling to the material and not pass through it easily or quickly. If the spaces are large, such as in the gravel, the water passes through quickly. There are two other terms that are used with water which are percolation and infiltration. Percolation is the downward movement of water from the land surface into soil or porous rock. Infiltration is when the water enters the soil surface after falling from the atmosphere.

2. OBJECTIVES

1.      To understand the concept of soil permeability.

2.      To determine the water retention ability of soil.

3.      To understand the relationship between soil particles and the permeability of soil

3. APPARATUS AND MATERIALS

·         Graduated Cylinders

·         Funnels

·         Test Tubes/Glass Beaker

·         Test Tube Rack

·         Filter Papers

·         Soil Samples

·         Timewatch/stopwatch

4. PROCEDURES

1.     Test tubes were prepared on the test tube rack with a funnel placed on top of each test tube.

2.      A folded filter paper was inserted in each funnel which was to prevent the soil from dropping together with the water into the test tube.

3. Two air-dried soil sample of the same amount were prepared for average measurement. The soil were compacted gently on top of each funnel with the filter paper.

Figure 1: Process of removing barks and roots for soil samples preparation

Figure 2: Soil samples were compacted gently

4.      Water with the same amount of 100 ml was prepared in two graduated cylinders.

5.      The water was poured gently and slowly at the same time in each funnel.

6.      When the funnel was full of water, it was let still for the water to drop until there was space for the balance water in the graduated cylinder was finished poured in the funnel.

7.      After an hour, the water in each of the test tubes was measured their volume by using graduated cylinder.

Figure 3: Results after one hour (left- soil sample B, right- soil sample A)

Figure 4: Results after one hour

5. RESULTS

6. DISCUSSIONS

In this experiment, only two replicates of set up were prepared to get the average since our group only has one type of soil which origins from the lakeside of Faculty of Science and Natural Resources (FSSA).

In comparisation, permeability means the efficiency or how well water can flow through soil particles, for instance, clay is not as permeable as gravel is. Then, porosity is a measure of how much of a rock is open space. This space can be between grains or within cracks or cavities of the rock. Meanwhile, percolation rather means the rate at which water can travel through the soil particles. Percolation tests are usually carried out to check the permeability of soil or rock in terms of the jointing quality of rock or to check the drainage parameters of soil. However, in this experiment, we carried our permeability test which is easier to set up in the laboratory instead of percolation tests which requires a more complicated mechanism and set up apparatus. A number of factors affect the permeability of soils, from particle size, impurities in the water, void ratio, the degree of saturation, and adsorbed water, to entrapped air and organic material.

By analyzing our results, we have obtained that both our samples have moderately rapid permeability level. A moderately rapid permeability will have percolation or permeability rate 2.5-5.0 milliliters per minute. However, we decided that the water permeated through soil sample A quite faster than soil sample B because of certain aspects. This includes the compaction of soil that is not uniform and presence of more organic matters in soil sample B, causing the permeation process of the water to take longer than the other sample mentioned.

Usually, soils with this level of permeability will be the ones that contains medium sand, which relates with the fact that our soil type is sandy loam. The permeability level will increase as the order goes like: sand, loam, clay. Our soil is in the middle of the order, which is why the permeability is also moderate and quite rapid because very less and unnoticeable content of clay. Basically, water flows between the spaces in the material. If the spaces are close together such as in clay based soils, the water will tend to cling to the material and not pass through it easily or quickly. If the spaces are large, such as in the gravel, the water passes through quickly.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In respond to our research questions, both our soil samples have a percolation rate that does not differ too much in values, which are 3.70 and 2.25 (ml/min) respectively. Next, the relationship of these results and our daily watering activity when using the same amount of water (100ml) tells us that our pots do not need too much water since the permeability of our soil sample is moderately rapid. It is quite a disadvantage that our soil type has poor drainage, which affects the result of balsam seeds germination. However, it is not a failure in our experiment because there is at least one balsam seed that has successfully germinated and growing taller each week.

As mentioned before, our soil is moderately rapid in terms of permeability and in terms of porosity, the space openings are moderate in size, sufficient enough to allow water to pass through each spaces in a good manner. For our fourth research question, based on our observation, we have found that our soil samples have became more compacted every week, after seed sowing and watering in the past three weeks. This observation relates with our daily watering activities which makes the soil more compact and denser. Watering soils will fill in the open pore spaces and settles the soil. Another activity that will make soil becomes denser is by the action of human walking and stepping on it, but in our case it is obviously not advisable to do so. Compact soils however does not give great advantage to plants because when soil becomes too dense many organisms such as bugs, worms and some plants will be unable to live there. This is in part because it is harder for oxygen and water to penetrate into highly compacted soil. The lack of moisture can cause compacted soil to become dry, and dry areas were denser than moist ones.

For our last research question, our finding is that the best soil for our balsam seeds for its growth and sowing are the ones with excellent drainage and not too dry, which means, not too compacted. However, impatiens balsamina is a tropical plant and can withstand being in the direct sun for quite a time and do not require extra and complicated care.

7. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the soil texture and pore openings greatly affects the permeability as well as the porosity of soils. It is important to be knowledgeable when it comes to this aspects of soils because it will enable us to manage our seed sowing and plant growth better in order to yield well-satisfactory planting results. Not only that, the knowledge will also provide us with information regarding the appropriate amount of water ought to be supplied in accordance of our soil type.

8. REFERENCES

1.        ScienceDirect, Estimation of Soil Permeability, retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110016816302083 on  7th April 2018

2.        University of Minnesota Extension, Soil Health and Management, retrieved from https://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/soils/tillage/soil-compaction/ on 9^th April 2018

3.        FAO, Soil-Permeability, retrieved from http://www.fao.org/fishery/static/FAO_Training/FAO_Training/General/x6706e/x6706e09.htm on 9th April 2018

4.        Civilorg, Soil Permeability Test, retrieved from http://civilblog.org/2015/11/26/permeability-test-of-soil-constant-head-method/ on 9^th April 2018

Please click the link below to access our video report:

Sieve Analysis Test