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Geology Science Fair Project

Soil Types in Pierce County vs. Yakima County

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Soil Types in Pierce County vs. Yakima County | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Why do crops grow so much better in some counties than others? You collect soil samples from four cities in Pierce County and four cities in Yakima County. You examine each sample to identify the soil type. All four Yakima County samples turn out to be loam. Loam holds water and nutrients well. The Pierce County samples are mostly sandy loam and sandy soil. Sandy soil drains faster and holds fewer nutrients. The results suggest Yakima County soil is better suited for growing crops.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that Yakima County will have a higher likelihood of being loam soil than in Pierce County.

Method & Materials

You will plan a trip to the county, find a city, find a place to sample soil, take a quart jar and fill it with soil, label the jar, put it in a safe place, and make a log of the soil.
You will need 8 quart jars, 8 labels, 2 shovels, and 1 journal log.

Results

The results of the experiment showed that Yakima County had all loam soil, while Pierce County had mostly sandy loam and sandy soil. This means that Yakima County has the best soil to grow crops in.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting and unique because it helps people who farm to choose what type of soil to look for when buying property, and it helps gardeners decide which part of their property to use for growing crops.

Also Consider

Experiment variations to consider include testing the soil samples again to make sure they are correct, sampling more cities in the county, and sampling more counties from eastern and western Washington.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

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