Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 01/01/2014 - 14:23
Forums
Soil Ecology in Antarctic Dry Valleys

What kinds of soil tests do you perform? What is your favorite?

Thu, 01/02/2014 - 10:20

Justin Kendhammer

Hello again Ciera,We tested the soil for pH, nitrogen, carbon, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, and more. We will also be analyzing the soil for RNA, DNA, and looking for assimilation of our 18-O water or heavy water. All of these tests will tell us what is present, what is thriving, and under what conditions. This gives us as full a picture of what is happening below ground as technology will allow at this time. My favorite procedure is the Stable Isotope Probing (introducing heavy water). This is in part because Dr Egbert Schwartz was a pioneer of this method and partly because it tells us not just what is present but what is living and producing in a certain environment.Happy New Year!JK