Soil organic matter is an amazing material.

Soil organic matter helps the soil clean our water, store water and nutrients for use by plants, and bind the mineral soil particles together so that they do not get washed away. Here is an excellent demonstration to illustrate the functions of organic matter. Movies illustrating the actual use of the demonstration, and links to background material are provided as well.

  1. Biodiversity/importance of soil organic matter (less tillage = Higher organic matter content)

    very effective demonstration to encourage stewards of the land to plant with minimal disturbance to the soil (less or no tillage) (91 KB)
     

    Movie of the demonstration (medium resolution .mpg file) (13 MB)

     

    Similar movie of the demonstration (without the banner) ( .avi file) (56 MB)

     

    Same movie of the demonstration (Low resolution .wmv file) (2.6 MB)

     

    Another movie of the demonstration from Ray Archeleta Conservation Agronomist East National Technology Support Center (High Resolution .avi file) 515 MB [I recommend downloading first by right clicking and    saving as, before playing this movie]

    Background for demonstration - Functional_Significance_of_Glomalin (34 MB) Power Point presentation created by Kristine Nichols Agricultural Research Service.

    Draft_Making_Soil_Biology_Work_For_you (50.6 MB) Power Point presentation created by Kris Nichols Agricultural Research Service.

     

    Soil Quality Indicators: Aggregate Stability (28 KB)

     

  2. A great publication on biodiversity and conservation tillage

    Better Soils with the No-Till System by Sjoerd W. Duiker & Joel C. Myers

     

  3. An article about soils in the Amazon with unusual properties as a result of "special" organic matter.

    "Terra preta: unearthing an agricultural goldmine" by David Bennett (Delta Farm Press)

  4. Related materials from other pages
 
 Educational Page

 Erosion and Sediment Control