THE EFFECTS OF RAINFALL, LOCATION, AND DEPTH ON THE pH, NITROGEN, POTASSIUM, AND PHOSPHORUS LEVELS IN SOIL

This experiment was designed to show where soil is healthiest, simultaneously displaying the best environment for planting. The objectives were to find which factor, or interactions of factors, rainfall, location, or depth, will have the greatest effect on the pH of the soil, along with the nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus levels of the soil. In this particular experiment, soil was collected from three different locations (rural, suburban, and city), at three different depths (two inches, seven inches, and 12 inches), and from three different cities with different amounts of rainfall (Oxford, which had 29.0 inches of rain in the last two months, Mount Pleasant with 31.1 inches of rain, and Ann Arbor with 33.5 inches). A Rapitest Soil Test Kit was then used to measure the pH, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus levels from these samples. The data was analyzed using four three factor design of experiments. The results showed that no factors held an effect on the pH in the soil; A higher interaction between rainfall and location, and a higher depth, led to lower amounts of nitrogen in the soil; A high interaction between rainfall and location led to higher amounts of potassium, and a higher amount of rainfall, led to a higher amount of phosphorus in the soil samples.

Research Done By:

Chelsea Diem
L'Anse Creuse High School-North

Brian McArthur
Center Line High School

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