Report on Soil Respiration rates (lab 4)

What to write

Standard (as taught in 1st year Biol Systs) full lab report. i.e.

Title

Abstract

Introduction

Methods (Write methods in full using standard format)

Results

Discussion

References

Important aspects to for introduction and/or discussion

Composition of soil organic matter (OM), types of OM in soil, lability/recalcitrance of OM etc. i.e. how it influences respiration rates

Role of water in regulating microbial metabolism in soils. i.e. how it influences soil respiration rates.

Effects of the soil treatments (What has the greater influence water or labile OM & how do these interact)

Why soil respiration rates are important/why do people measure them

Methods for measuring respiration rates/metabolic activity in soils

Comparison of the two methods you used:-

Both measure “total metabolism” but in different ways. So don’t (or don’t always) measure the same thing.

These inherent limitations of the methods (especially if you think they effected your results) and how the different treatments would effect these.

These points are highly dependent on your results and we will be discussing these in class to give some idea on how to consider your actual results in relation to these.

We will discuss these comparisons/methods biases and go through how to calculate the results from each experiment in the workshop.

Report on Soil Respiration rates (lab 4)

What to write

Standard (as taught in 1st year Biol Systs) full lab report. i.e.

Title

Abstract

Introduction

Methods (Write methods in full using standard format)

Results

Discussion

References

Important aspects to for introduction and/or discussion

Composition of soil organic matter (OM), types of OM in soil, lability/recalcitrance of OM etc. i.e. how it influences respiration rates

Role of water in regulating microbial metabolism in soils. i.e. how it influences soil respiration rates.

Effects of the soil treatments (What has the greater influence water or labile OM & how do these interact)

Why soil respiration rates are important/why do people measure them

Methods for measuring respiration rates/metabolic activity in soils

Comparison of the two methods you used:-

Both measure “total metabolism” but in different ways. So don’t (or don’t always) measure the same thing.

These inherent limitations of the methods (especially if you think they effected your results) and how the different treatments would effect these.

These points are highly dependent on your results and we will be discussing these in class to give some idea on how to consider your actual results in relation to these.

We will discuss these comparisons/methods biases and go through how to calculate the results from each experiment in the workshop.