Soil Sampling Methods

Baermann Funnel

In this method we take a funnel with a small mesh lining the inside. There is a tube attached to the bottom, which is clamped shut at the bottom. When the soil is placed in the funnel you fill up the funnel to the rim with water. This water pushes the small organisms through the filter into the bottom of the tube. After it sets for 24 to 48 hours, we open the clamp and allow the organism to go into a petri dish. We can take the petri dish under a microscope and look for the microscopic organisms that were living in the soil.

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Berlese Funnel

This is a technique that uses a strong light to force organisms down into the soil. The soil you are trying to sample is placed in a funnel. The funnel is lined with a mesh varying in size, but typically less than a quarter inch. At the bottom of the funnel a tube is attached which goes into a flask. the flask has an alcohol mixture containing ethanol. This mixture will kill the organisms that fall into it. A light is placed above the funnel, it produces heat and brightness which annoys the organisms in the soil. They will crawl down through the soil to escape this heat. They eventually go all the way through the soil and fall into the alcohol mix killing and preserving them.

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