Procedure

*Below you will find specific steps describing how we completed our experiment. In some cases, we have included links that will take you to more in depth directions!!!

1. Choose 5 different research sites, starting at your believed source of your run-off. (Be sure to make all your sites the same distance apart, we decided to make our sites 30m apart)

2.Take three 15 cm long by 2cm in diameter soil samples at each of the center points of your selected research sites.  

3.     Dry each soil sample  over night.

4.     Sift out 9.5grams of soil into a Petri dish.

a.     a. Pour soil into a mortar and use the pestle to grid up the dry soil.

b.     b. Pour the grounded soil into a plastic cup.

c.      c. Place a piece of 1mm² black mesh over the cup and secure with a rubber  band.

d.     d. Then place an empty Petri dish on top of your scale and then sift into the  Petri dish until you reach 9.5grams. 

*Reminder- Remember to re-zero the scale after you place the Petri dish on to sift your soil.* 

5.    

5.  Add 20 ml of distilled water to each Petri dish to saturate it. Cover and allow to sit for seven hours. And you will use the remaining soil for the chemical test and the serial dilutions.

      *Reminder- Steps 5-7 must be completed at the same time.*

6.   With each sample, perform chemical tests for Nitrate, Nitrite, and Ammonium, using the chemical test kit of your choice. Be sure to perform chemical tests at the same time as you extract for bacteria and protozoa.

7.     Complete a Serial Dilution for each sample, in order to count your bacteria.

               * To see how to complete a serial dilution click on the link.

8.     To count the protozoa finish performing the Protozoa Extraction.  

 * To see how to complete a protozoa test click on the link Protozoa Test.

9.   You would want to repeat this entire procedure again with another day's worth of data to compare results.

10.   Analyze and conclude!