Studying Soil Ecology in the Classroom
There are a variety of different techniques for studying soil ecology. The methods we use are available both here at the E.S.S.R.E. site and at "The Little Things that Run the World" web site. We also recommend looking at Geoffrey Hall's Methods for the Examination of Organismal Diversity in Soils and Sediments (Paris: CAB INTERNATIONAL, 1996) and Judith Bramble's Field Methods in Ecological Investigation for Secondary Science Teachers (St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden, 1995) to learn more about using the study of soil ecology in the classroom.
To learn about different experimental protocols you can use to explore the soil, you can go directly to the lab protocols developed and tested in a specific year. Over the course of the program, some protocols have been changed in order to become more accurate. The years in which each changed protocol were used are indicated on the protocols page. Or if you are interested in a specific topic, simply follow that link.