11. Research ways of enhancing the quadrat
Some quadrat enhancement questions to get started with could include:
- What bugs would you encourage to visit your quadrat?
- If earthworms are a good indicator of soil health – what do they eat?
- How are mycorrhizal fungi beneficial to the soil?
- How does fungi get rid of dead wood so that the nutrients return to the soil?
- What plants are beneficial to the soil?
- What do bees add to the mix?
- What about native bees and other insects?
- Why do gardeners add compost or seaweed to their soil?
- What about pest control at your school? (Recent DOC work has shown that rats eat plant seedlings and reduce seedling diversity).
- Interview your caretaker to find out what she/he does to combat pests.
- What do snails do?
- How do the species in your quadrat compare to other sites i.e. what there was before the school was built?
- How could you control pests naturally?
Soil organisms are affected by:
- temperature
- moisture
- light
- vegetation
- food sources
- wind
- and many other factors
The general aim is to provide a system which gives ample opportunities for the organisms to carry out their function of decomposing organic matter. The addition of organic matter increases microbial activity by providing both a mineral source and a food source for soil organisms - in line with the organic philosophy of feeding the soil to feed the plant.