Grade 9 Science Journal Q1

Calcium– Calcium is important in soil because it helps loosen the soil to allow the soil to hold more water and nutrients. Calcium can improve the health of the soil because it moves the sodium out of place, which allows clay particles to pile together. If there isn’t enough calcium in the soil, plants that grow in the soil will not produce regular sized crop. Without calcium in soil, the plants in the surrounding area could become sick and the fruit could become weak and easily bruised. If you have too much calcium in soil, then plant a crop in the soil, the soil can have too much space for air causing not enough water to be able to be in the soil to help the plant grow. If soil doesn’t have enough calcium some farmers will use liquid calcium to spray on fields, to get more calcium in the ground. Calcium helps break down organic matter like leaves in the fall or died plants.

Nitrogen– Nitrogen is important in trees because it is required for completing the tree life cycle and an essential part of sustaining molecules in the trees. The average there is 17,000 ppm (parts-per million) of nitrogen, nitrogen is found everywhere in a tree weather the tree is living, dying, or growing. Nitrogen is important to have in living things because it’s good at manifesting the necessities of life. Nitrogen in the soil can only be found in living bacteria, fungi, and plants. Most nitrogen can be found in organic matter, after a while the nitrogen from the organic matter gets pulled into the ground and is accessible for plants and animals that need it. Nitrogen can’t be created or destroyed, nitrogen just gets moved from living thing to living thing.

Carbon– Carbon is apart of farming because to run a tractor or using a fossil fuel based fertilizer releases carbon into the air. Carbon can also last a long time in soil, and in water and the atmosphere. Carbon that is in the soil makes the soil very fertile and good for growing crops. Carbon isn’t only good for soil, but fossil carbon can be used a s a fossil fuel and when this fossil fuel is burned it creates massive amounts of energy. Even though it creates a massive amount of energy it also creates a lot of carbon dioxide as well. Carbon should be in the soil, to help make plants grow health an strong.

Bibliography:

Calcium: Norton, Robert, R.N(2013). Focus on calcium: Its role in Crop production. Grains Research and Development Corporation, https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2013/02/focus-on-calcium-its-role-in-crop-production

Nauta, Phil, P.N(2020). Calcium and phosphorus. Smiling Gardener, https://www.smilinggardener.com/collection/calcium-and-phosphorus/

Nitrogen: Coder, Kim, K.C.(2012) Nitrogen & Trees. University of Georgia, Warnell, https://www.warnell.uga.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Nitrogen%20%26%20Trees%20Pub%2012-1_0.pdf

Carbon: No author,(2021) Carbon farming. Carbon Cycle Institute, https://www.carboncycle.org/carbon-farming/

No author,(2021) Carbon farming can help solve climate change. Nordic cooperation, https://www.norden.org/en/nyhed/carbon-farming-can-help-solve-climate-change “I accessed this website on October 27, 2021