Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania with excellent research facilities and innovative teaching. Students get the opportunity to work closely with professors in their chosen field.
Students in the Biology 203, Integrative Concepts in Biology, laboratory have a unit all about soil. The students visit the Bucknell Farm to learn about the properties of healthy soil. They then pick a location on campus to study. Students study the health of the soil in different conditions, such as soil with native flowers growing compared to soil under a tree. They measure microbial biomass, soil respiration rate, and various other soil properties to determine the overall health of the soil.
“The microBIOMETER® test allows students to quickly and easily measure microbial biomass and the relative amounts of bacteria and fungi in the soil. It is easy to use for non-experts with very quick results! We have measured huge differences in the microbial biomass at locations across Bucknell’s campus and have been surprised to have very high levels of biomass in the grassy areas, too!” – Rebekah Stevenson, Director of Core Course Laboratories – Biology Department
