Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Jon-Paul McCool
College
College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)
Discipline(s)
Soil Science, Physical Geography, Environmental Science
ORCID Identifier(s)
Jack Colwell: 0000-0003-3605-4310, Jon-Paul McCool: 0000-0003-2384-4620, Kora Stephey: 0009-0003-2501-0707, Nickie Smar: 0009-0009-7534-897X
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-24-2025
Abstract
This project analyzed soil parameters from multiple locations owned by the Shirley Heinze Land Trust in Porter County, Indiana, some of which are being ecologically restored or have been restored in the past. The samples were collected from prairie, forested wetland, riverine wetland/floodplain ecological areas, and current agricultural areas that are to be restored to each of those same environmental types. To measure the effectiveness of the rehabilitation mentioned above, this project compared bulk density, soil chemistry, organic matter, aggregate stability, and particle size analysis from the agricultural area to those from restored and natural settings. This allowed the estimation of targets and a baseline to assess the effectiveness of future rehabilitation projects. The results helped us to learn more about restoration projects on plots of land that have been used for agriculture for an extended period of time and can help other environmental projects find effective ways of rehabilitating formerly cultivated land.
Recommended Citation
Colwell, Jack E.; Stephey, Kora Morgan; Smar, Nicole L.; and McCool, Jon-Paul, "Soil Metric Analysis Around Engquist Nature Preserve" (2025). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1438.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1438
Biographical Information about Author(s)
Jack Colwell: Jack E. Colwell is a senior geography and environmental science double major from Chillicothe, Illinois.
Kora Stephey: Kora Morgan Stephey is a senior environmental science major from Newark, Ohio.
Nickie Smar: Nicole L Smar is freshman environmental science major from Gary, Indiana.
Dr. Jon-Paul McCool: Associate Professor of Geography