Water, Soil, and Our Food

System
Jaclyn Schermer and Ashley Robarge
KSC Dietetic Interns

Critical thinking
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

What do plants need to grow

Why is water vital for life
What are the four layers of soil
What are the macrominerals needed for plant nutrition
Can anyone name two uses of covercrops
What helps to breakdown compost

After today...
Explain the interconnection between plant life and all
other life forms on Earth
Demonstrate how plants prevent soil erosion
Describe the formation of soil that supports plant life

Water, Sun and Soil : Plants & Their Connection to All Life
Consumers

Producers

Primary
Consumer

Secondary
Consumer

Sun
Soil
plants
Herbivore
Omnivores

Water

Decomposers

image.google.com

Decomposition

Tertiary
consumer

Carnivore

Producers: Plants
All life relies on plant based foods
because:

Eating plants
Eating the animals that eat
plants
Eating animals that eat plants
and other animals

These animals are collectively known

as consumers

Photo Credit: www.storify.com

Consumers:
Types of Consumers:
Herbivore: animal that feed
on plants
Carnivore: animals that eat
other animals.
Omnivore: animals that eat
both plants and animals
image.google.com

Plants: The Producers of Life

In order for plants to grow they need the following things:

soil

Sun

water

Plants

The Sun

Gives off light and heat necessary to:

Make planet Earth habitable

It causes evaporation to occur in order to continue the water

cycle
Allows for the growth of plants, animals and other organisms

Name the process which the suns energy is utilized help plants grow?

The Suns Energy: Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll in the leaves of the plant utilize the suns energy
Chlorophyll converts:
Water
Carbon dioxide
To Produce
Glucose- starch
Oxygen

Photosynthesis

Photo Credit: nobacks.com

Photosynthesis: Lets Break it Down

oxygen

Sun

Water

leaf
Carbon
dioxide

sugar

Water & Plant Life

Water is necessary for plant
growth:
Dissolves minerals into soil
It is absorbed by plants from
soil containing minerals
Rock and soil erosion

Photo Credit: www.gardeningunlimited.com

Weathers rock/soil over time

run off- carries eroded,

mineral rich materials back
into soil flooding

Soil & Its Importance to Plants

Soil provides:
Medium for growth
Mineral minefield

Who can name those

macrominerals?

Minerals in the soil come from:

compost green and brown
microbes
Gas exchange
Erosion

Erosion Activity: Separate into three groups

Erosion
Erosion: The slow destruction of the rock/soil
Examples of rock erosion causes:
Glaciers, wind, water, volcanoes &
earthquakes
Minerals back to the soil
Prevention of soil erosion
Trees and plants help prevent
erosion because roots anchor soil

Image Credit: princetontreecare.com

Erosion Explained: The

Connecticut River Valley
A great example of rock
erosion from:
Glacial movement
Plate movement
Earthquakes
Volcanic eruptions

Kurn Hattin!

The Connecticut River Valley: Late Triassic

Formed some 220 million years ago

Earthquakes
Causing large faults between Earths
plates Volcanoes

Lava covers the faults coming from

deep fissures several times
Over the next several 100 years lush
forest grew in the valley
Seen from bedrock layering
Dinosaurs fossils commonly found

Valley continues to sink

Connecticut River Valley: Modern

Forming between 10,000-13,000 years ago

Northern Hemisphere covered

by a large glacier

Gouged the valley as it melted and

moved across New England

Wisconsin Glacier

Melting Glaciers Flooding

Created the Connecticut River,

streams and lakes created
Carried eroded rock, clay and sand
all over New England runoff

Photo Credit: agatelady.com

Have you seen this?

PhotoCredit: googleimages.com

How about this? Have you seen it?

Photo Credit: nhpr.com

Connecticut River Valley: Continued

So we know the glacier melted, leaving eroded rock,
sand and clay which was dispersed via flooding all over
the Connecticut River Valley
What does that mean?

The Connecticut River Valley is great for farming because its

nutrient rich soils tied to events that happened millions of years ago!

What you learned today:

Producers

Consumers
Primary
Consumer

Secondary
Consumer

Sun
Soil
plants
Herbivore
Omnivores

Water

image.google.com

Decomposers

Tertiary
consumer

Decomposition

Carnivore

Homework for next week

Since we now know how we benefit from the mineral rich
soils created by events which happened millions of years
ago, what does this mean about our actions and treatment of
the environment today?

Next Week:
How the agriculture impacts the environment.
Tie this together with the environments impacts on the food system.

Questions?

Resources
http://broome.soil.ncsu.edu/ssc051/Lec5.htm
http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
http://library.med.utah.edu/NetBiochem/nutrition/lect1/2_1.html
http://www.nutrientsreview.com/glossary/essential-nutrients
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/nutrients-101-essential-and-non-essential-nutrient
s-explained.html
http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-producers-and-consumers-in-biology-definition-examples.html
https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/vitamin.html
http://www.morehead.unc.edu/Shows/EMS/sunlight.htm