The diversity of organisms in soil is critical to all environments as these organisms play an important role in the cycling of ecosystem nutrients. Biodiversity within soil helps create a stable ecosystem by offering protection and regulation to these crops. However, it is not well understood the effects that pesticides and the management of orchards have on these living organisms. In this proposal, we aim to collect and analyze soil samples that will aid us in investigating the correlation between active and inactive orchards within 50 miles of Amherst, Massachusetts. Effectively gathering an even distribution sample of the different orchards and filtering out the living organisms from the soil are fundamental steps in beginning to evaluate the sample. The organisms extracted will be observed through a microscope and identified based on the number of species. While many chemical treatments are used for pest control in modern day farming, these pesticides could have threatening impacts to our ecosystem. These pesticides are not only killing off many of the essential living organisms, but could affect the longevity of these orchards. pose a threat to the health and safety of our ecosystem.
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