#mineral-poor soils

[biology-geology-beaches-india]

The Science Research Diaries of S. Sunkavally, p 502.

[inprogresspokemon]

Squirmeon (Bug/Ground)

#??? - On rare occasion, an Eevee can be affected by more than one environmental factor, and reacts to grow into a new, rare evolution. Eevee who spend much of their time underground, searching for bugs and earth to eat, may evolve into the Bug/Ground-type Squirmeon. Excellent diggers and burrowers, these Eeveelutions travel where ever soil is moist and laden in minerals. When they move on to a new area, they leave behind enriched soil and a labrinth of tunnels that other Pokemon like to inhabit. Squirmeon spend the majority of their time underground, resulting in poor eyesight; however, their highly sensitive skin detects even the slightest ground vibrations, enabling them to navigate without issue. To stay healthy, they must keep their skin's thin film moist; if it dries out, they become unwell and must burrow back into the earth. Their diet consists mostly of soil and decayed vegetation. They will store nutrients and minerals in the rubbery sections of their tail and body, which they can draw upon in times of need. Though these easygoing Pokémon make excellent companions, Squirmeon are hard to find due to their underground lifestyle. Trainers who aim to evolve their Eevee into this Bug/Ground-type must encourage their Eevee to dig and consume mineral-rich soil.

Other dual-type Eeveelutions

- - - - - - - - - -

Follow for more Dual-Typed Eeveelutions!

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[kiseiakhun]

I would've made more but I'm leaving for China in 3 days so I restrained myself to succulents. The moonstone might suffer a bit without being watered for a month (it'll probably lose its flowers u_u) but the lithops are fully plumped up and actually look a bit over watered to me and I probably won't need to water them again until autumn 👍 it's my first time keeping lithops so I'm a bit nervous but I'm going to stick to watering them only twice a year. Or even once a year. Also separating the lithops took me ✨2 hours✨ last night and this is why you don't keep your succulents in peat, kids.

Anyway. Made some impulsive purchases yesterday.

[pokemonshelterstories]

My dad had moved to the mountains for retirement a few years back and started up gardening recently. Three months later after this, I get pictures of his poor garden now becoming a Geodude napping patch. Not sure what’s attracting them there, but it’s motivating them to somehow get around his fence and dig into the soil to sleep there. Even the sprinkler he installed isn’t deterring them. Any advice for how I can help him.

i wonder if the soil in his garden has a particular mineral makeup that they like! that's usually what attracts them to a particular area. sleeping geodude will ignore just about anything, is the problem. you can even step on them and they won't care...unless they're awake, in which case he'll have a different problem on his hands. rampaging geodude are not safe to have around.

he can try sprinkling some vileplume nectar around the perimeter of his garden. it doesn't smell great, but it tends to dissuade ground types and is used to keep diglet out of farmland. if that doesnt work, he'll probably need to call up the rangers to relocate the current geodude crew and build a fence that extends underground.

[evilminji]

I'ma be bold! Marvel Time!

Wakanda has Vibranium. An impossible mineral that does not see like it could form naturally, right? Or there would be far more in the wider universe then just the few bits we see.

You know what ELSE is impossibly rare, minerals wise?

Ectoranium. The disasteroid. And! From Wakandan oral history? The two seem to have appeared in the EXACT SAME WAY. Out of no where. Through, very possibly, the EXACT SAME rarely opening portal. If? On the other side? There was an asteroid belt of some kind?

It would only take things aligning just right, for one to slip through.

We KNOW materials from the Zone effect the living world in strange ways. Vibranium could very well just be the dead reflection of a mineral from a different, more durable, universe. The Zone is Infinite, so it would mix pretty much EVERYTHING together into a chaotic mess.

So there could be a considerable amount of Vibranium asteroids just hanging around.

But! And more importantly! Getting hit by, then LIVING OVER, a massive fuck off Zone Rock? Would expose Wakandans to generations of Ectoplasm. ESPECIALLY with how Vibranium, by nature, holds a "charge" if you will. It would be a heat lamp of Limnality. Making everyone near it?

Better.

Not superhuman. Not fully Limnal. Because Vibranium HOLDS a charge. That Ectoplasmic energy would be stuck INSIDE the metal. Unable to truely effect anyone who isn't directly touching it. Even then, BARELY seeping into them. But? It WOULD leech, slowly, into everything around it.

The air, the water, the soil.

The PLANTS. That precious, precious, SACRED Herb.

Over time? It would loosen the ties that bind. Those pesky human limitations. Sure, it would say, grow smarter. Stronger. Live longer, better lives. Knees that ache less, backs that do not bend, bones that do not succumb. You're still human! Your DNA no different.

It's just the strength of your SOUL poking through.

Would anyone notice, if it happened slowly? Over enough generations? It's normal. Everyone here is like this. It's not superhuman. Just... HEALTHY, right? A good diet and plenty of exercise? That is what makes our skin clear and eyes sharp, teeth strong and feet sure. Right?

That healthy diet of... what was it again?

Ah yes, Ectoplasmicly charged plants? Sweet fruits and healthy vegetables. Water purged of contamination by the Ectoplasm to devours all but itself? So very crisp! Is it not?

Houses made of materials charged with it. Resting in beds, beneath covers and cloth, woven with it. Walking upon streets paved with it. What in Wakanda is NOT touched by it? In some form? Some way? Gently bathing all who live there in its unseen light?

And, tell me, WHERE do you go again? When you fall? When you join your Panther God? Mmmhmm, pockets within pockets. Lairs and territories. The Zone itself may be green, but a Lair can be what ever it's Master chooses.

But! Why do I bring this up? That the Afterlives are no doubt connected? After all, it's not like the Master's of those Lair's, the Gods that are worshipped, would just... LET people leave. It defeats the purpose of creating an "Afterlife"!

But, again! Consider! The Panther God loves the Wakandan Royal Family. They are loyal worshipers. The Panther Gods responsibility. And? The rather newly dead T'Chaka, former monarch (and thus rather informed of all the major concerns of a nation) of Wakanda, has informed the Panther God that? Gasp!

The Vibranium is, at generations long last, about to run out.

Their people are in danger.

Please! Do something!

The God can not. Buuuut... the "ghost king" of the space between, can. He must go, on a Dangerous And Heroic Soul Pilgrimage(tm) to meet with this mysterious king. Negotiate for his son and people. T'Chaka, a brave and dignified king, will of course face this challenge with all that he is.

It's very Alice in Wonderland. (The poor man.)

But the Black Panther manages to get to the still under construction castle none the less. Lead by a delightful, if mischievous, young girl by the name of "Dani" (with an i). Who reminds him, somewhat painfully, of his daughter Shuri when she was younger.

The King of the Between is a... young man.

Busy putting constellations on the ceiling, he pays them little mind. Until Dani calls out to him. Revealing that exactly like Shuri, she was a princess all along. He can see the resemblance.

He explains his issue, prepared to argue his case for however long he must. Instead he is just met with long soul searching look, a glance to Dani (who appears to vouch for him), and a nod. He is baffled. It... so easily?

People need help, he is informed. That's reason enough. Besides, Dani says you're not a fruitloop. And the young king trusts her judgment.

Let's go get your people some rocks.

(You can imagine, the ABSOLUTE SHIT STORM. Mentally, Emotionally, Politically, when the GHOST of the FORMER KING just? Shows up! Broad daylight! In the royal yard in from of the palace with a GIANT piece of Vibranium and a foreign King of The Dead.

Father... WHY. Don't get T'Challa wrong, he is about to cry he's so happy to see you. But? In PUBLIC, Father? In front of his delicious Wakandan Salad? Stop being so amused you old cat! This isn't FUNNY! Now I have to deal with this! T^T )

@hdgnj @hypewinter @the-witchhunter @ailithnight @nerdpoe

[script-a-world]

Submitted via Google Form:

If a town had their food completely self-sustained, how much farmland would they need? It's a heavily vegetarian community by the way. How much would it depend on the exact crops they're growing i.e. beans vs lentils, rice vs wheat? Let's say 30,000 people for now. If I need to adjust for a different population, would it be linear or not? What if they optimised their fields for most nutrition to land required? The town is in the coastal tropics by the way. Crops that can't be grown there can be greenhoused. Also, I heard about crops being grown in seawater instead. How much land can be saved if some of the crops were there instead? Also, how possible is it for this community to be able to achieve less than 5% food waste?

Tex: So I went and gave “how much farmland is needed per person” a quick search on the internet, and here are the first three results:

How Much Land Does It Take To Feed One Person – Online Calculator by William Swanson | Permaculturism

How much land to feed a person? by The Naked Scientists

Agricultural land use per person by Our World in Data

Now, I do not necessarily claim these are the best search results, only the first search results. (Admittedly, the top result is pretty good for most uses.) Adjusting your keywords and search parameters will likely net you more pertinent results.

For some additional context, here is a list of types of malnutrition (Wikipedia). It has a category for both under- and over-nourishment, which will be useful for your context and as a form of general education in real life.

Humans require a varied diet. If they do not get this, and in proper quantities, they fall ill. Trade has been an enormous supplement for this, in terms of things like preserved produce or meats that cannot be produced locally for various reasons, or preservation agents such as salt (which also fill a spot in the nutritional index).

Land can only produce so much during a growing period, and requires seasonal periods to lay fallow - something which typically requires the use of manure to amend the soil to a useful mineral ratio (you can use chemicals, strictly speaking, if you don’t mind destroying the microbiome in the process). Greenhouses have much the same pitfalls, hence their experimental or ornamental nature compared to the style of agriculture humans have been practicing for thousands of years.

The amount of arable land will dictate how many people can survive healthily in a given area. For this, you’ll probably want to use the calculator linked above, and make sure to account for non-arable, uninhabitable land for other flora, other fauna, and geological features such as rocks or beaches.

It will not be a utopia, and an agriculturally-dependent society that vegetarianism or veganism (an even more stringent diet) demands will necessarily spend the majority of their time tending to their crops and the accessory chores to keep their farms running year-round.

Additionally, food waste is a relatively new concept, and mostly for the Western or adjacent world, because historically most people have been too poor to afford wasting even a single scrap of a mealy vegetable. If it cannot be cooked into edibility, fed to a farm animal, composted, used to insulate crops over winter, converted into a useful craft (see: textiles, manufacturing of non-food goods), or otherwise consumed in a worthwhile manner, it generally is not bothered with as a crop because wasted crop costs money - and money is historically housed by the wealthy who need not worry about such things as where and when their next meal arrives, not the people who produce the food.

[stygiansauce]

Is there any small spoilers you could give us?

Just a little snack for the poor and starving 🙏

OF COURSE!!! I'll always feed my anons.

I actually needed the motivation to edit this scene because it's been a pain in the behind getting the dialog to feel right. But what is motivation if not the people I write this story for <3

I did drop it in an earlier post, but incase no one noticed, the title for chapter four is Fire Line I'll share a little about that under the cut too. Enjoy

__________________ Fire Line Noun A cleared strip of land, often dug down to bare mineral soil, that acts as a barrier to stop or slow the spread of a fire.

Fire line is also the title of my favorite Rancher flavored song.

Here are your spoils, xoxo Sauce

____________________

“EQUINE. I know horses. Ask a horse question and I know it better than anyone else.” 

Tango sees this opportunity for what it is, he takes a sip of his beer and leans forward over his knees. He looms over where Jimmy sits on the floor in front of him. A win win tied in a bow, he can make fun of Bdubs and press the back of his fingers between Jimmy’s shoulder blades. 

“Bold statement, but I’ll bite. How many bones do horses have?” He asks, knowing full well what this will turn into. It’s fun though, to poke at the bear and see what kind of fight he can start.

Something sharp lights in Bdubs usually soft eyes, “Two hundred and five.” 

“Ever cleaned up horse vomit?”

“Horses can't vomit, Tango.” 

“How d’you break a colt?” 

“Trust and time.” 

“What’s the best brand of-”

Bdubs blows a raspberry, “Face it Tango, me me more cowboy than you.” 

Jimmy snorts into his drink, inhaling the liquid.  He coughs trying to dislodge it from his lungs and Tango rubs at his back, a stiff, hidden movement that hopefully brings some relief. 

He draws his face tight. “What the hell does that even mean?” He spreads his legs an inch further so Jimmy fits, shoulders snug between knees. He leans back into the cushions instead of Tango’s shins. 

“It means you can quiz me all you want. I'll be just as good of a cowboy as you are.” 

Oh that's rich, coming from a midwestern city boy. 

It’s Tango’s turn to laugh then, “you can’t even pronounce sarsaparilla.” the word rolls off his tongue with ease, sas-per-illa. The way it's meant to be said, despite its spelling. 

“Because you say it wrong. It’s sar-sa-per-ill-ah.” 

“That’s not how we say it.” Tango lets the bottle in his fingers slide down an inch. The glass lip is wrapped snugly between his middle finger and thumb, leaving his index free so he can point at Bdubs.

“According to google-” 

They’ve had this argument before, and every time it sparks offence in Tango’s stomach. He’s not sure why, maybe it's some backwards Texas patriotism. All he knows is that the internet thinks it knows how folks are in the south, and every time it’s wrong.

“Can google tell ya how many snakes are in the borrow near the stable? Can google wrangle a heard of bison after a monsoon fucks the canyon back to her creation? Does google ride the damn horse, Bdubs? That shits a machine that don’t know the difference between a sarsaparilla root and the dirt itself.” 

Etho reaches across the couch and settles a hand on his arm, “Calm down,” he wheezes.

Somewhere in the background Scar and Joel are laughing. Tango ignores them, he leans over Jimmy and sets his beer on the coffee table with a loud thunk. 

He crosses his arms and zeros in on his target. 

Bdubs narrows his eyes, then a slow evil smile draws across his face. “Hey Tango.” 

He chews his tongue and raises an eyebrow. 

“Say oil.”

He sucks in a sharp breath and clenches his jaw. That’s funny as hell. He fights a laugh and says instead, “I might kill you.” 

Bdubs cackles. He tosses his head back into his chair.

“What’s that thing you say Bdubs? When you’re trying to pass someone in a tight space?” say it, he thinks cruelly, let me sneak right past ya.

Bdubs scrunches his nose, laugher gone as fast as it came, “Pardon me” he grits. 

Tango grins, “He’s gon’ try an forget the word finagle next.” 

“Finagle is a good word!”

“An’ so is highfalutin but y’all don't see me yellin’ it ‘cross the pasture.” 

Jimmy tips his head back, straining to get Tango in his vision, “Yell it from the rooftops?” he asks, a subtle correction of the idiom. 

Tango scoffs, “No.”

“See?” Bdubs cuts in, “You talk funny!” 

“I do not. Y’all jus’ sound midwestern as all get out.”

Bdubs reaches towards him and strangles the air, fingers rigid, face red, “Say it, Tango. Say vegetable oil.”

“No.” The ease of a summer breeze in his voice.

“Coward!” 

He’s laughing. They all are. Trivia mostly forgotten in favor of shouting over each other.

Tango glances down at Jimmy. He’s still craning his neck back, his smile looks funny tilted upside down. Tango cradles the back of his head in his palm, takes the weight off his neck and leans forward so they can hear each other. 

“Your accent gets worse when you’re mad.” He says with a giddy laugh.

“An’ I bet you like that.” Normalcy. Where many things are different tonight, a teasing comment will always bring them back home to steady footing.

Jimmy fights his smile and nods. Tango rolls his eyes and lifts his hand, sending his head back upright. 

He pretends there isn’t a roll in his gut. Ignores how good it looks to have Jimmy sitting in front of him, between his legs. Shakes the thought that Jimmy likes his accent, likes that dirty part of him that he doesn’t know how to hide. Instead, he focuses on the sea of conversations around the, and drapes his forearms over Jimmy’s shoulders. ______ Your Honor please don't send me to skyblock, I promise there more where this came from.

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Settings Sketch

So Scrivener has a "Location" Template, but I thought it was rather weak, so I beefed it up to have more things to think on, but not necessarily fill out. I used my inner nerd, Sociology and Anthropology to make this one.

As a Scrivener Template, I set it up to look like this (with invisibles on)

Here is the list of items I put in.

I know most people will do maybe the Name, name origin, the Geography, but for me, I like to know the people who live there and how the place woks in a social setting to get the place to feel alive and breathe.

This is my city template. For other locations, like say a mountain or lake, you probably could cut the majority of the list.

For individual buildings, etc, I'm more inclined to post a picture of the layout.

My favorite parts of the building up the locations are the grunt workers over the professionals. It makes your locations feel alive when the village/town/city is changing in some way or other. There is construction, the sewer system failed, the cogs fells out of place, the steam isn't steaming, etc. So it's worth it to put a little thought into it. Oh noes, there is a pothole, so a construction crew has to fix it. Often other world fantasy neglects this part, but in a way, a city/town, etc is a breathing changing entity, so it makes it feel much more vivid when it is doing that and maybe a small action your characters do affects that indirectly.

BTW, while you're at it, be a bit more creative with your prison system. You don't have to say lock up people with mental health problems and the poor. You could actually restructure society so that there isn't a permanent homeless and prison population, or children running around without homes or supervision. All those institutions you have in your day to day life--you could challenge them change them because you're wolrdbuilding.

Here is the text for those that don't have Scrivener or your screen reader is failing you.

Name of Setting

General Information Graphemes:

Meaning:

Origin:

Nicknames:

Role in Story:

Type of Place:

Government Type:

Story Characters Associated:

Geographical Features Climate:

Soil Types:

Vegetation:

Water Resources:

Landforms:

Mineral Resources:

Geological Description:

Demographics Ethnicities:

Race:

Age:

Socio-Economic range:

Religions:

Population Numbers:

Population Density:

Political Landscape:

Economy Real Estate:

Finance:

Large Companies:

Production and Industry:

Buildings:

Economic History:

Community Schools: (How many? How many students pers school? What levels?)

Major Parks:

Mixed Use Locations:

Major Public Places:

Must-See Locations:

Unique Features:

Utilities and Public Works Lights: (Gas? Electricity Magic Fire) Water Works: (How does water get to your residents?) Safety: (Fire, Fire Warning, Law Enforcement, etc) Park Services: (Who cleans up the Parks, trims the trees, etc) Trash and Recycling Removal:

Public Transportation:

Mail:

Communication:

Street Cleaners:

Sewer System:

Health Services: (Out of Pocket, Public, Private, Types of Practitioners) Mental Health Services:

School System: (Public, Private, Home, Mixed? Who gets it?)

Sensory Information Sights:

Sounds:

Smells:

Taste:

Touch:

General Information History:

Notes:

[junelovesjellyfishandcats]

This post is about:

The evolution of plants!

Plant evolution is a bit complex but beautiful. This post serves to educate you without losing your interest! [And it serves as a method of studying for me too :)]

Let's start simple!

The plant kingdom:

Plants are multicellular (are made of multiple cells) organisms (living beings) that contain chlorophyll. This is the green pigment that absorbs sunlight, allowing the plant to make their own food by photosynthesis [and it gives the plant its signature green colour!].

All plant cells have a cell wall found outside of their cell membrane. It is non-living and made of cellulose. It allows liquids and dissolved substances to pass through it. Thus, it is permeable. The cell membrane only allows certain substances through as it is partially permeable.

Most mature plant cells have a large permanent vacuole filled with the fluid sap. This is an aqueous solution of sugars and salts. The vacuole also produced turgor pressure on the cytoplasm and cell wall, making the cell firm/turgid.

Advantages of plant life in water:

Water provided:

Support, allowing for more exposure to sunlight.

Constant supply of water.

Readily available minerals.

A medium for spore/gamete transfer [necessary for reproduction].

Advantages of plant life on land:

Land provides:

Abundant sunlight.

Higher concentration of carbon dioxide.

Space availability as land had not yet been colonised by animals.

But land also provided many challenged for plants like:

Exposure to UV radiation which could cause mutations.

Exposure to air increases the chances of dessication (drying).

Structures needed support to replace the buoyancy previously offered by water.

Male gametes [sex cells] required a watery medium to reach female gametes.

Thus, plants had to develop structure that could:

Provide ways of capturing and filtering light.

Avoid dessication.

Offer structural support.

Facilitate transfer of gametes.

Now on to a bit more complicated stuff...

Plant evolution is grouped into five main divisions:

Bryophyta, pteridophyta, gymnosperms, monocotyledonous angiosperms and dicotyledonous angiosperms.

[Gymnosperms and angiosperms and collectively known as Spermatophytes]

Bryophyta:

This includes liverworts like Pellia and mosses like Funaria.

They have a very simple structure known as the thallus, with no proper roots, leaves, and stems.

They have hair-like structures called rhizoids on the lower surface to absorb moisture.

Their size is limited due to the absence of vascular tissue (xylem - structures that transport water and minerals, and phloem - structures that transport food).

Their spreading is also limited as they are heavily dependent on water.

Pteridophyta:

Ferns are pteridophyta.

They have roots, stems and leaves.

They possess vascular tissues (xylem + phloem), and thus, they can reach larger sizes.

Their leaves are called fronds, and these are made of smaller leaves called pinnae. These have a waxy layer that prevents water loss, allowing them to colonise drier areas. [Reproduction still requires a damp environment].

They have sporangia (capsules that produce spores) on the lower side of leaves, typically grouped in compact groups called sori.

Gymnosperms (conifers):

These are able to conserve water, allowing them to survive in both cold and dry climates. They have small leaves adapted to help them withstand drought on poor soils or in freezing/hot conditions.

Many of these plants are evergreen (keep their leaves all year round).

They reproduce via seeds formed in cones. [Gymnosperms - naked seeds. The seeds are not enclosed in an ovary.].

They are woody plants with true roots, stems and leaves.

Many conifers possess both male and female cones on the same tree, with the female cone being larger than the male and different in appearance.

Spores no longer require water and are dispersed by wind. Gametes do not require water for fertilisation anymore and instead occurs via a pollen tube. [This shows how evolution was in favour of life on land without the need for water for fertilisation].

An example of a gymnosperm is the Aleppo pine.

Angiosperms:

These are plants with seed bearing flowers. The seeds are formed in the ovaries of flowers.

Seeds may be protected by being in a fruit.

These range from small herbs to large trees.

This division is split into two groups:

Monocotyledons:

These tend to have a fibrous root system and long parallel-veined leaves.

Their floral parts are in multiples of three [3..6..9].

They have vascular bundles throughout the stem.

The seed has one cotyledon [food store].

Ex: Daffodils.

Dicotyledons:

These tend to have a tap root system and broad net-veined leaves.

Their floral parts are in multiples of fours or fives. [4..8..12] [5..10..15].

They have vascular bundles at the periphery (edges) of the stem.

The seed has two cotyledons (food stores).

Ex: wallflower, daisy.

Plant colonisation of land provided food, prompting aquatic organisms to move to land, too.

That's the end of my first post! I hope it was interesting and relatively understandable. If you have any comments you'd like to leave to add onto this information, any questions, or any suggestion, please go right ahead!

Thank you for reading, and have a good day or night!

[tribbetherium]

'An unlucky ratbat, grounded by a crippling wing injury, falls prey to perhaps the unlikeliest of opportunistic, part-time predators: an ungulope. Ungulopes are specialized herbivores, with teeth designed for cropping tough vegetation and a modified compartmentalized stomach for fermenting and processing abrasive, cellulose-rich plant matter, and indeed they are highly efficient at the job as to become a very diverse and successful clade occupying large-herbivore niches throughout the planet. Yet, from time to time, especially when they are lacking in minerals such as calcium and iron due to poor soil quality and scarcity of choice forage, ungulopes may occasionally display a carnivorous streak: typically, by scavenging carrion to access the calcium-rich bones and iron-rich tissues--but sometimes targeting small, live prey, such as the aforementioned injured ratbats unable to escape, or small rattiles, furbils or duskmice that they may accidentally unearth while foraging. They are, however, not very optimized for processing and digesting animal matter, and thus only consume them as a rare supplement when mineral stores run low. Still, such behaviors do become more frequent in the saberleaf forests, where little to no predators survive: and local ungulope populations experience drastic boom-and-bust cycles that periodically lead to bursts of overpopulation, aggressive competition, high mortality due to starvation and injuries in conflict-- and opportunistic scavenging by starving survivors when fatalities do occur.'

-------------

[lilybug-02]

Drop some cool college knowlege on us!

(Tell me about the environment or somethin, this is your excuse to info dump:))

:D Aw thanks Violet.

One of my favorite subjects right now is Soil Science! I think it’s a really cool subject :)

Every soil on Earth has Soil Horizons and these show its history and life cycle through the millions of years it was formed!

The O Horizon, is composed of >20% organic matter(OM) and is quite uncommon as it takes a long time to accumulate OM. The arctic and far north landmasses are more likely to have deep O Horizons because the cold weather keeps organic matter from decaying rapidly! You ever hear of those peat bogs?

That’s hundreds, possibly thousands of years of organic matter stacked up on top of each other.

But what about Tropical Regions? Shouldn’t they have a ton of Organic Matter buildup too? Surprisingly no! It’s quite shallow and nutrient poor. This is because the high temperatures and humidity degrade the organic matter so fast! And the high amount of rainfall washes a lot of the nutrients out of the remaining soil. Plants in these areas are well accustomed to this cycle.

Here’s a soil profile from Ecuador, South America. Do you notice how red it is? That’s rust!

Soils contain lots of minerals like aluminum and iron (although it’s hard to see). And because these tropical areas get pelted by rain, the soil oxides just like a rusty car!

There are all kinds of soil colors too!

Isn’t it wonderful!?

That concludes soil talk :) thank you for reading

[sunsolii]

Napoleon's Marshals and their Birthstones Part 1

This is a three-part series where I'll be listing the birthstones of all 26 marshals. Part one will cover months January-April, the next post will cover March-August and the last post will cover the remaining 4 months. I'll mainly be focusing on the gemstone's physical and chemical properties as well as writing "short" facts about each gemstone. Before starting the list, I'll provide the definitions of some terms that will be used through the post.

_________________________________________________

Mineral: A naturally occurring solid which contains a crystalline structure that is made up of a single native element or multiple chemical compounds.

Mohs Scale: A scale system used to measure the scratch resistance of a mineral ranging from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest). This is done by scratching a mineral with another mineral or with another object like a penny or nail.

Cleavage: The way in which a mineral breaks along the softest plane. Classification of a cleavage ranges from perfect, good, poor, indistinct, to none. A mineral can have a basal, prismatic, cubic, rhomboherdal, octahedral, or dodecahedral cleavage.

Fracture: The texture or shape of a mineral's surface. Some types of fractures are described as conchoidal (ripples), earthy (resembles broken soil), hackly (jagged fractures), uneven, and splintery (resembles splinters).

Luster: The way which light reflects off of a mineral. Minerals can have vitreous (glassy), dull (earthy), adamantine (shiny), greasy, silky, metallic, non-metallic, pearly, resinous, or waxy lusters.

Streak: The color of the powder left behind by a mineral when it is scratched on a piece of unglazed porcelain. The color of the powder is usually different from the mineral's color.

Now, onto the list!!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Garnet (January)

Marshals-Ney and Bernadotte

Type: Mineral

Group: Silicate (SiO₄)₃

Color: red, orange, pink, green, yellow blue (rare)

Cleavage: Indistict

Fracture: Conchoidal to uneven

Mohs Scale: 6.5-7.5

Luster: Vitreous

Streak: White

Fun Fact: Garnet is its own family that contains six main species divided into two groups: pyrope, almandine, and spessartine species, which are part of the aluminum group (aluminum is present in its structure). Colors in the Aluminum group range from red to pink; these are the garnet species people think of when looking for jewelry. When pyrope is mixed with almandine, it creates rhodolite, and when mixed with spessartine, it creates malaya. Grossular, uvarovite, and andradite species are part of the calcium group (Calcium is present in structure) and are composed of green to yellow garnet. Uvarovite is the rarest of the calcium group because it grows in small chunks, making it hard to work with when making it into a gemstone.

Amethyst (February)

Marshals- Mortier

Type: Mineral

Group: Silicate (SiO₂)

Color: Purple to Violet

Cleavage: Indistict to none

Fracture: Conchoidal

Mohs Scale: 7

Luster: Vitreous

Streak: White

Fun Fact: Amethyst is part of the quartz family and it used to be part of the cardinal or most valuable gemstones, along with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, because it was available in small amounts. Its value dropped after large deposits were discovered in Brazil during the 18th century, making it one of the more affordable gemstones.

Aquamarine (March)

Marshals- Brune, Murat, Soult, Suchet

Type: Mineral

Group: Beryl (Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈)

Color: Pale blue, light green, bluish-green, sometimes yellow

Cleavage: Indisticnt to none

Fracture: Conchoidal to uneven

Mohs Scale: 7.5-8

Luster: Vitreous

Streak: White

Fun Fact: Aquamarine got its name because its color resembles the sea. It contains small traces of iron, which (depending on the oxidation state) can change its bluish color to green or yellow. These oxidation states are ferrous iron, which gives Aquamarine its blue color, and ferric iron, which gives it a greenish/yellowish color. Heating the mineral removes the greenish color to restore its blue color[1]. Aquamarine also has weak to moderate flourescent properties under UV light [2].

Diamond (April)

Marshals- Jourdan, Lannes, Oudinot, and Saint-Cyr

Type: Mineral

Group: Native mineral (Carbon (C))

Color: Yellow, brown, gray, white, colorless,

Cleavage: Octahedral, Perfect on all sides

Fracture: Uneven

Mohs Scale: 10

Luster: Adamantine

Steak: Colorless

Fun Facts: Diamonds are formed within the Earth's mantle when carbon-rich materials or carbon dioxide are subjected to extreme temperatures and pressure. It reaches the surface via volcanic eruption and gets trapped inside igneous rocks after the magma cools off. The formation of diamonds takes thousands of years, contributing to their high value [3]. Diamonds seen as potential gemstones have little to no impurities or foreign objects within their structure. In contrast, diamonds with high impurities, irregular shapes, and defects are used in commercial industries due to their durability and hardness. Diamonds are the hardest minerals, and are very difficult to scratch or break, but it's not impossible to do so. They also has a high dispersion of white light that creates a rainbow-like effects, also known as 'fire.[4]'

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Sources

Garnet: King, H. M. (n.d.). Garnet. geology. https://geology.com/minerals/garnet.shtml

Amethyst: Geary, T.F.; Whalen, D. (2008). The Illustrated Bead Bible: Terms, Tips & Techniques. Sterling Pub. p. 69.

Aquamarine: [1]King, H. M. (n.d.). Aquamarine. geology. https://geology.com/gemstones/aquamarine/

[2]MAT, M. (2023, June 3). Aquamarine: Properties, formation, occurrence " Gemstone. Geology Science. https://geologyscience.com/gemstone/aquamarine/?amp

Diamond: [4]King, H. M. (n.d.). Diamond. geology. https://geology.com/minerals/diamond.shtml

[3]MAT, M. (2023, September 25). Diamond: Properties, formation, occurrence, deposits. Geology Science. https://geologyscience.com/minerals/diamond/

[timeteaca]

From bush to mug: What do you know about tea? How the most popular drink in the world is created

Tea is drunk always and everywhere: at breakfast and before bed, in summer and winter, with sugar and lemon. But how much do we know about him? Why is black tea not black at all in a mug, but green tea has different shades from amber to gold? How is it grown and when is it harvested? And most importantly, how to drink and brew tea correctly? Together with Time Tea, we have compiled a tea guide and answered the main questions about the most popular drink in the world.

1. How tea is grown and harvested

White, green, black, oolong – despite the fact that there are many different teas in the world, they are all made from the same plant. It is called Camellia sinensis, or Chinese camellia. This is a small bush about a meter high, although closer to the south the plant becomes taller, stronger, branchier and more reminiscent of a tree. The first harvest is harvested five years after planting, but it is believed that the leaves gain maximum weight by the age of 50 (for this, the crop must be harvested regularly). Every year the bushes are pruned, and only the youngest, softest and juiciest leaves are selected for tea.

2. Where are tea leaves collected?

Tea grows in more than 30 countries. Although it was originally cultivated in China, the country still ranks first in terms of yield. It is followed by India and Sri Lanka – the British brought tea there in the 19th century, so these places are famous for their black varieties. Depending on where it is grown, the leaves differ in taste and color. Thus, African varieties have a reddish tint – all due to the fact that there is a lot of copper in the soil. Thanks to the ideal climate, the best varieties of tea grow in China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya – they are used in TimeTea

3.What kind of tea is there?

In addition to the regions of growth, tea is divided according to the method of processing. There are six types in total – white, green, yellow, oolong, black and pu-erh. They differ mainly in the degree of fermentation. White is almost never fermented – the young buds just wither in the sun. Green is steamed, dried or fried. Black tea has the longest chain: dried leaves are rolled into plates, from which the juice is released. They are laid out on special trays, where the processes of oxidation, fermentation and fermentation take place – almost like wine production. It is at this point that the tea leaves turn dark in color.

4. How to tell if the tea is of high quality

The criteria differ depending on the variety, but there are several general principles. Examine the leaves – they should be approximately the same color and size. Make sure there are no twigs or dust in the package, and no foreign odors. When you have brewed the tea leaves, look at the water – it should be clear, even if it is strong pu-erh. The aroma of the drink should be light and the taste rich. If your green tea turns out bitter, it may be not only the poor quality of the leaves, but also the wrong water temperature or the wrong number of leaves.

5. How to brew the perfect cup of tea

The first thing you need is fresh, high-quality tea. The second is soft water. It should not contain minerals, salt or chlorine – use a filter or bottled water. For one cup you will need a teaspoon of tea. Remember that water should not boil for a long time: the taste of the drink depends on the oxygen content, which decreases with long boiling. The brewing time depends on the variety: black tea needs at least five minutes, while white tea needs less than a minute. After this, the tea leaves must be removed from the teapot or cup.

Discover the exquisite world of tea with Time Tea. Our selection of high-quality teas, including black, green, oolong, and more, is sourced from the finest regions worldwide. Whether you’re a connoisseur or just starting your tea journey, our premium teas promise an exceptional experience in every cup.

[paskuda-lynx]

Health Buffs And Debuffs For Different Elements In ATLA

(i remembered that i did this chart a while ago and decided to publish it)

Water: resistanse to low temperatures Adaptation for almost entirely carnivorous protein- and fat-heavy diets Insensibility to stale and rotting meat poisonings Immunity to certain parasites in fish and mammals Remarkable night vision With bending: protection from diseases transmitted by water Healing specialises in open injuries, edemas, general acceleration of regeneration processes

Earth: very diverse immunity for saprotrophic anaerobic bacteria and diseases which have bacterial spores stored in soil, actinomyces, some species of clostridia, including tetanus, and others Sturdy constitution with skeleton unprone to fractures and showing easy bone regeneration if such occure High mineral requirement Arguably slow metabolism Adaptations for high atmospheric pressure Medicine has heavy emphasis on burn treatments. Many studies also specialise in pharmacognosy and farmacology

Fire: adaptation to high temperatures Immunity to certain tropical diseases

With bending: resistanse to diseases sensitive to heat and fevers (will not work, for example, for pseudomonas aeriginosa) Poor night vision High vitamin D and melatonin sensivity Arguably quick metabolism Medicine has much experiense in blunt trauma and shrapnel injury treatments. Also studies heat sterilisaton, the rules of aseptic and antiseptic surgery, uses of coagulation

Air: adaptations for low atmospheric pressure with sparse oxygen Light skeleton constitution Strong vestibular system Vulnerability to polluted stagnant air with high CO2 levels Poor meat digestion Little to no cases of lactose intolerance With bending: protection from airborne diseases and sharp temperature changes Healing studies have emphasis on psychology and physiotherapy

[croc-odette]

First among those assumptions is that Sweden and Botswana are like two separate runners on two separate lanes of a track, and one has simply pulled out ahead of the other. But the palladium mined in Botswana that is used for catalytic converters, ceramic capacitors, membrane reactors, hydrogen storage, and jewelry in Sweden, is not used by Botswanans at all. A handful of Botswanan intermediaries get rich, but the vast majority of Botswanans, especially the miners, remain desperately poor, and this is what makes Botswanan palladium competitive with Russian palladium, for example, which is more abundant. So not only does Sweden get the benefit of unequal exchange, using products made with Botswana's palladium; Sweden gets palladium without the deforestation, soil destruction, or mining pollution, which it exports– using money– to Botswana. Sweden is not running ahead of Botswana like a racer in her own lane. Sweden is in a parasitic relationship to Botswana and the rest of the "underdeveloped" world, just as the rest of the industrial-benefiting nations are parasitic on the lesser "developed." Sweden is "in the twenty-first century" because of the "underdeveloped" nations. If they were not locked into the exchange relations that require unequal exchange, neither Sweden nor any of the other "major" nations could exist in their present forms. -Mammon's Ecology, Stan Goff

[llatimeria]

today i learned that in 2013 in new zealand some poor guy was just driving around with his girlfriend when he was suddenly decapitated... and no one knows what hit him.

just as they passed an oncoming vehicle, his girlfriend said she saw an object fly through their windshield, kill her boyfriend, then exit through the back of the car. no one was ever able to actually find the object, or the other car/driver (they stopped after the accident, so they knew something happened, but then drove away from the scene) and forensic examination was never able to determine what it was based on the damage it did. the girlfriend described the object as beige and tissue box or brick-sized, and the evidence suggested it might have been or contained stainless steel, had a rough sandpapery texture, and probably had dirt on it (as it left behind a bunch of minerals common to the soil on the south island).

his name was rutger hale if you want to know more but there doesn't really seem to be a lot to know. it was almost certainly a horrible, tragic accident, and unless the other driver is identified we'll likely never know what the object was. there isn't a point to this post really i just found the story interesting