 Hello, I'm Mick and today I will show you how you can measure the compaction of your soils. Clearing of vegetation, intensive grazing and heavy machinery can cause compaction. Compaction stops water infiltration, prevents plant growth and root development. We can measure the soil compaction using the bulk density test. First, we select one point per zone. We label this point with numbers, letters or names both physically and on your site map so that we can return to these points in other years. We record these labels in our datasheet. Then we measure the height and the diameter of our ring so that we can calculate its volume. Record this on datasheet. Then we drive the ring into the soil using a hand sledge and a wood block. When the ring is leveled with the soil, we dig around it and remove it with a trowel underneath to prevent the loss of soil. Using a knife, we remove excess soil from the top and the bottom. Then we place the sample in our bag and we label the bag as well. We then weigh an empty plastic bag and record its value on the datasheet. We do the same for the soil sample in the bag and also record this value. We then mix our sample thoroughly by kneading. Then we weigh an empty cup and record its value on the datasheet. We take a little scoop of about an eighth of a cup of loose soil from our bag and place it in the cup. Finally, we'll weigh the subsample in its cup and record the value on the datasheet. Using a microwave, we place the cup containing the subsample in a microwave and drive for two or more four-minute cycles at full power. Open the microwave door for one minute between cycles to allow venting. Weigh the dry subsample in a cup and record in the datasheet. Finally, calculate the soil bulk densities for each of the zones using the formula of the datasheet. These values will also allow us to calculate soil water content and porosity. Following this protocol in a systematic fashion gives an indication of how loose or compact your soil is. A high bulk density means that there is little porosity and there is high compaction.