It can be difficult to wrap one's head around the size and scale of life in soil. Since my graduate research focuses on soil microbes (bacteria and fungi), I wanted to help my audience "visualize" the soil environment. Since microscopes are both expensive and have a bit of an associated learning curve, I created a one-meter-wide paper mache model that represented a one-millimeter-wide soil aggregate. To represent the size of bacteria I glued beans, rice, and seeds to the outside of the model. To represent fungi, I attached cords and strings. The roots on the model are made of stuffed pantyhose, and an oribatid mite completes the scene. The model is now fondly known around Manhattan, KS as the "soil lump," and has made appearances at many informal science events.

 

This idea was adapted from the original publication, "Scale Model of a Soil Aggregate and Associated Organisms."