Sandbox

S a n d b o x

The most influential game of the decade & the effect soil type on agriculture

S a n d b o x

sandbox game

a video game with a gameplay element that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks towards a goal within the game, if such a goal exists.

Counting Minecraft among the most influential games of the 2010s is a no-brainer.

According to its developer, Mojang, Minecraft recently became the bestselling video game of all time, beating out Tetris by moving over 176 million units.

Unlike Tetris, it hit that number in a single decade.

-Charlie Hall, Why Minecraft is the most important game of the decade

In Minecraft, players explore a blocky, procedurally-generated 3D world with infinite terrain, and may discover and extract raw materials, craft tools and items, and build structures or earthworks.

“While it may be hard to describe the game, it is easier to describe the Minecraft experience. Which is where I’ll start. You begin all alone on a deserted island. The entire island is made out of cubes-mud, grass, stone, coal, sand, water, even the clouds and the sun are made out of Legolike cubes. It’s beautiful in a surreal sort of way. And here’s the thing-you can dig, chop and cut through the entire landscape, one cube at a time, and gather the resources it offers. Dig up a mud cube and you get some mud. Chop a tree and you get wood. Cut through stone with a pickaxe and you get some stone. You can then use these materials, block by block, to build stuff of your own. Homes, bridges, walls, towers — almost anything you can imagine spring up as you painstakingly create a world around you to survive the elements.

And the monsters that come out at night.“ -Anand Ramachandran, The Minecraft Phenomenon

The Bedrock and Java editions of Minecraft have made waves, both developmentally and educationally.

What made the game so unique is that it was also a resource management simulation. It allowed players to gather the resources they needed to create, so the creations meant more to them since they had to build them with parts they had collected on their own. One can see the influence of this mechanic in games all over today. Other games had players gathering resources before, but not usually to directly build something block by block with their own digital hands. Now games like Skyrim, Terraria, and many others have incorporated a rather simple mechanic like this in their games and as part of different genres and experiences.

Additonally, it has changed the game developmentally. Minecraft was originally developed by one man, Markus Persson, as a side project in his free time. The success

of Minecraft resulted in many independent game companies coming to the game development scene as an alternative to large corporations. This allows the gaming industry to come closer to that of film or music, where an individuals vision can become reality.

Minecraft also had a two-year “beta” period before being officially launched for PC in 2011, where users helped shape the product, and the game remains incredibly community driven even today.Exposed code for players is another feature that Minecraft includes. This allows users to customize the game to their liking, altering mob behaviors and other aspects of how the game functions.

In addition to the game itself, Microsoft, the current developers, has rolled out a ver-

Building Skills Developmental precedent, city planning prototype, K-12 coding resource - the many faces of Minecraft

sion of the game meant for education, specifically K-12, in response to the game being so popular with younger audiences. Minecraft: Education Edition is used to teach a range of subjects, from history and chemistry to sustainability and foreign languages, and can map lessons directly to specific learning outcomes and curriculum standards. The platform encourages students to think critically and creatively. Minecraft also paired witjh Code.org Scratch and Tynker to offer Code Builder, a program that allows students to learn how to code using JavaScript.

Launceston, a city in Australia, has used Minecraft to include residents in the process of city planning, and after the onset of COVID-19, many college campuses across the United States recreated university campuses to revive community spirit.

Minecraft has made waves, both socially and educationally, and despite being over a decade old, it continues to influence us.

What makes this game so important?

How do you play it?

What are the goals?

How many people can play?

What defines a community driven game?

Why does it matter?

How does it affect agriculture?

How widely studied is soil composition?

How much does soil vary?

What is there to learn about soil composition?

Soil is composed of both biotic— living and once-living things, like plants and insects—and abiotic materials—nonliving factors, like minerals, water, and air.

Soil Composition Soil composition is a mix of soil ingredients that varies from place to place. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)—part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture—has compiled soil maps and data for 95 percent of the United States.

The NRCS has found that each state has a “state soil” with a unique soil “recipe” that is specific to that state.

These differing soils are the reason why there is such a wide variety of crops grown in the United States.

Consider the soils of three states: Hawai’i, Iowa, and Maine. Hawai’i’s deep, well-drained state soil contains volcanic ash that makes it perfect for growing sugar cane, as well as ginger roots, papaya, and macadamia nuts. Iowa, which is in Midwest region of the United States, has a state soil that is good for farming because it is made up of a thick layer of organic matter from the decomposition of prairie grasses. Corn and soybeans are the primary crops grown in these soils. The state soil of Maine, located in the northeastern part of the country, is made from materials left behind after local glaciers melted.

This soil is perfect for growing trees—specifically, red spruce and balsam fir. Many of the trees being grown today in Maine are harvested for timber or for making paper.

Soil scientists conduct various tests on soils to learn about their composition. Soil testing can identify the amounts of biotic and abiotic factors in the soil. The results of these tests can also reveal if the soil has too much of a specific mineral or if it needs more nutrients to support plants. Scientists also measure other factors, such as the amount of water in the soil and how it varies over time—for instance, is the soil unusually wet or dry? The tests can also identify contaminants and heavy metal in the soil and determine the soil’s nitrogen content and pH level (acidity or alkalinity). All of these measurements can be used to determine the soil’s health.

– National Geographic Resource Library

The proportion of agricultural land use across the U.S. as indicated by the USDA. Dark green indicates greater agricultural land use.

United States soil composition map

Alfisols and Inceptisols occur widely in the US, but the circumstances of their occurrence would be difficult to characterize briefly. The Alfisols have a subsurface (“B”) horizon characterized by phyllosilicate clay accumulation (suggesting illuviation of such clay from above). The Inceptisols have a weakly developed B horizon as a consequence of weathering and/or other processes.

Andisols are found in areas where soils have formed in certain kinds of volcanic ejecta (usually pumice and/or volcanic ash).

Aridisols occur in parts of the western United States which are too dry for the growth of mesophytic plants.

Entisols, which exhibit little soil profile development, are characteristic of areas where soil parent materials have quite recently been deposited, e.g. on recent river alluvium.

In the US, Gelisols occur only in parts of Alaska; they are characterized by having TACO$ within 100 cm of the surface.

Histosols are organic soils lacking permafrost within 100 cm of the surface; they are characteristically formed on wet sites, e.g. bogs, some fens and some muskeg areas. Some Histosols have been drained, especially to permit cultivation.

In the US, Mollisols occur mostly on the Great Plains, and in some areas of the west. There is a considerable variety of Mollisols, including soils very closely resembling the Chernozem (“black earth”) of eastern Europe (parts of Russia, the Ukraine and neighboring regions), and the Chernozemic soils of the Canadian prairies.

Oxisols occur only in tropical environments,which have very limited extent in the US. Spodosols often occur under coniferous forest in cool, moist climates, such as southeastern Alaska, the Great Lakes region, the northeastern states, and higher elevations of the northwestern states. Spodosols are also found in warm, moist environments such as Florida and in fact are the most prominent soil order of the state. Spodosols have a B horizon containing a relatively high concentration of illuviated aluminum with accompanying illuviated organic matter, and in many cases, illuviated iron. Such horizons form under certain acidic leaching conditions influenced by acid decomposition products of litter accumulations under certain tree and/or shrub species. The Spodosols correspond to the Podzols of Russia, Central Europe and Northern Europe and to the Podzolic soils found in much of Canada’s boreal forest.)

Ultisols are rather extensive in warm, humid regions of the US. They tend to represent rather advanced soil development, and thus are found on relatively old land surfaces.

Vertisols are not extensive in the US, being confined to areas where there is a great abundance of swelling clays, e.g. montmorillonite, that cause churning of soils as a consequence of wetting and drying cycles.

– Soil in the United States, Wikipedia

Soil Types

US Soil Percentages Type

Percent

Alfisols 13.9 Andisols 1.7 Aridisols 8.3 Entisols 12.3 Gelisols 8.7 Inceptisols 9.7 Mollisols 21.5 Oxisols 0.02 Spodosols 3.5 Ultisols 9.2 Vertisols 2.0

While soil is frequently referred to as the “fertile substrate”, not all soils are suitable for growing crops.

Ideal soils for agriculture are balanced in contributions from mineral components (sand: 0.05–2 mm, silt: 0.002– 0.05 mm, clay: <0.002 mm), soil organic matter (SOM), air, and water. The balanced contributions of these components allow for water retention and drainage, oxygen in the root zone, nutrients to facilitate crop growth; and they provide physical support for plants.

– Sanjai J. Parikh, Bruce R. James, Soil: The Foundation of Agriculture

Tips to Fix Your Soil Plants generally prefer neutral soil but it’s worth bearing in mind that some favor slightly acid or alkaline soils.

Regardless of the pH of your soil it is possible to adjust the level slightly to make it more hospitable to the type of plants you want to grow. Remember this is only temporary, so it’s advised to make the most from the soil type you have.

Adding ground lime to your soil will make it more alkaline and aluminium sulfate or sulfur will help to make your soil more acidic.

If your soil is low in nutrients (like sandy soil), try supply it with organic matter such as compost and manure to enrich the soil and improve its texture.

Use organic mulches such as straw, dried grass clippings and deciduous leaves. These mulches break down and incorporate into the soil, building a new supply of organic nutrients while improving the soil structure.

Clay soil is often not aerated enough and is deficient in good structure which

makes it more difficult for successful growing. To get the most out of clay soil it’s best to add large quantities of well-rotted organic matter in the fall and peat a few weeks before planting.

Greensand can also be used to loosen heavy clay soils or bind sandy soils.

It is often difficult to cultivate in chalky soil due to its alkaline nature. To help rectify this add bulky organic matter which breaks down over time, adding nutrients and minerals to the soil.

– Ruth Barton, Know Your Garden Soil: How to Make the Most of Your Soil Type

Sandbox Influence and Curiosity Project Sophomore Graphic Design Type set in Euphemia UCAS LoRes 9 Plus OT Rigid Square Designed and printed by Katelyn Poe March 2021 Boston

video games + soil

This booklet considers the influence of Minecraft and the effects of soil composition on agriculture