You'll need to search the scholarly literature to find sources to cite in your lab report, but more importantly, you'll need to find the RIGHT articles to cite. You aren't trying to find just any old article about leaf litter or soil organisms, and your goal is not to write the whole report and then find some citations to plonk down on top...you're trying to find and read articles that will help you understand and contextualize the information that you're writing up in your report.
There are several ways to get help with your research! Here are a few:
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Ask a Librarian 24/7 service: Anytime, anywhere! This instant messaging reference service lets you chat with a librarian no matter what time it is. Puget Sound librarians can email you to follow up if you leave your email address.