Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Objective 1. Evaluate the potential use of field indicators of hydric soils to characterize wetland hydroperiods with respect to frequency, depth, and duration of water table fluctuations; test the effectiveness of proposed hydric soil indicators to identify 'problem hydric soils'; test monitoring protocols used to identify reducing conditions to determine if they are effective within a range of soil conditions within the northeast; and investigate the hydraulic properties of hydromorphic soils with episaturation. (VA) Hydric Soils in the Mid-Atlantic: Indicator F-19 has been confirmed at multiple sites in LRR S and N and P. These data will be written up and presented to Lenore Vasilas to request extended approval for that indicator. An approach to find anthropogenic hydric soils by identifying sinks using the topographic wetness index was tested. A field study in a Triassic Basin near Manassas, VA confirmed that almost all sites identified as sinks are actually the head of drains that have been cut off by a road or railroad or other anthropogenic landform. About 25-33% of these areas contain hydric soils, regardless of what they were originally mapped by USDA-NRCS. These areas are likely wetland mitigation sites. A study to test the use of IRIS tubes in the fall of the year was successful. IRIS tube results according to the National Technical Standard agreed with redox probe readings, alpha-alpha dypyridil indicator strips, and observed water tables in fall months before multiple killing frosts. The IRIS tube data failed to meet the NTS requirement after the killing frost, but may meet the requirement proposed by Dr. Martin Rabenhorst. (MD) Hydromorphology of Holocene Dunal Landscapes: This work in being led by doctoral candidate Annie Rossi with study sites focused on Assateague Island. Ten transects have been identified in barrier core and overwash landscapes with each transect extending between hydric and non-hydric soils. Soils have been instrumented to document water table levels and IRIS tubes have been used to document soil reduction at all sites. Comparisons will be made between soil morphology and the data collected for water tables and soil reduction in an attempt to identify some morphological feature(s) that may be useful in recognizing hydric soils in the young dunal landscapes. Hydroperiod Effects on Soil Properties of Delmarva Bay Wetlands: Using remotely sensed data and LiDAR data with topographic models, depressional wetlands on the Delmarva Peninsula were differentiated into two groups based on whether they were wet not only in normal years but also in dry years. Morphological examination by MS student Dan Fenstermacher demonstrated that those sites where wetland conditions persist even in dry years have stronger expression of O and A horizons and store significantly greater amounts of organic carbon. Future efforts by MS student Chris Palardy will examine microtopographic variations in both natural and restored wetland sites with regard to processes leading to the accumulation of soil organic carbon. (RI) Three sites are being monitored in Rhode Island and Massachusetts to test the proposed Mesic Spodic hydric soil test indicator (TA-6). The former TF-2 indicator for soils with Red Parent Materials has been replaced in with F-21 in the National Hydric Soils Indicators. The two sites in New England have been monitored for testing of TF-2 over the last 2 years. Three additional sites were added this year for monitoring. A proposed hydric soil indicator for New England red-parent material hydric soils is being developed. (PA) Five hillslopes across the Conewago Creek watershed were instrumented with soil moisture and temperature sensors, and piezometers above within/below the restricting layer. Water tables are being monitored in order to determine periods of the year when surface or near-surface saturation occurs. These data are being used to calibrate a LIDAR based model of potential surface wetness, which could be used to predict spatial occurrences of hydric soils, carbon hot spots, and landscape positions prone to saturation excess. Results are being field-verified to determine the models effectiveness to identify un-mapped wetlands and landscapes where natural gas infrastructure could have a detrimental environmental effect. Across northern Pennsylvania we are quantifying hydrologic change on multiple elements of shale-gas infrastructure. Data being collected will be used to train PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry personal in the application of field protocols specific to monitoring soil and hydrologic change due to shale-gas infrastructure development. (DE) A field project was initiated in 2011 to determine the range in water table characteristics for a hydrogeomorphic sequence that includes shallow spodics, and to develop a test indicator for consideration as a Field Indicator of Hydric Soils to identify poorly drained shallow spodics. A transect was established across an area that has never been plowed and is unaffected by drainage ditches. The soils, driest to wettest include Pepperbox (Arenic Paleudults), Klej (Aquic Quartzipsamments), Atsion (Aeric Alaquods), and Mullica (Typic Humaquepts). Five plots were established along the transect. Automated water table monitoring wells (pressure transducers) were installed and full soil descriptions conducted in each plot. IRIS tubes were installed in March, 2012. (WV) Efforts continue to monitor soil hydrology within a small (~50 ha) headwater watershed in the Eastern Allegany Plateau and Mountains (MLRA 127) of north-central West Virginia. The watershed is dominated by soils with a water-restrictive fragipan, and the observed soils are benchmark soils that are representative of fragipan soils throughout the region. With almost three years of data now available, enough information is becoming available to assess seasonal and landscape influences on the frequency, depth, and duration of episaturation, and relate these water table dynamics to observed and measured soil physical and morphological properties. Concept models of seasonal hydrology across this landscape, including multiple perched water tables, have been developed. Objective 2. Initiate the development of a set of subaqueous soil-based use and management interpretations for applications in shallow-subtidal habitats of the northeast; investigate the spatial extent freshwater subaqueous soils in riverine settings in the northeast; and document the physical, chemical, and morphological properties of freshwater subaqueous soils. (RI) Work continued to build interpretations for estuarine subaqueous soils. Soil type was shown to significantly affect oyster growth for in-tray aquaculture. This years experiments were established to test for the best soils for oyster aquaculture on-the-bottom using oysters larger than 6 cm from last years in-tray experiments. Sedimentation rates suggested that food sources were sufficient for oyster growth and that siltation effects are still questionable. Certain sites are being monitored again this year. This years focus is on pH issues related to ocean acidification from seasonal oxidation of sulfidic materials at the soil surface and effects on oyster recruitment and larval shell formation. Five new soil series were proposed and accepted by the Soil Survey Division of the USDA-NRCS for use in mesic freshwater soils in the northeast. Soil classification of subaqueous soils continued. Objective 3. Quantify and better understand carbon pools in a range of hydromorphic, wetland, created wetland, and subaqueous soil settings; test the relationship between surface soil C and field indicators of hydric soils; and test the application of various digital geospatial analysis tools and related statistical analysis to model C-pools across the landscape based on point and polygonal carbon data. (MD) Work on carbon in Holocene dunal landscapes is being led by doctoral candidate Annie Rossi with study sites focused on Assateague Island. The main objectives are: 1) to document and understand organic C dynamics in soils on barrier island landscapes; 2) to evaluate the effects of landscape stability and age; 3) to assess the effects of topographic position and water tables. Soils have been sampled and carbon stocks are being measured. This coming year, efforts will be focused on estimating biomass inputs through collecting litterfall and measuring biomass. Samples will also be collected for OSL dating. (RI) Carbon stocks and sequestration rates continued to be studied across the landscape in New England. Freshwater subaqueous soil carbon stocks were found to be similar to subaerial soils. Sequestration rates of these freshwater subaqueous soils were similar to or greater than subaerial landscapes (0.5 to 1.2 Mg C ha-1 yr-1). Total Pb concentrations are being measured at 2.5 cm intervals (5 cm for soil materials deeper than 50 cm) to use as a marker for the year 1900. This stratigraphic marker will be used to estimate C-sequestration rates for estuarine subaqueous soils. (PA) Work has begun to examine differences in soil organic carbon pools among States of Ecological Sites in MLRA 127 and 140. Pools are being estimated to depths of 40 cm (International Panel on Climate Change depth of interest) and to 1 m. (WV) Efforts continue to produce raster-based digital soil property maps to support modeling at regional and continental scales as part of the GlobalSoilMap initiative. The soil properties of interest are organic carbon, particle size distribution (sand, silt, clay, coarse fragments), soil pH, effective cation exchange capacity, bulk density, available water capacity, depth to bedrock, and depth to limiting layer. Soil property estimates will be made at six depth increments (05 cm, 515 cm, 1530 cm, 3060 cm, 60100 cm and 100200 cm), and will be accompanied by estimates of uncertainty. The primary data source for preliminary data products for the United States component of GlobalSoilMap is the 1:250,000-scale State Soil Geographic (STATSGO2) database. Equal-area spline functions were applied to the soil components of STATSGO2 map units in order to obtain estimates of soil properties at the standard depth increments. Using these estimates, weighted means for each soil property were calculated for each STATSGO2 map unit at each depth increment. In addition, we have produced metadata maps, which are essential for avoiding misunderstandings about reported soil property values.

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