Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Minutes from the NE-1938 Multistate Meeting

ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meetings

8 November 2022

Baltimore, MD

In attendance: Mark Stolt (chair), Andy Baldwin, Colby Moorberg, Marty Rabenhorst, Jim Thompson, Judy Turk, Bruce Vasilas, Karen Vaughan.

 Review of objectives

NE-1938 is the fourth iteration of this hydropedology-oriented multistate research project. The focus of this project is to determine C stocks across depressional wetlands having a range of temperatures. In concert with accounting the C stored in these systems, we will measure inputs of C through litter and dead fall, rates of decomposition of these C sources, and the fluxes of C via carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) that occur in these soils. We will make these measures in, or adjacent to, each of the two zones of these wetlands (seasonally inundated, seasonally saturated), and the adjacent uplands. Our working hypothesis is that since the multistate sites will have similar hydrologic conditions, relationships between soil temperature and soil C additions, decomposition, and losses can be identified. These relationships can be used to understand the effect of increasing temperatures on C stocks and fluxes in wetlands over the next century.

 Review of newer project sites

Kansas (Colby)

       Proposed sites are bison wallows

       Soils have a high sodium content, clay pans

       Common soil series are Konza and Dwight

Nebraska (Judy)

        Selected site is a deflation basin (blowout)Parent materials are loess over sandy alluvium

 Data collection

Dowel rod decomposition data: Sticks were to be deployed for 1 year across all three transects (3 transects x 3 plots/transect x 5 replicates/plot); sticks were 0.95 cm diameter x 50 cm long and were laid on the soil surface.

Data were presented from Rhode Island and Maryland.

At the RI study site, 15-20% decomposition was observed in Zone 1 and 25-35% decomposition in Zones 2 and 3.

At the MD study site, 10-15% decomposition was observed in Zone 1 with 25-45% decomposition in Zones 2 and 3.

Others with decomposition stick data should send it to Mark.

Greenhouse gas fluxes and root growthThe methodology for collection of these data was discussed.

Action Items: everyone responsible unless individual identified

• Get WETS Table Data http://agacis.rcc-acis.org/
• Identify closest weather station with 30 years of records and web page for data downloads - enter link in the spreadsheet above
• Upload vegetation data (create spreadsheet and template for all - BRUCE)
• Upload soil temperature data at 10 and 30 cm depths for deployment periods (create folder and template for all MARTY)
  • Litter bag deployment period (could be done now)
  • Tea bag deployment period (could be done now)
  • Full year for decomposition sticks (should be done after sticks are retrieved)
• Collect/upload carbon stock data (send data to MARK - he will create complete spreadsheet)
• Upload hydrology data for deployment periods (create folder and template for all - KAREN)
  • Litter bag deployment period (could be done now)
  • Tea bag deployment period (could be done now)
  • Full year for decomposition sticks (should be done after stick are retrieved)
• Upload site photos https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GOlA8RIb9fMEkbMTcoRpDxNixBTemrcA
• Upload nitrogen data (Kansas and Nebraska)
  • Need date of collection for everyone that has completed this HERE
• Upload all data for sticks, leaf and tea bag decomposition data (see spreadsheet link above)
• Root ingrowth experiment protocol - BRUCE & MARK (5-15 cm; 3” diameter, 10 cm height)
• Greenhouse gas measurement procedures finalized

Accomplishments: This year was the third actual year of the study. Our research activities are focused on late spring, summer, and fall. Unfortunately, these plans have been severely hindered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Omicron and Delta variants. Thus, our accomplishments have been minimal so far. In 2021 we published our work with the Mn IRIS: Rabenhorst, M.C., P.J. Drohan, J.M. Galbraith, C. Moorberg, L. Spokas, M.H. Stolt, J.A. Thompson, J. Turk, B.L. Vasilas, and K.L. Vaughan. 2021. Manganese-coated IRIS to document reducing soil conditions. Soil Science of America Journal.  doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20301

 Short-term Outcomes: This is essentially the 3rd year of this study, although some of the decomposition data has been recorded our overall carbon budget is incomplete. Our hope is by next year to have a complete set of decomposition data. We are still measuring inputs and will need to measure fluxes after that.

 Outputs: Our overall goals are to understand of the role depressional wetlands play in control and emissions of greenhouse gases and to understand the effect of increasing temperatures on C stocks and fluxes in wetlands.

 Activities: (See “action items” from annual project meeting notes on planned activities for 2023)

 Milestones: For 2023, our plans are 1) to complete site selection and site instrumentation; 2) continue temperature and hydrology monitoring; 3) complete sampling where needed; 4) measure carbon inputs from litter traps and deadfall plots; 5) deploy ingrowth cores to measure root inputs, 6) collected decomposition sticks and analyze; 7) analyze tea bag and leaf litter decomposition data; and 8) continue examine profile darkness data to complete the manuscript.

Publications: In 2021 we published our work with the Mn IRIS (see above). We plan on continuing to develop a manuscript linking profile darkness index to hydrology and potentially carbon stocks.