SREL Reprint #2103
Spatial Characteristics of Soil Properties along an Elevational Gradient in a Carolina Bay Wetland
Rachel E. Reese and Kevin K. Moorhead
ABSTRACT
Soil chemistry gradients exist in wetlands but information on the spatial variability
of wetland soil properties is limited. Soils were collected from a small,
depressions[ wetland (Carolina bay) in South Carolina to determine spatial
patterns along an elevational gradient. The bay was divided into four quadrants
and a transect was established in each quadrant. Plots were sampled at every
10-cm rise in elevation along the four transacts. Samples from the A and B
horizons were analyzed for soil texture, organic carbon (OC), pH,
cation-exchange capacity (CEC), and exchangeable Ca, Mg, and K. Significant
differences were noted for OC, clay content, CEC, and base saturation for the A
horizon across the elevational gradient. The OC content of the A horizon
decreased from 4.7% in the center of the bay to 2.7% near the rim. The CEC
decreased from 26.0 cmolc kg-1 in the center to 13.9 cmolc kg-1 near the rim.
Significant differences also were observed for pH, OC, CEC, sand, silt, clay,
exchangeable Mg, Ca, and base saturation among the four transacts. In the B
horizon, there were no significant differences for any parameter across the
elevational gradient, or among the four transacts. The clay content of the B horizon
was about 20%, compared with <10% in the A horizon. The differences in soil
parameters in the A horizon may be a reflection of vegetation patterns or
hydrology of the bay. Sampling protocol for soils of depressional wetlands may
require an evaluation of elevation, hydrology, and vegetation patterns to determine
spatial patterns of nutrient cycling.
SREL Reprint #2103
Reese, R.E. and K.K. Moorhead. 1996. Spatial characteristics of soil properties in a Carolina bay wetland. Soil Science Society of America Journal 60:1273-1277.
