| Abstract |
Hydric soils identification is a key component of wetland delineation and management in the United States. However, some hydric soils fail to exhibit characteristic morphologies (i.e., Field Indicators of Hydric Soils - FIHS) used in wetland delineation despite the presence of anaerobic conditions, wetland hydrology, and hydrophytic vegetation. Soils in semi-arid and arid riparian areas remain particularly challenging, where unpredictable patterns of wetland hydrology, salt accumulation, and periodic sediment deposition hinder the development of common hydric soil morphological features. In response, this study (1) applied the Hydric Soils Technical Standard (HSTS) in problematic soils in western Nebraska and (2) assessed the occurrence of iron monosulfide (FeS) features that only form under anaerobic conditions. Results confirmed the presence of hydric soils, despite the absence of FIHS, and documented 2–7% FeS concentrations within the upper 28 cm of the soil surface. Notably, deployed Indicator of Reduction in Soils (IRIS) devices also displayed evidence of FeS-precipitation. These findings suggest that opportunities exist to improve hydric soils identification and wetland delineation in arid and semi-arid regions by incorporating visual observations of FeS into the Field Indicators of Hydric Soils and other approaches to document anaerobic conditions in soils. |
| Authors |
Chelsea Duball  , Karen Vaughan  , Angela Elg , Andy Steinert , Jacob F. Berkowitz
|
| Journal Info |
Springer Science+Business Media | Wetlands , vol: 43
, iss: 3
|
| Publication Date |
3/14/2023 |
| ISSN |
0277-5212 |
Type |
article |
| Open Access |
closed
|
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-023-01674-7 |
| Keywords |
Soil Properties (Score: 0.552057) , Soil Security (Score: 0.506305) , Digital Soil Mapping (Score: 0.502246) , Global Soil Information (Score: 0.50191)
|
