Successional Study of Soil Water and Nutrient Availablity in a Bottomland Hardwood Forest
Schenke G. Successional Study of Soil Water and Nutrient Availablity in a Bottomland Hardwood Forest
Levees alongside canals, referred to as spoilbanks of different ages within a bottomland hardwood ecosystem were selected in order to study succession in regaurds to soil conditions. Water, ammonium and phosphate content as well as pH, were analyzed for different soil depths. (1) Differences in water content were observed within different disturbance conditions (disturbed vs. undisturbed sites). These differences of water content between disturbance condition and age of levee and disturbance conditino and soil depth were related to an increase in biomass and soil organic matter during succession. (2) A significant difference in ammonium content between the disturbed and undisturbed locations was found. This was related to elevational differences as well as water and oxygen contents of the soil. (3) No significant differences were fourid in regards to soil pH. (4) Soil phosphate content was not analyzed due to a problem in the methods of extraction and/or colormetric analysis.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Schenke, Genia
- Units
- JELA
- Keywords
- Bottomland, Forest, hardwood, soil water