Progress 07/01/99 to 06/30/04
Outputs
We characterized the properties and soil-landscape relationships of Utah soils, and developed conceptual models of soil origin and behavior. We originally focused on mineralogical/geomorphological studies, shifting to soil-biota relationships, and incorporating remote sensing and GIS in soil survey. We extended information to the Utah and National Cooperative Soil Surveys, federal and state agencies, and others interested in Utah soil resources. On glacial moraines of the Uinta Mountains, soils clearly indicated geomorphic surface age, and vegetation further influenced soil properties. Silty to loamy soils with finely disseminated gypsum were much more susceptible to concentrated flow erosion than sandy soils with larger gypsum crystals. We monitored the dynamics of a soil catena that was wet and saline to various degrees because of irrigation. Although redoximorphic features were not well expressed, soils were saturated and reduced long enough to be hydric, providing
data for regionalization of hydric soil indicators in the West. We investigated the potential of electromagnetic induction to non-destructively assess soil depth to petrocalcic horizons and to basalt bedrock; soil depth was the main variable, resulting in significant relationships between apparent conductivity and soil depth. Various sensors quantified regional scale evapotranspiration in a Great Basin semi-desert valley, which was related to geomorphology, soils, and vegetation. Soil development on alluvial surfaces cut by the Hurricane fault indicated tectonic hazards; estimated slip rates through the late Pleistocene and Holocene were 0.1-0.2 mm per year. Soil properties and landscape features were related to the distribution of Jones cycladenia, a rare endemic plant of the Colorado Plateau, and to the density of western harvester ant nests in the Uintah-Piceance Basins. Both species required unique physical soil characteristics for their success rather than chemical
characteristics as originally hypothesized. Reciprocal soil-vegetation relationships were investigated in the mountains of southern Spain, providing a drastically human-altered analog for the semiarid montane ecosystems of Utah. Soil properties played a significant role in the germination and survival of tree species in re-forestation efforts. Native shrub soils were altered extensively after 30 years under pine plantations, possibly reducing resiliency to environmental change. In the Circle Cliffs soil survey, map units created via traditional methods were validated and quantified using GIS-based landscape analysis. Field, mineralogical, and micromorphological data indicated that both lithology and pedogenic processes controlled clay lamellae genesis in semiarid soils south of the White Cliffs. Soil carbon distribution and dynamics in the Bear River Range appears to be governed by vegetation and microclimate. We developed a pedogenic understanding raster classification methodology
for mapping soils using GIS and remote sensing, and transferred it successfully to a new area. Remote sensing accurately classified land cover types associated with wet and saline soils on the east shore of the Great Salt Lake.
Impacts
Knowledge and understanding of the genesis, mineralogy, and classification of Utah soil resources improves our ability to predict their occurrence on the landscape. Incorporating GIS and remote sensing into soil surveys translates into more accurate data and more flexible products available for land use decisions obtained with less time and resources. This is very important in Utah, where many areas still lack initial soil survey information. Better information on the spatial distribution of soil properties and the factors that control them will ultimately improve the management of forest, range, and agricultural systems in the face of environmental change and urban land-use pressures in Utah.
Publications
- Boettinger, J.L. 2005. Alluvium and alluvial soils. Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment. Elsevier Science Publishers, Oxford, p. 45-49.
- Saunders, A.M., and J.L. Boettinger. 2004. Adaptation and Transfer of Pedogenic Understanding Raster-Based Classification Methodology for Mapping Soils. Global Workshop on Digital Soil Mapping, Montpellier, France. September 14-17, 2004.
- Kienast-Brown, S., and J.L. Boettinger. 2004. Capturing Spatial and Temporal Variability in Digital Mapping of Wet and Saline Soils. Global Workshop on Digital Soil Mapping, Montpellier, France. September 14-17, 2004.
- Cole, N.J., and J.L. Boettinger. 2004. Pedogenic Understanding Raster-Based Classification Methodology for Mapping Soils, Powder River Basin, Wyoming. Global Workshop on Digital Soil Mapping, Montpellier, France. September 14-17, 2004.
- Van Miegroet, H., J.L. Boettinger, and M.A. Baker. 2004. Potential changes in soil organic carbon in response to climate change in a forest-range mosaic. ASA-CSA-SSSA Abstracts, Madison, WI, Seattle, WA. November 3, 2004.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Our major objective this year was to apply GIS and remotely sensed (RS) spectral data to understand landscape evolution and soil formation, thus better predicting the spatial distribution of soils on the landscape. A project in the upper San Rafael River drainage assessed the potential contribution of salinity from upland rangeland soils to the Colorado River drainage. This project is cooperation with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Colorado River Salinity Forum. Preliminary field data collection indicated that salts likely enter the San Rafael River from tributaries draining the Jurassic-aged Carmel, Summerville, and Morrison formations. A geospatial model mapping the distribution of soils high in gypsum and sodium salts was developed. A second project utilized Landsat 7 data to more accurately map the properties and spatial distribution of soils with varying degrees and salinity and saturation on the east
shore of the Great Salt Lake. This project, in cooperation with NRCS, demonstrated the utility of RS data in updating existing soil surveys. We also demonstrated the incorporation of a temporal component into the map unit concept of a soil survey. A third project, in collaboration with NRCS and BLM, incorporates GIS, RS, and classification of geospatial data into an ongoing soil survey in the Powder River Basin. Rather surprisingly, field and supervisory soil survey staff accepted the incorporation of advanced technology into the soil mapping process. A secondary objective was to better understand soil-biota relationships as they control soil formation and soil carbon dynamics. A soil survey of the Utah State University experimental forest in the Bear River Range of northern Utah indicates that soil properties are most closely predicted by vegetation cover type, followed by aspect. Vegetation also appears to be the major driver of soil organic carbon distribution, accumulation, and
stability.
Impacts
The incorporation of GIS and RS advanced technology in soil survey has increased the accuracy, efficiency, and quality of the soil mapping process and the products delivered. Better understanding of soil organic carbon dynamics, combined with RS and GIS, will allow more accurate prediction of the impacts of climate change on soil carbon stocks and the productivity of range and forest ecosystems in Utah.
Publications
- Cole, N.J., and J.L. Boettinger. 2003. Mapping soils using unsupervised, supervised, and knowledge-based classification models, Powder River Basin, WY. Abstract of Technical Presentation, ESRI Southwest User Group (SWUG) Conference, Jackson, WY, October 29, 2003.
- Cole, N.J., and J.L. Boettinger. 2003. Unsupervised, supervised, and knowledge-based classification models for mapping soils, Powder River Basin, WY. ASA-CSA-SSSA Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- Kienast-Brown, S., and J.L. Boettinger. 2003. Remote sensing to update soil surveys: East Shore of the Great Salt Lake, UT. ASA-CSA-SSSA Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- Nield, S.J., and J.L. Boettinger. 2003. Using GIS and remote sensing to map rangeland salinity source areas, Upper San Rafael River, UT. ASA-CSA-SSSA Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- Van Miegroet, H. J.L. Boettinger, M.A. Baker, J. Nielsen, D. Evans, and A. Stum. 2003. Soil carbon distribution and quality in seasonally dry rangeland forest mosaics in the Intermountain West. Published Abstract of Presentation, 10th North American Forest Soils Conference, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, July 2003.
- Van Miegroet, H. J.L. Boettinger, M.A. Baker. 2003. Differences in stability of soil organic carbon in semi-arid rangeland forest mosaics in northern Utah, USA. Published Abstract of Presentation, International Conference on Mechanisms and Regulation of Organic Matter Stabilisation in Soils, Munich, Germany, October 2003.
- Bell, E. P. 2003. Pedogenesis of clay lamellae in a semiarid environment, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. MS Thesis, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
- MacMillan, J.M. 2003. Soil properties influence western harvester ant nest site density, Uintah and Piceance Basins, Utah-Colorado. MS Thesis, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
For the sixth year, we monitored the dynamics in a soil catena affected by seepage from upslope irrigation canals in central Utah. We are monitoring the change in soil properties and processes as the system of irrigation delivery is changed from overland flow from unlined canals to sprinkler systems from pressurized pipes. Our results indicate that, while salt loading into the Colorado River system may be reduced, large areas of artificial wetlands will dry and become saline. Our project assessing the utility of geographical information processing and analysis in facilitating soil inventory and interpretation in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM) has fostered additional projects. We are now testing and refining our protocol and methodology in several areas of the western US. We have completed our study of the origin and formation of clay lamellae in sandy soils in White Cliffs area of the GSENM, which was conducted in conjunction with the Soil
Survey of the GSENM. I participated in the Biological Soil Crust (BSC) Task Force, an interagency group that will incorporate BSC in to Cooperative Soil Survey standards and as rangeland soil quality indicators. We completed our project on the soil habitat of agriculturally important native alkali bees. Through field sampling and computer simulations, we identified practices most suitable for creating and maintaining healthy bee populations while protecting local soil and water quality. In addition, we analyzed our data set on soil-plant relationships in the seasonally dry mountains of southern Spain - severely human-impacted analogs to the mountains of Utah.
Impacts
Our protocol and methodology for improving the quality and efficiency of soil survey has resulted in better allocation of personnel and resources, more accurate soil map unit definition, and easier prediction of soil distribution on the landscape. Our research may ultimately change the way soils surveys are made in the National Cooperative Soil Survey.
Publications
- Bartsch, K.P., H. Van Miegroet, J.L Boettinger, and J.P. Dobrowolski. 2002. Using empirical models and GIS to determine water erosion risk at Camp Williams, Utah. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 57:29-37.
- Boettinger, J.L. 2002. Calcification. p. 131-134. In R. Lal (ed.) Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York.
- Boettinger, J.L., and D.W. Ming. 2002. Zeolites. p. 585-610. In J.B. Dixon and D.G. Schulze (ed.) Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications. Soil Science Society of America Book Series, no. 7, Madison, WI.
- Kienast, S., and J.L Boettinger. 2002. Improving efficiency and quality of soil survey documentation using a rapid GIS method. Soil Survey Horizons 34:39-43.
- Kienast, S., 2002. Soil survey using traditional and landscape analysis methods - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. M.S. thesis, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
- Bell, E.M., and J.L. Boettinger. 2002. Lamellae genesis in a semiarid environment. ASA-CSA-SSSA Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- Boettinger, J. L., E. W. Schupp, J. M. Gomez , J. Castro, and R. Zamora. 2002. Human-induced soil changes: Pine plantations above apparent natural tree line, Sierra Nevada, Spain. Abstracts, 17th World Congress of Soil Science, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Kienast, S., and J.L. Boettinger. 2002. Landscape analysis for validating map unit concepts, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Abstracts, 17th World Congress of Soil Science, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Kienast, S., and J.L. Boettinger. 2002. GIS-based landscape analysis for advancing soil survey. ASA-CSA-SSSA Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- Schupp, E. W., J. L. Boettinger, and P. Jordano. 2002. Prunus mahaleb regeneration: Does the balance between interference and facilitation depend on the environment? Abstracts of the 2002 Ecological Society of America Meeting, Tucson, AZ.
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
For the fifth year, we monitored the dynamics in a soil catena affected by seepage from upslope irrigation canals in central Utah. We have completed our research on the properties and processes of artificial wetlands at this site. Our current focus is to document the change in soil properties and processes as the system of irrigation delivery is changed. December 2001 begins the third year in which winter canal flow has been stopped. The two soils on the mid-slope are increasingly dry with deeper and shorter duration water tables in the growing season. The salinity of these soils is also increasing. Initial results indicate that large areas of artificial wetlands will dry and become saline as irrigation delivery moves from unlined canals and overland flow to pressurized pipes and sprinklers. We have completed our project assessing the utility of geographical information processing and analysis in facilitating soil inventory and interpretation in the Circle Cliffs area
of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM). We developed and tested the utility of simple methods of improving the quality and efficiency of soil survey in vast and difficult-to access arid lands. These methods will facilitate efficient allocation of personnel and resources, soil map unit definition, and prediction and quantification of soil distribution. We are also studying the origin of clay lamellae in sandy soils in White Cliffs area of the GSENM, which play a critical role in the availability of water to plants. Another project addresses the soil habitat of agriculturally important native alkali bees. We sampled soils in natural and constructed bee beds and continue to characterize the chemical and physical properties. Our objectives are to identify practices most suitable for creating and maintaining healthy bee populations while protecting local soil and water quality. Lastly, we are continuing to collect and analyze data on soil-plant relationships in the
seasonally dry mountains of southern Spain, which serve as heavily human-impacted analogs to the mountains of Utah.
Impacts
We better understand the spatial extent and the hydrological and chemical changes that will occur as irrigation delivery systems shift from unlined canals and overland flow to pressurized pipes and sprinklers. With reduced budgets and personnel, new techniques developed will improve the efficiency and accuracy of soil inventory and interpretation in the vast and remote areas of the western US.
Publications
- Kienast, S., and J.L Boettinger. 2002. In press. Improving efficiency and quality of soil survey documentation using a rapid GIS method. Soil Survey Horizons.
- Ming, D.W., and J.L Boettinger. 2001. Zeolites in soil environments. p. 323-345. In D.L. Bish and D.W. Ming (ed.) Natural Zeolites: Occurrence, Properties, Applications. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, vol. 45. Mineralogical Society of America and Geochemical Society, Washington, DC. (Invited)
- Boettinger, J.L. 2001. Tracking the elusive high water table in the arid west: Implications for land use. ASA-CSA-SSSA Abstracts, Madison, WI. (Invited)
- Boettinger, J.L., E.W. Schupp, J. Castro, J.M. Gomez, R. Zamora. 2001. Soil Acidification Following Burning of Pine Plantations, Sierra Nevada, Spain. Abstracts of the 2001 Ecological Society of America Meeting, Madison, WI.
- Kienast, S., and J.L. Boettinger. 2001. Arid soil genesis along a lithosequence, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. ASA-CSA-SSSA Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- Bartsch, K.P., H. Van Miegroet, J.L Boettinger, and J.P. Dobrowolski. 2002. In Press. Using the RUSLE and GIS to determine water erosion risk at Camp Williams National Guard Training Facility, Utah. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation.
- Boettinger, J.L. 2002. In press. Calcification. p. xx-xx. In R. Lal (ed.) Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York. (Invited)
- Boettinger, J.L., and D.W. Ming. 2002. In press. Zeolites. p. xx-xx. In J.B. Dixon and D.G. Schulze (ed.) Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI. (Invited)
- Kienast, S., and J.L. Boettinger. 2001. Landscape analysis for validating soil map unit concepts, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Abstracts of the 2001 Western Society of Soil Science Meeting, Moscow, ID.
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Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00
Outputs
Our first objective was to continue to monitor the physical and chemical dynamics in a soil catena affected by seepage from upslope irrigation canals in central Utah. The soils possess various degrees of saturation and salinity, ranging from a naturally dry analogue to a strongly saline and seasonally saturated soil to two soils that are slightly saline and saturated throughout the year. This forth year of data confirms that the three soils affected by canal seepage are saturated and reduced within 30 cm of the soil surface during the microbial growing season and are, therefore, hydric. We conclude that strongly expressed redoximorphic features can form in slightly saline soils in less than 110 years of artificial saturation. The strongly saline soil experiences microbial reduction although redoximorphic features are poorly expressed. Quantification and correlation of biological, chemical, and physical dynamics in this soil catena greatly improve our understanding of
wet and saline soils, which are common in the western US. Our second objective was to assess the utility of geographical information processing and analysis in facilitating soil inventory and interpretation in difficult-to-access areas of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. One study focuses on the Circle Cliffs, which spans a well-defined section of middle and lower Mesozoic and upper Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and a climate that ranges from ustic aridic to typic aridic. We developed simple methods of quantifying soil data richness, degree of dissection, slope length and gradient, and other landscape attributes. These methods are very useful in efficiently allocating personnel and resources, defining soil map units, and spatially differentiating soil units within broad third-order soil associations in the Circle Cliffs. A second study focuses on the area south and east of the White Cliffs, in which we are developing a model predicting soil-vegetation relationships. This
model can be useful in predicting soil properties from plant cover and in understanding soil moisture patterns on a landscape scale.
Impacts
We better understand of the origin, properties, and functions of irrigation-induced wetlands and saline wetlands, which are a rapidly dwindling resource in the western US. With reduced soil survey budgets and personnel, we must test and employ new techniques to improve the efficiency and accuracy of soil inventory and interpretation, especially in the vast and remote areas of the western US.
Publications
- Boettinger, J.L., and J.L. Richardson. 2001. Saline and wet soils of wetlands in dry climates. p. 383-390. In Richardson, J.L., and M.J. Vepraskas (ed.) Wetland soils: Genesis, hydrology, landscapes, and classification. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.
- Boettinger, J.L., and D.W. Ming. 2001. Zeolites. p. xx-xx. In J.B. Dixon and D.G. Schulze (ed.) Soil mineralogy with environmental applications. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI (in press).
- Ming, D.W., and J.L Boettinger. 2001. Zeolites in soil environments. p. xx-xx. In D.L. Bish and D.W. Ming (ed.) Mineralogy, Geology, Properties, and Utilization of Natural Zeolites. Mineralogical Society of America Reviews in Mineralogy, Washington, DC (in press).
- Boettinger, J.L., E.W. Schupp, J.M. Gomez, J. Castro, and R. Zamora. 2000. Influence of Pinus sylvestris plantations on native shrub soils, Sierra Nevada, Spain. Agronomy Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
- Kienast, S., J.L. Boettinger, R.R. Gillies, and W.D. Broderson. 2000.Improving efficiency and quality of soil survey using geographical information processing and analysis. Agronomy Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
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Progress 01/01/99 to 12/31/99
Outputs
Our first objective was to continue to monitor the physical and chemical dynamics in a soil catena affected by seepage from upslope irrigation canals in central Utah. The soils possess various degrees of saturation and salinity, ranging from a naturally dry analogue to a strongly saline and seasonally saturated soil to two soils that are slightly saline and saturated throughout the year. We manually measured water level, pH, EC, and temperature of solutions in piezometers biweekly during the growing season and monthly in winter. Dataloggers record redox potential, soil temperature, and water table at 30-cm depth every 2h. However, we removed pressure transducers and redox probes during the winter months to prevent equipment failure. This third year of data confirms our previous observations: the three soils affected by canal seepage were saturated and reduced within 30 cm of the soil surface during the microbial growing season and are hydric. Strongly expressed
redoximorphic features can form in slightly saline soils in less than 110 years of artificial saturation. The strongly saline soil experiences microbial reduction in spite of poor expression of redoximorphic features. These results greatly improve our understanding of artificially wet soils, which are common in the western US, and of saline wetlands, which occur in naturally and artificially wet areas of semiarid, arid, and coastal regions. Our second objective was to assess whether remotely sensed satellite data can facilitate soil inventory and interpretation in difficult-to-access areas of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, in which a cooperative soil survey is ongoing. The study focuses on the Circle Cliffs, which spans a well-defined section of middle and lower Mesozoic and upper Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and a climate that ranges from ustic aridic to typic aridic. Soil mapping units were developed using traditional survey methods and typical pedons were sampled
for National Soil Survey Laboratory analysis. Due to repeatedly delayed launch of NASA's Terra satellite, which carries the new ASTER sensor that shows great promise for sensing surface soil properties, we are investigating alternative methods for facilitating soil inventory such as Landsat 7 remotely sensed data and digital terrain analysis. With reduced budgets and personnel, it is essential that we improve the efficiency and accuracy of soil inventory and interpretation, especially in the vast and remote areas of the western US.
Impacts
Our results greatly improve the understanding of the origin, properties, and functions of artificial wetlands, which are common in irrigated areas, and of saline wetlands, which are a rapidly dwindling resource in the western US. Soil survey methods can be improved using new remote sensing and GIS technologies, making soil inventory and interpretation more accurate and efficient.
Publications
- Nater, E.A., J.L. Boettinger, P. Barak, A.H. Duin. 1999. Using interactive 3-D models of minerals in instruction: Technology and pedagogy. Agronomy Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
- Sutcliffe, K.D. 1999. Dynamics of irrigation-induced and saline wet soils, central Utah. M.S. Thesis, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
- Van Miegroet, H., K.P. Bartsch, and J.L. Boettinger. 1999. Summary of Soil Properties at Camp Williams National Guard Base, Utah. Department of Forest Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
- Barak, P., E.A. Nater, J.L. Boettinger, A.H. Duin. 1999. Student response and outcomes with the Virtual Museum of Minerals and Molecules. Agronomy Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
- Bartsch, K.P., H. Van Miegroet, J. Boettinger, and J. Dobrowolski. 1999. Using GIS to apply the revised universal soil loss equation at Camp Williams National Guard Base. Agronomy Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
- Boettinger, J.L., and J.L. Richardson. 2000, in press. Ch. 18. Saline and wet soils of wetlands in dry climates. Pp. Xx-xx. In Richardson, J.L., and M.J. Vepraskas (eds.). Wetland Soils: Their Genesis, Morphology, Hydrology, Landscapes, and Classification. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
- Boettinger, J.L., R.R. Gillies, S. Kienast, W. Broderson, and R. Jaros. 1999. Using remote sensing to facilitate soil survey in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Soil Resources Conference: Abstracts, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
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Progress 01/01/98 to 12/31/98
Outputs
We investigated the relationships between western harvester ants, rangeland soil properties, and vegetation (percent cover) in the Upper Green River Basin of Utah and Colorado. Regardless of vegetation, ant nest site density only correlated to the concentration of fine gravel (2-4 mm) on the soil surface. Higher nest site densities were related to higher gravel content, which occurs in soils derived from Uinta Mountain Group alluvium as opposed to Mancos Shale alluvium. These results indicate that the availability of fine gravel for armoring ant nests may be more influential than vegetation or other soil properties in successful establishment of ant nests. We also monitored chemical and physical dynamics along a catena of soils with various degrees of saturation and salinity affected by seepage from upslope irrigation canals in central Utah. Water level, pH, EC, and temperature data were manually measured in piezometers about every 2 wk. Redox potential and soil
temperature at 30 cm, and water table depth were automatically measured and recorded by dataloggers every 2h. Three of the four soils, with EC ranging from 5 to 30 dS/m, were saturated and reduced within 30 cm of the soil surface during the growing season and, therefore, are hydric. Ferrihydrite and siderite precipitated on the outer surface of overflowing piezometers. This indicates that reduced Fe was present in the soil solution and reoxidized upon exposure to air, and some reduced Fe precipitated as Fe-carbonate. We also investigated soils on alluvial surfaces cut by the Hurricane fault. Soil development on upthrown and downthrown surfaces deposited by Shurtz Creek, near Cedar City, UT, indicated that the surfaces were not the same age and cosmogenic isotope dates probably underestimate surface age in this area. Soil development on four different aged upthrown surfaces at the mouth of Cottonwood Canyon, about 10 mi south of the UT-AZ border, indicated that minimum slip rates along
the Hurricane fault are about 0.1-0.2 mm/yr and appear to have been relatively constant through the late Pleistocene and Holocene. We estimated Holocene slip rate along the Hurricane fault to be about one order of magnitude less than the Wasatch fault and two orders of magnitude less than the San Andreas fault.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Lowe, T.M., J.L. Boettinger, and J. P. Dobrowolski. 1998. A comparison of soil properties within a juniper woodland of the eastern Great Basin. Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Pacific Division vol. 17, part 1, 79th Annual Meeting of the AAAS: Pacific Division, Program with Abstracts.
- McMillan, J.M., J.L. Boettinger, E.W. Schupp, and J.M. Norton. 1998. Soil properties influence western harvester ant nest site density in the upper Green River Basin. Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Pacific Division vol. 17, part 1, 79th Annual Meeting of the AAAS: Pacific Division, Program with Abstracts.
- McMillan, J.M., J.L. Boettinger, E.W. Schupp, and J.M. Norton. 1998. Soil properties influence western harvester ant nest site density in the upper Green River Basin. Abstracts of the Soil Organism Symposium. Corvallis, OR, March 1998.
- Bork, E.W., N.E. West, J.A. Doolittle, and J.L. Boettinger. 1998. Soil depth assessment of sagebrush grazing treatments using electromagnetic induction. Journal of Range Management 51:469-474.
- Perrin, T.S., J.L. Boettinger, D.T. Drost, and J.M. Norton. 1998. Decreasing nitrogen leaching from sandy soil with ammonium-loaded clinoptilolite. Journal of Environmental Quality 27:656-663.
- Perrin, T.S., D.T. Drost, J.L. Boettinger, and J.M. Norton. 1998. Ammonium-loaded clinoptilolite: A slow-release fertilizer for sweet corn. Journal of Plant Nutrition 21:515-530.
- Laymon, C., D. Quattrochi, E. Malek, L. Hipps, J. Boettinger, G. McCurdy. 1998. Remotely-sensed regional scale evapotranspiration of a semi-arid Great Basin desert and its relationship to geomorphology, soils, and vegetation. Geomorphology 21:329-352.
- Boettinger, J.L., S.E. Bohrer, S. Kienast, J.M. McMillan, K.D. Sutcliffe, and J.T. Wilde. 1998. Aridisol pedogenesis in Quaternary alluvium along the Hurricane fault, northwestern Arizona. Agronomy Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
- Kienast, S., J.L. Boettinger, K.D. Sutcliffe, J.M. McMillan, S.E. Bohrer, and J.T. Wilde. 1998. Aridisol pedogenesis in Quaternary alluvium along the Hurricane fault, Cottonwood Canyon, northwestern Arizona. Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Pacific Division vol. 17, part 1, 79th Annual Meeting of the AAAS: Pacific Division, Program with Abstracts.
- McMillan, J.M., J.L. Boettinger, and E.W. Schupp. 1998. Soil properties influence western harvester ant nest site density in the upper Green River Basin, USA. Abstracts of the Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Guadalajara, Mexico, February 1998.
- Sutcliffe, K.D., and J.L. Boettinger. 1998. Dynamics of irrigation-induced and saline wet soils formed in Mancos shale. Agronomy Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
- Sutcliffe, K.D., and J.L. Boettinger. 1998. Dynamics of irrigation-induced and saline wet soils formed in Mancos shale, central Utah. Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Pacific Division vol. 17, part 1, 79th Annual Meeting of the AAAS: Pacific Division, Program with Abstracts.
- Ibanez, I., E.W. Schupp, and J.L. Boettinger. 1998. Successional history of a curleaf mountain mahogany stand. Proceedings of the 10th Wildland Shrub Symposium, Shrub Ecotones, Ephraim, UT, August 13-14, 1998.
- Barak, P., E.A. Nater, J.L. Boettinger, and A.H. Duin. 1998. Interactive 3-D visualization of molecules and minerals in soil science instruction. Agronomy Abstracts, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
- Ibanez, I., E.W. Schupp, J.L. Boettinger. 1998. Environmental conditions affecting emergence and seedling establishment of the tree Cercocarpus ledifolius during the first growing season. Abstracts of the 83rd Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Baltimore, MD, August 12-14, 1998.
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Progress 01/01/97 to 12/31/97
Outputs
The efficiency of loading ammonium onto cation exchange sites of clinoptilolite was investigated. Hog and dairy wastes were separated into liquid and solid fractions and only the liquid was used to saturate the clinoptilolite. Ammonium from hog liquid waste loaded as predicted by calculations based on ion selectivities and kinetic data. Theoretically, liquid waste from dairy should have loaded more efficiently than hog waste, but loading was less efficient due to clogging by organic particulate matter. Investigations of the relationship between western harvester ants and rangeland soil properties in the Uintah Basin revealed that higher ant nest site density is positively correlated to higher concentration of fine gravel on the soil surface and lower pH. Surface gravel content and pH are linked to parent materials, with higher surface gravels and lower pH in soils derived from Uinta Mountain Group alluvium and higher pH and lower surface gravel content in soils
derived from Mancos shale alluvium. Additional piezometers were installed in the study site of our project on the dynamics of irrigation-induced and saline wetlands in Mancos shale (in cooperation with the USDA NRCS). More than one year of water level, pH, EC, and temperature data have been collected from four sites in a catena formed in Mancos shale. Redox probes, reference electrodes, temperature probes, and pressure transducers were installed in the soil 30 cm below the surface. Data loggers are recording measurements every 2 h. Highly saline soils are saturated and reduced within 30 cm of the soil surface during the growing season and, therefore, are hydric.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Bork, E.W., N.E. West, J.A. Doolittle, and J.L. Boettinger. In press. Soil depth assessment of sagebrush grazing treatments using electromagnetic induction. Journal of Range Management (due September 1998).
- Perrin, T.S., J.L. Boettinger, D.T. Drost, and J.M. Norton. In press. Decreasing nitrogen leaching from sandy soil with ammonium-loaded clinoptilolite. Journal of Environmental Quality (due 1998).
- Perrin, T.S., D.T. Drost, J.L. Boettinger, and J.M. Norton. In press. Ammonium-loaded clinoptilolite: A slow-release fertilizer for sweet corn. Journal of Plant Nutrition (due vol. 21, iss. 3, 1998).
- Boettinger, J.L. 1997. Aquisalids (Salorthids) and other wet saline and alkaline soils: Problems identifying aquic conditions and hydric soils. p. 79-97. In M.J. Vepraskas and S.W. Sprecher (eds.) Aquic conditions and hydric soils: The problem soils. SSSA Special Publication No. 50. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI.
- Boettinger, J.L., J.A. Doolittle, N.E. West, E.W. Bork, and E.W. Schupp. 1997. Non-destructive assessment of rangeland soil depth to petrocalcic horizon using electromagnetic induction. Arid Soil Research and Rehabilitation 11:375-390.
- Dahlgren, R.A., J.L. Boettinger, G.L. Huntington, and R.G. Amundson. 1997. Soil development along an elevational transect, western Sierra Nevada, California. Geoderma 78:207-236.
- Laymon, C., D. Quattrochi, E. Malek, L. Hipps, J. Boettinger, G. McCurdy. 1997. Use of Landsat Thematic Mapper data to estimate instantaneous synoptic-scale hydrologic fluxes in a semi-arid Great Basin Desert. Geomorphology 21: __-__.
- Boettinger, J.L., and S.D. Sipes. 1997. Soil properties influence the distribution of Jones cycladenia (Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii), a rare endemic plant of the Colorado Plateau. Learning from the Land: Scientific Inquiry for Planning and Managing the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Cedar City, UT, November 1997.
- Boettinger, J.L., G.L. Huntington, R.A. Dahlgren, and R.G. Amundson. 1997. Pedogenesis along an elevational transect, western Sierra Nevada, CA. Agronomy Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- Huntington, G.L., J.L. Boettinger, R.A. Dahlgren, and R.G. Amundson. 1997. Vertical zonality along an elevational transect, western Sierra Nevada, CA. Agronomy Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- Boettinger, J.L., J.M. Norton, L.M. Dudley, D.T. Drost, T.S. Perrin, I.S. MacQueen, and P.T. Kolesar. 1997. Developing sustainable agricultural systems based on nitrogen cycling with clinoptilolite. Zeolite '97: Fifth International Conference on the Occurrence, Properties, and Utilization of Natural Zeolites, Ischia (Naples), Italy, September 1997. (3-page extended abstract, peer reviewed).
- Sipes, S., and J. Boettinger. 1997. Soil morphology influences the distribution of Jones cycladenia (Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii (Eastw.) Welsh and Atwood: Apocynaceae), a rare endemic of southern Utah and northern Arizona. Botanical Society of America annual meeting, Montreal, Canada, August, 1997.
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Progress 01/01/96 to 12/30/96
Outputs
Research on chemical, physical, mineralogical soil properties in the Uinta Mountains focused on oxyaquic soils and soils formed in glacial deposits; the usually high calcium concentration of these quartzite-derived soils appears to be caused by eolian deposition. Apparent conductivity measured by electromagnetic induction was determined to be a non-destructive tool for rudimentary assessment of variability in rangeland soil depth to petrocalcic horizon in central Utah. Soil property changes along an elevational gradient in the western Sierra Nevada include organic carbon, pH, clay content and mineralogy; these results allow us to predict effects of climate change on biogeochemical cycling. The potential of clinoptilolite to reduce nitrate pollution andbe a slow-release fertilizer was established from studies on N leaching, corn growth, N-loading from manure, and N release to microorganisms. Site selection, vegetation and soil sampling, and ant mound density
determination were completed for our investigations on the relationship between western harvester ants and rangeland soil properties in the Uinta Basin. Site selection, soil sampling, and piezometer installation were completed for our study of the dynamics of irrigation-induced and saline wetlands in Mancos shale in cooperation with the USDA NRCS.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- BOETTINGER, J.L. 1996. Aquisalids (Salorthids) and other wet saline and alkalinesoils: Problems identifying aquic conditions and hydric soils. Special Publication No. ____. Soil Sci. Soc. of America, Madison, WI. (in press).
- BOETTINGER, J. L., and D.W. MING. 1996. Properties, occurrences, and environmental applications of zeolites. Agronomy Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- NORTON, J.M., C.A. BRUNSON, and J.L. BOETTINGER. 1996. Effects of soil properties on ammonium release from zeolite during laboratory incubations. Agronomy Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- PERRIN, T.S., D.T. DROST, J.L. BOETTINGER, and J.M. NORTON. 1996. The effectiveness of clinoptilolite as a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Agronomy Abstracts, Madison, WI.
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Progress 01/01/95 to 12/30/95
Outputs
An analysis of why saline, wet soils in arid and semiarid areas of the western US are not easily identified as hydric soils was completed. Research on soil genesis, morphology, and mineralogy, and the use of soils for dating glacial moraines on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains continued. Soil properties such as clay, carbonate, and free-iron oxides are most indicative of relative landform age in the Smith's Fork drainage. Research on eolian deposition to alpine soils of the high Uintas was planned.The potential of electromagnetic induction (EM) was tested as a non-destructive tool for assessing variability in soil depth near Mills, UT, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Conductivity readings were compared to soil depths and to plant cover. EM was correlated to soil depth and not to plant cover. EM can be used to assess soil depth variability in areas where lithology and other soil properties are similar, but extrapolation across
complex landscapes may be more difficult.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- BOETTINGER,J.L. 1996. Aquisalids (Salorthids) and other wet saline and alkaline soils: Problems identifying aquic conditions and hydric soils. In M.J. Vepraskas and S.W. Sprecher (eds.) Aquic conditions and hydric soils: The problem soils.
- BOETTINGER,J.L.,AND SOUTHARD,R.J. 1995. Phyllosilicate distribution and origin in Aridisols on a granitic pediment, western Mojave Desert. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 59:1189-1198.
- BOETTINGER,J.L., AND GRAHAM,R.C. 1995. Zeolite occurrence in soils: An updated review. p. 23-37. In D.W. Ming and F.A. Mumpton. Natural Zeolites'93: Properties, occurrences, and utilization of natural zeolites. International Committee on Na
- BOETTINGER,J.L., AND DUDLEY,L.M. 1995. Case study of an environmental soil science major: Utah State University. p.344. Agronomy Abstracts, Madison, WI.
- BOETTINGER,J.L.,WEST,N.E., AND DOOLITTLE,J.M. 1995. Reducing variability in plot design: Non-destructive assessment of soil depth using electromagnetic induction. Ecological Society of America Annual Meetings, Abstracts with Programs.
- BINGHAM,G.E.,NEALE,C.M.U.,HIPPS,L.E.,BOETTINGER,J.L.,MALEK,E.,OR,D., QUATTROCHI,D., AND ASTLING,E.G. 1995. The west desert heat flux study: Project description and initial results. European Hydrological Meeting.
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Progress 01/01/94 to 12/30/94
Outputs
An extensive review of worldwide zeolite mineral occurrences in soils and of zeolite uses in soils and soil-like environments was completed. An invited review of why saline, wet soils in arid and semiarid areas may not be easily identified as hydric soils and as soils with aquic soil conditions was undertaken. Research on saline, wet soils and on irrigation-induced potentially hydric soils was designed, in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, and the search for outside funding for this research was begun. Research on soil genesis, morphology, and mineralogy, and use of soils for dating landforms on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains continued, in cooperation with the Forest Service. Studies on the effects of eolian inputs to the Uinta Mountain soil systems on forest health and nutrient cycling are being designed. Research on soil genesis, morphology, mineralogy, and soil-geomorphic relationships on old surfaces in southwestern Utah was designed and is
continuing. Research on testing a model of loess transport and deposition in southeastern Utah was also designed and outside funding is being pursued. Research on the soil environment of a threatened plant, Jones' Cycladenia was conducted and continues with additional funding from the Bureau of Land Management. The effectiveness of ground penetrating radar and electromagnetic induction to detect soil depth to a petrocalcic hardpan was evaluated, in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- BOETTINGER, J.L. 1994. Biogenic opal as an indicator of soil mixing at the Alfisol - Vertisol boundary, northeastern Australia. p. 17-26. #In A.J. Ringrose-Voase and G.S. Humphreys (eds.) Soil Micromorphology: Studies in Management and Gene
- BOETTINGER, J.L., AND SOUTHARD, R.J. 1995. Phyllosilicate distribution and origin in Aridisols on a granitic pediment, western Mojave Desert. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. (in press, refereed).
- BOETTINGER, J.L., AND GRAHAM, R.C. 1995. Zeolite occurrence in soils: An updated review. Conference volume for Zeolite'93: 4th International Conference on the Occurrence, Properties, and Utilization of Natural Zeolites. International Commit
- BOETTINGER, J.L., AND HARTER, H.T. 1994. Salorthids and related wet desert soils: Problems identifying hydric soils and aquic soil conditions. Agronomy Abstracts, Madison, WI. (abstract).
- ZIMMER, T.M., AND BOETTINGER, J.L. 1994. Use of soils in interpreting Pleistocene glaciation, north slope of the Uinta Mountains. Geological Society of America, Rocky Mountain section meetings, Durango, CO, May 4-6, 1994. Abstracts with Pro.
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Progress 01/01/93 to 12/30/93
Outputs
Research on the genesis, morphology, mineralogy, and classification of soils on Pleistocene glacial moraines on the north slope of the Uinta Mountains continued in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and Soil Conservation Service. The soils, which range from Alfic Cryorthents to Typic Cryoboralfs to Glossic Cryoboralfs with increasing landform age, exhibit trends that are unusual for chronosequences: increasing base saturation, decreasing depth to maximum B- horizon clay content, and leveling off of maximum clay and free Fe-oxide contents. These properties indicate significant eolian contribution of salts and weatherable minerals to these soils: quartzite moraines act as effective dust traps. These results were presented at a national conference. The influx of dust apparently increases the soil buffering capacity, possibly making the soils on older landforms resilient to acid deposition. Sampling and characterization of soils in the Bear River Range began in
cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and Soil Conservation Service. The designs of studies on the use of local zeolites as environmentally sound slow release fertilizers were refined. Research on arid soils of Utah as potential long-term carbon sinks was designed. Soils exhibiting various degrees of cementation were sampled for development of a laboratory index of cementation.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- BOETTINGER, J.L. AND ZIMMER, T.M. 1993. Pedogenesis on Pleistocene quartzite-rich moraines, north slope of the Uinta Mountains. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 294.
- BOETTINGER, J.L. 1993. Biogenic opal as an indicator of soil mixing at the Alfisol - Vertisol boundary, northeastern Australia. Proc., 9th Intrl. Working Mtg., Soil Micromorphology. Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam (accepted.
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