Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: In 2009, we initiated a study of the measurement of water table height in clayey soils of a created wetland near Aden, VA. We grid mapped the wetland with an EM-38, with six soils being described and sampled for calibration. Results showed where the clayiest and thickest subsoils occurred. We placed our wells so they would be representative of the dominant soils. The study compares a variety of piezomters and wells of differing diameters and packing materials in order to determine the most rapid response time for reading water table heights. In 2008, we finished monitoring piezometers on a mined soil landscape in Wise Co., VA. The soils are not excessively drained as mapped because the level landforms and densic horizons restricts water movement through the soil and caused ponding. The long-term study on the water table dynamics of a wet flat near the Great Dismal Swamp is complete. Due to equipment failure and vandalism, the final two years of data were lost. However, the two years of data collected previously will be analyzed and published in the future to correlate the measured hydrology to the hydric soils indicators, soil temperature, and soil carbon levels. The hydrology of a wetland and upland sequence of soils was monitored in 2008 near the James River in Weyanoke, Virginia. The water table height, hydric soil indicators, soil carbon, electrical conductivity, and clay content will be correlated to a new set of microwave signals that penetrate the soil to the top of a saturated layer. Results will be analyzed and published starting in 2009. The hydrology of a wetland mitigation bank near Quantico, Virginia is being monitored with a variety of wells. The soil has been artificially modified and the leveled, destroying some of the hydric soil indicators and redoximorphic features. The project is just beginning and will be fully installed in the next few months. Correlation of hydrology with hydric soil indicators, soil carbon, wetland vegetation, and the hydric soil technical standard will be determined in this multi-year study. The relationship between hydric soils, wetlands, and soil/landscape properties has been studied in the Coastal Plain near Richmond, Virginia. The hydrology of interdune swales is being monitored in the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge near Virginia Beach, Virginia. The project is in its first year of preliminary data collection. The hydrology of a calcareous wetland system near Shawsville, Virginia is being monitored. These rare spring-fed wetlands have unique soils and hydric soil indicators. Soil carbon and other properties are being analayzed. Results have and will be disseminated through publications and presentations at professional conferences, National Soil Survey Conferences, Mid-Atlantic Hydric Soils Committee and Mid-Atl. Wetlands Working Group meetings. The project is being shared through emails, collaborative proposal submittal, and participant meetings. Hydropedology is being taught at Virginia Tech in part through several wetland courses, and a minor in wetland science has been developed in our Crop & Soil Env. Sci. Department. Wetland soils training has been offered in a consulting course. PARTICIPANTS: E. PANTALEONI. Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN 37209, USA. J.M. GALBRAITH. Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences Department, 239 Smyth Hall (0404), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. W.L. DANIELS. Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences Department, 244 Smyth Hall (0404), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. John "Wes" Tuttle, USDA-NRCS-NSSC, Federal Building, Room 152, Mail Stop 34, 100 Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 68508-3866, USA. TARGET AUDIENCES: State agency personnel for the Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality, Powell River Project, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Federal agency personnel in Virginia for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Environmental protection Agency and US Army Corps of Engineers. Wetland delineators and private consultants working with wetlands in Virginia. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The EM-38 proved useful in determining the variability of soils across a flooded wetland and also in helping locate the majority condition and representative spots for placement of measuring devices. The impact will be the use of an inexpensive tool for better well placement and more accurate reporting of wetland mitigation success. Method publication and study results is expected. Hydric soil indicators are used to identify hydric soils under the newly updated 1987 Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual and Regional Supplements. The studies of the mine soil drainage classes will reinforce the validity of existing hydric soil indicators and will help produce new indicators for problem soils. This will produce a change in knowledge and actions, as the hydric soil indicators are now used by regulators. Correlation between hydrology and soil properties in wetlands will result in a change of knowledge in the wetland science and soil science community. The identification of a new soil series is expected for use in mine soil wetlands in Southwest Virginia. The soil will have a confirmed drainage class and will allow proper identification of new wetlands as they form on disturbed soils. The presence of wetlands may affect how reclaimed mine soils are valued as special habitat and may help to offset some of the wetland losses associated with mountain-top removal mining. Use of new GeoSAR spectral remote sensing imagery for wetland edge detection will provide digital wetland map products, greater delineation accuracy, and repeatable measures in wetland monitoring. Confirmation of interdune swale and calcareous hydric soils in Virginia is expected following the results of our study. These will result in a change in knowledge of previously unidentified hydric soil resources. The impact of the research will be improved wetland identification and protection. The studied soils are problematic in parent material or chemistry or the soils have been disturbed by humans. New wetlands appear to be forming in mine soil areas and that may help offset some of the wetland losses caused by mountaintop mining of coal in the southern Appalachian Mountains.
Publications
- Pantaleoni*, E., J.M. Galbraith, P.F. Donovan, and R. Tiner. 2005. Correlating National Wetland Inventory Data with recent satellite imagery. An. Meeting of the Am. Soc. Agr. Salt Lake City, UT.
- J.M. Galbraith, P.F. Donovan, A.E. Sandy*, and E. Pantaleoni*. 2005. Using digital elevations and models to enhance stream network maps in Virginia. An. Meeting of the Am. Soc. Agr. Salt Lake City, UT. Slideshow.
- Galbraith, J.M., and P.F. Donovan. 2005. Density of road crossings and drainage networks in suburban and rural Virginia. 8th Wetlands Regulatory Workshop. Oct. 2005. Atlantic City, NJ. Slideshow. (Lead author is first.)
- Galbraith, J.M., and P.F. Donovan. 2005. Density of road crossings and drainage of wetlands in suburban and rural Virginia. 8th An. Wetlands and Watersheds Workshop. Atlantic City, NJ. Slideshow.
- Pantaleoni*, E., R. Wynne, and J.M. Galbraith. 2005. Logit model for predicting wetlands location using ASTER and GIS. Invited paper. An. Meeting of the Am Soc. Photogrametry and Rem. Sens., Reno, NV. Slideshow.
- Sandy*, A.E., J.M. Galbraith, P.F. Donovan, and R. Tiner. 2005. Development of automated coding descriptors for the National Wetland Inventory. An. Meeting of the Am. Soc. Agr. Salt Lake City, UT.
- Lang, M.W., Awl, J., Wilen, B., McCarty, G.W., Galbraith, J. 2009. Improved wetland mapping through the use of advanced geospatial technologies. 31(5):6-93-30-31.
- Pantaleoni, E.*, R. Wynne, J. Galbraith, and J. Campbell. 2009. A logit model for predicting wetland location using ASTER and GIS. Inter. J. of Rem. Sens.30(9): 2215-2236.
- Pantaleoni, E.*, R. Wynne, J. Galbraith, and J. Campbell. 2009. A comparison of CART and logistic regression for mapping wetland types in the Coastal Plain of Virginia using the ASTER sensor. Inter. J. of Rem. Sens. 30(13): 3423-3440.
- Pantaleoni*, E., J.M. Galbraith, R. Wynne. 2007. Wetland and vegetation mapping using ASTER data in a CART model. Presented at Office of Geog. Inf. Syst. (OGIS) An. Symp. Blacksburg, VA. April, 2008.
- Pantaleoni, E.*, R.H. Wynne, and J. Galbraith. 2007. Sub-Pixel Analysis of Tree Cover on Satellite Imagery Using a Continuous Field Approach. An. Meeting of the Am. Soc. Agr. New Orleans, LA. Slideshow.
- Galbraith, J.M., Pantaleoni, E.*, and R.H. Wynne. The Use of Regression Trees and Analysis of ASTER Imagery for Detection of Wetlands in a Virginia Coastal Plain Study Area. Wetlands 2007: An. Meeting of Assoc. State Wetl. Mangr. Williamsburg, VA. Aug. 28-30, 2007. Slideshow and publ. on-line at http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2007/abstracts_2.htm#galbraith
- Galbraith, J.M. Sedimentation Sequestration Potential in Wetlands. 10th International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands http://www.serc.si.edu/conference/ April 1-4, 2007 ď€ Annapolis, MD USA. Slideshow.
- Vasilas, L., R. Spagnolo, B. Vasilas, M.C. Rabenhorst, and J.M. Galbraith. 2006. Mid-Atlantic Hydric Soils Committee: Bridging the Soil Science and Wetland Science Communities. 18th World Congress of Soil Science. Philadelphia, PA. July 9-15, 2006. Poster.
- Pantaleoni*, E., J.M. Galbraith, and R. Wynne. 2006. Mapping wetland vegetation using ASTER sensor in a CART model. An. Meeting of the Am. Soc. Agr. Indianapolis, IN.
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Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: During 2008, we finished monitoring piezometers on a mined soil landscape in Wise Co., VA. The initial project is complete, and a new study will be generated from the results. The soils are not excessively drained as mapped because the level landforms and densic horizons restricts water movement through the soil and cause ponding that lasts for many months during normal rainfall years. 2008 was the second consecutive drought year. Although the soils were not ponded, they did appear to easily meet the saturation criteria for the hydric soil technical standard. We will continue to monitor the site and measure with precise instruments now that our study has confirmed extended saturation. A new hydric soil indicator may be needed. The long-term study on the water table dynamics of a wet flat near the Great Dismal Swamp is complete. Due to equipment failure and vandalism, the final two years of data were lost. However, the two years of data collected previously will be analyzed and published in the future to correlate the measured hydrology to the hydric soils indicators, soil temperature, and soil carbon levels. The hydrology of a wetland and upland sequence of soils was monitored in 2008 near the James River in Weyanoke, Virginia. The water table height, hydric soil indicators, soil carbon, electrical conductivity, and clay content will be correlated to a new set of microwave signals that penetrate the soil to the top of a saturated layer. Results will be analyzed and published. The hydrology of a wetland mitigation bank near Quantico, Virginia is being monitored with a variety of wells. The soil has been artificially modified and the leveled, destroying some of the hydric soil indicators and redoximorphic features. The project is just beginning and will be fully installed in the next few months. Correlation of hydrology with hydric soil indicators, soil carbon, wetland vegetation, and the hydric soil technical standard will be determined in this multi-year study. The relationship between hydric soils, wetlands, and soil/landscape properties has been studied in the Coastal Plain near Richmond, Virginia. The hydrology of interdune swales is being monitored in the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge near Virginia Beach, Virginia. The project is in its first year of preliminary data collection. The hydrology of a calcareous wetland system near Shawsville, Virginia is being monitored. These rare spring-fed wetlands have unique soils and hydric soil indicators. Soil carbon and other properties are being analayzed. Results have and will be disseminated through publications and presentations at professional conferences, National Soil Survey Conferences, Mid-Atlantic Hydric Soils Committee and Mid-Atl. Wetlands Working Group meetings. The project is being shared through emails, collaborative proposal submittal, and participant meetings. Hydropedology is being taught at Virginia Tech in part through several wetland courses, and a minor in wetland science has been developed in our Crop & Soil Env. Sci. Department. Wetland soils training has been offered in a consulting course. PARTICIPANTS: E. PANTALEONI. Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd. Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN 37209, USA J.M. GALBRAITH. Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences Department, 239 Smyth Hall (0404), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA W.L. DANIELS. Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences Department, 244 Smyth Hall (0404), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA TARGET AUDIENCES: State agency personnel for the Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality, Powell River Project, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Federal agency personnel in Virginia for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Environmental protection Agency and US Army Corps of Engineers. Wetland delineators and private consultants working with wetlands in Virginia. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Hydric soil indicators are used to identify hydric soils under the newly updated 1987 Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual and Regional Supplements. The studies will reinforce the validity of existing hydric soil indicators and will help produce new indicators for problem soils. This will produce a change in knowledge and actions, as the hydric soil indicators are now used by regulators. Correlation between hydrology and soil properties in wetlands will result in a change of knowledge in the wetland science and soil science community. The identification of a new soil series is expected for use in mine soil wetlands in Southwest Virginia. The soil will have a confirmed drainage class and will allow proper identification of new wetlands as they form on disturbed soils. Confirmation of interdune swale and calcareous hydric soils in Virginia is expected following the results of our study. These will result in a change in knowledge of previously unidentified hydric soil resources. The impact of the research will be improved wetland identification and protection. The studied soils are problematic in parent material or chemistry or the soils have been disturbed by humans. New wetlands appear to be forming in mine soil areas and that may help offset some of the wetland losses caused by mountaintop mining of coal in the southern Appalachian Mountains.
Publications
- Galbraith, J.M., J. Baker, and W.L. Daniels. 2006. Northeast Cooperative Soil Survey Conference VAES Report. Northeast Coop. Soil Surv. Conf. Proceedings. Publ. on CD-ROM. NCSSC Meeting, Bordentown, NJ. http://soils.usda.gov/partnerships/ncss/conferences/2006/northeast/
- Pantaleoni, E., and J.M. Galbraith. 2005. Use of ASTER sensor images for mapping forested and non-forested wetlands in Virginia (Developing a Remote Sensing Model for Predicting Wetland Location). 26th Annual Meeting of the Soc. Wetland Sci. Charlotte, NC.
- Sandy, A.E., and J.M. Galbraith. 2005. National Wetlands Inventory Resource Inventory and correlation to landscape characteristics. 26th Annual Meeting of the Soc. Wetland Sci. Charlotte, NC.
- Daniels, W.L., G.R. Whittecar, J.M. Galbraith, and P.J. Thomas. 2005. Hydric soil-landscape relationships in Virginia. 26th Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists. Charlotte, NC. Slideshow.
- Burdt, A.C., J.M. Galbraith, and J.P. Megonigal. 2006. CO2 efflux rates by land-use treatment in wet flats of Southeast Virginia. Wetl. Ecol. and Mngmnt. 14(2):133 145.
- Burdt, A.C., J.M. Galbraith, and W.L. Daniels. 2005. Land-Use Effects on Growing Season Length Indicators in Southeastern Virginia Wet Flats. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69:1551 1558.
- Alexis E. Sandy. 2006. Environmental and Digital Data Analysis of the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Landscape Position Classification System. Masters Thesis. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg.
- Hurt, G.W. and J.M. Galbraith. 2005. Using soil morphology and soil survey data for restoring and creating wetlands. Soil Survey Horizons 46:109 119.
- Sandy, A.E., J.M. Galbraith, S. Prisley, J. Campbell, W.L. Daniels. 2006. Environmental and digital data analysis of the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) landscape position classification system. An. Meeting of the Am. Soc. Agr. Indianapolis, IN. Slideshow.
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
During the year, we measured the water table heights monthly at 20 sets of piezometers on a mined soil landscape in Wise Co., VA. The project was designed to determine the water table and drainage classes for mine soil series. Presently, all mine soils used in that area are called excessively drained, although most soils on level landforms have a densic horizon that restricts water movement through the soil. The study placed piezometer nests across the mined landscape, with some wells on all landscape positions. On the flat benches, wetlands have form, proving the soils are not excessively drained. In order to populate the USDA soils data tables, we placed piezometer nests next to apparently somewhat poor, poor, and very poorly drained soils. Piezometers were placed at 30 cm, just above the densic horizon, and just below the densic horizon if possible. Some piezometers were placed within the thicker densic horizons as well. In addition, staff gauges were placed in
places where water is ponded. Hydric soil field indicators were described at all sites.
Impacts
The rainfall in 2007 was below normal during the summer. Therefore our staff gauges showed water only in ponded areas during Jan - April, and they were dry until late November. The water wells did not show any water except those placed nearest the ponded areas, and those only had water in the months of January to early March. The study will be monitored for three more years, hoping to get normal rainfall. The poorly and very poorly drained soils had hydric soil indicator F3, depleted matrix. The ponded areas had some accumulation of organic materials at the surface, but not enough to qualify as a hydric soil indicator. The mine soils on compacted benches deposited in valleys do not have water tables near the surface, but that conclusion does not preclude deeper water movement through these soils. Staff gauges may need to be placed at streams near the edge of benches to monitor stream water flow from the bench areas. The identification of hydric soil field indicators in
poorly drained soils and absence of such characteristics in drier soils confirms the use of established hydric soil indicators. The study must continue during normal and wet years to capture the variability in water table height in wells and in ponded areas.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
During the year, we installed 20 sets of piezometers on a mined soil landscape in Wise Co., VA. The project was designed to determine the water table and drainage classes for mine soil series. Presently, all mine soils used in that area are called excessively drained, although most soils on level landforms have a densic horizon that restricts water movement through the soil. The study placed piezometer nests across the mined landscape, with some wells on all landscape positions. On the flat benches, wetlands have form, proving the soils are not excessively drained. In order to populate the USDA soils data tables, we placed piezometer nests next to apparently somewhat poor, poor, and very poorly drained soils. Piezometers were placed at 30 cm, just above the densic horizon, and just below the densic horizon if possible. Some piezometers were placed within the thicker densic horizons as well. In addition, staff gauges were placed in places where water is ponded. The
study will be monitored for three or more years of normal rainfall. In 2007, soil temperature gauges will be installed at 50 cm near upland and apparent wetland soils. Hydric soil field indicators will be carefully measured and monitored at all sites, with the possibility of proposing a new field indicator for mined soils that do not yet meet established indicators because they are at a very early stage of development.
Impacts
The project will provide new information about the water table and drainage classes for mine soil series, which are becoming more extensive over time but have been insufficiently studied. The basic hydrologic information can be used by modelers of hydrology in watersheds that contain mine soils. Many mine soils are deposited in valleys and impact the hydrology of local streams, and this study should provide some basic information about water movement through these soils. The identification of new hydric soil field indicators will provide protection for wetlands that form on mine soil benches. The indicators may also demonstrate replacement of some wetlands lost during valley fill operations, decreasing the need for costly mitigation in off-site areas.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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