Organic carbon and fertility of forest soils on the Allegheny Plateau of West Virginia

Soil series occurring above 1020 m in elevation in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia were sampled and analyzed for soil organic and soil microbial biomass carbon as well as various fertility parameters. Additionally, vegetative biomass estimates were made at the sampling sites. The soil series sampled (established and tentative) are frigid, well and moderately-well drained inceptisols and spodosols, covered by northern hardwood or spuce-dominated forests. The purpose of the work was to document soil organic carbon (SOC), vegetative organic carbon (VOC), and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) of selected horizons, and nutrient stock ranges for these extensive series, and to look at relationships among these parameters. These series contained from 11.3 to 18.8 kg m-2 SOC, and from 15.9 to 29.7 kg m-2 VOC. The SOC was found to be significantly greater than that of previously sampled analogous mesic series. Soil microbial biomass C was found to comprise from 4 to 65 percent of SOC in the Oe and A or AE horizons examined, and SMBC was greater in the horizons of the northern hardwood sites than those of the spruce sites. The SMBC of the frigid series was found to be closely correlated to SOC, and to base saturation of effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC). No strong correlations were observed between VOC and other measured parameters. The total stocks of Ca for these series ranged from 497 to 1095 kg ha-1. The total stocks of Mg ranged from 2085 to 6662 kg ha-1. The total stocks of P ranged from 765 to 2524 kg ha-1. The series of this study exhibit close correlations of extractable Ca and P to total stocks of these elements and to SOC within the sampled pedons. Extractable Mg, and extractable and total stocks of Ca and P were closely correlated to SOC and ECEC.

Name thesis:degree_name

MS

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Horticulture

Year dc:date.available

2002

Author dc:creator

• Jenkins, Anthony Blaine

Contributors dc:contributor

• John Sencindiver.

• Soil sciences
• Forestry

Identifier

https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1525

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-2528