{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/41737"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/41737","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Soil Organic Carbon Variability by Aspect and Slope in the High Elevation Soils of the Southwest Virginia Mountains","abstract":"Limited information is available on carbon(C)sequestered in frigid Appalachian forest soils. However,the cool moist forests of the high elevations probably hold more C than any other mineral soils in Virginia. The objectives of the study were to determine the amount and variability of soil C across aspect and slope classes in a frigid temperature regime area of Tazewell County, VA. Soils were sampled to characterize two aspect classes, N(340-90) and S (160-270), and three slope classes, 7-15%, 15-35%, 35-55%. Organic (L,F,H) and mineral layers and horizons (upper 5cm, A, B) were sampled at each site. Whole soil (including organic and mineral horizons) C contents on N aspects (135 Mg/ ha) were greater than on south aspects (107 Mg/ha). Average whole soil C across all sites was 112 Mg ha-1. The A horizons on N aspects (13cm) were deeper than those of the S aspects (8 cm), while average leaf litter weights were greater on the S aspects (25 Mg/ ha) versus the N (17 Mg/ ha). B horizon C was greater than 1.5 % and made up more than half of the total soil C. Carbon increased with slope on N aspects, but did not increase with slope on S aspects, because estimated solar insolation potential decreases with increasing slope on N aspects and has no trend on S-facing slopes. Total C appears to be greatest on steep N-facing slopes because cooler and moister conditions promote better mixing of organic material into the mineral soil.","abstract_html":"Limited information is available on carbon(C)sequestered in frigid Appalachian forest soils. However,the cool moist forests of the high elevations probably hold more C than any other mineral soils in Virginia. The objectives of the study were to determine the amount and variability of soil C across aspect and slope classes in a frigid temperature regime area of Tazewell County, VA. Soils were sampled to characterize two aspect classes, N(340-90) and S (160-270), and three slope classes, 7-15%, 15-35%, 35-55%. Organic (L,F,H) and mineral layers and horizons (upper 5cm, A, B) were sampled at each site. Whole soil (including organic and mineral horizons) C contents on N aspects (135 Mg/ ha) were greater than on south aspects (107 Mg/ha). Average whole soil C across all sites was 112 Mg ha-1. The A horizons on N aspects (13cm) were deeper than those of the S aspects (8 cm), while average leaf litter weights were greater on the S aspects (25 Mg/ ha) versus the N (17 Mg/ ha). B horizon C was greater than 1.5 % and made up more than half of the total soil C. Carbon increased with slope on N aspects, but did not increase with slope on S aspects, because estimated solar insolation potential decreases with increasing slope on N aspects and has no trend on S-facing slopes. Total C appears to be greatest on steep N-facing slopes because cooler and moister conditions promote better mixing of organic material into the mineral soil.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Miller, Jarrod O."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences","degree_department":"Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Galbraith, John M.","Daniels, W. Lee"],"committee_members":["Campbell, James B. Jr."],"year":2002,"date_issued":"2002-02-15","date_published":"2002-02-15","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:31Z","subjects":["Frigid","Soil","Carbon","Sequestration","Forest"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-03212002-084637"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-03212002-084637","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/41737","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Galbraith, John M.","Daniels, W. Lee"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Campbell, James B. 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However,the cool moist forests of the high elevations probably hold more C than any other mineral soils in Virginia. The objectives of the study were to determine the amount and variability of soil C across aspect and slope classes in a frigid temperature regime area of Tazewell County, VA. Soils were sampled to characterize two aspect classes, N(340-90) and S (160-270), and three slope classes, 7-15%, 15-35%, 35-55%. Organic (L,F,H) and mineral layers and horizons (upper 5cm, A, B) were sampled at each site. Whole soil (including organic and mineral horizons) C contents on N aspects (135 Mg/ ha) were greater than on south aspects (107 Mg/ha). Average whole soil C across all sites was 112 Mg ha-1. The A horizons on N aspects (13cm) were deeper than those of the S aspects (8 cm), while average leaf litter weights were greater on the S aspects (25 Mg/ ha) versus the N (17 Mg/ ha). B horizon C was greater than 1.5 % and made up more than half of the total soil C. Carbon increased with slope on N aspects, but did not increase with slope on S aspects, because estimated solar insolation potential decreases with increasing slope on N aspects and has no trend on S-facing slopes. Total C appears to be greatest on steep N-facing slopes because cooler and moister conditions promote better mixing of organic material into the mineral soil."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Soil Organic Carbon Variability by Aspect and Slope in the High Elevation Soils of the Southwest Virginia Mountains"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Galbraith, John M.","Daniels, W. Lee"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Campbell, James B. Jr."],"dc:contributor.department":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Miller, Jarrod O."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:32:08Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:32:08Z","2003-03-22"],"dc:date.issued":["2002-02-15"],"dc:description.abstract":["Limited information is available on carbon(C)sequestered in frigid Appalachian forest soils. However,the cool moist forests of the high elevations probably hold more C than any other mineral soils in Virginia. The objectives of the study were to determine the amount and variability of soil C across aspect and slope classes in a frigid temperature regime area of Tazewell County, VA. Soils were sampled to characterize two aspect classes, N(340-90) and S (160-270), and three slope classes, 7-15%, 15-35%, 35-55%. Organic (L,F,H) and mineral layers and horizons (upper 5cm, A, B) were sampled at each site. Whole soil (including organic and mineral horizons) C contents on N aspects (135 Mg/ ha) were greater than on south aspects (107 Mg/ha). Average whole soil C across all sites was 112 Mg ha-1. The A horizons on N aspects (13cm) were deeper than those of the S aspects (8 cm), while average leaf litter weights were greater on the S aspects (25 Mg/ ha) versus the N (17 Mg/ ha). B horizon C was greater than 1.5 % and made up more than half of the total soil C. Carbon increased with slope on N aspects, but did not increase with slope on S aspects, because estimated solar insolation potential decreases with increasing slope on N aspects and has no trend on S-facing slopes. Total C appears to be greatest on steep N-facing slopes because cooler and moister conditions promote better mixing of organic material into the mineral soil."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-03212002-084637"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/41737"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Frigid","Soil","Carbon","Sequestration","Forest"],"dc:title":["Soil Organic Carbon Variability by Aspect and Slope in the High Elevation Soils of the Southwest Virginia Mountains"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:31Z"}