Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER)/VCR002: Development of Soils on Barrier Island-Salt Marsh Boundaries

LTER/VCR002: Soils were sampled at four sampling stations (two inland, two on the marsh) for the Hog island and Brownsville transects. Four pits were dug at each site and the soils were sampled at seven depths in each station. Three replications per sample were analyzed in the laboratory. From this procedure, baseline soil data and the distribution of different sulfur forms in the soils in various positions in the landscape can be determined. The sampling stations included soil catenas with upland well-drained soils, poorly drained soils with considerable distance from the marsh, and very poorly drained tidal marsh soils. On the island, organic matter was found to be concentrated in the concave of the dunes where the tree line starts. Soils on the barrier island are ranging from excessively well drained sandy soils (Udipsamment) with less than 0.5% total sulfur to very poorly drained sandy loam with more than 6.5% total sulfur (Sulfaquents). Information about LTER is also available at 'http://lternet.edu/'