Soils from constructed salt marshes in the Chesapeake Bay

Soil cores were collected from Spartina alterniflora-dominant, low marsh areas at Poplar Island and nearby natural reference marsh Knapps Narrows in the summer of 2019. Soil cores were collected from triplicate areas within 6 cells constructed using the fine-grained dredge material. Soil cores were also collected from triplicate areas within a cell constructed primarily using the sandy material and duplicate areas within 2 cells which were overlain with sand. Each soil core ranged in depth from 0-15 cm and was sectioned into three depth horizons: surface, transitional, and parent material. Soil cores were collected from triplicate low marsh areas at the reference marsh and each core was sectioned at 10 cm intervals from the surface down to a depth of 40 cm. The objective was to examine the trajectories of microbial community structure during soil development in newly constructed salt marshes.