Tuesday, 8 November 2005
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Soil Moisture Conditions, Morphology, and Classification of Selected North Alabama Soils: Usda-Nrcs Soil Water-Level Data Loggers.

Monday Mbila1, Douglas Clendenon2, Chris Ford2, and Tommy Coleman1. (1) Alabama A&M University, 4900 Meridian Rd., PO Box 522, Normal, AL 35762, (2) USDA-NRCS, North Alabama Regional Soil Survey Office, 4900 Meridian Strteet, Normal, AL 35762

Over 94,000 acres of soils in the Redlands of northern Alabama and south central Tennessee consist of young alluvium in gentle depressions and low order drainage ways. A considerable portion of these soils commonly experience saturation in some part of the profile above one meter. But iron depletions are not sufficiently expressed to reflect the dynamic water table depth and duration. This study is being conducted to assess the use of water table data loggers to better understand soil morphology and to aid in classification of the soils. Piezometers equipped water table loggers were installed in three replications within two different soil map units to monitor the soil water table levels every six hours. Soil water table level data was downloaded from the piezometers using a palm pilot device to analyze hydrographs. Soil core samples to the depth of the water table were collected for determining soil Fe and Mn fractions. Hydrographs indicated water table rise above one meter for more than 45 cumulative days within a period of one year in some of the soils. Soft Mn coatings on ped faces, Fe-Mn concretions with soft rinds, and Fe-Mn nodules occurred within horizons of saturation. Data from the three different map areas of the same map unit supports Oxyaquic Dystrudepts classification of two soils and Fluventic Dystrudepts classification of one soil. This research is part of a larger water table study conducted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, cooperating universities such as Alabama A&M (AAMU), and other partners to update soil information within geographic areas.

Back to The Genesis, Geomorphology, and Characterization of Soils
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Back to The ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings (November 6-10, 2005)