an introduction to hydric soils and its terminologysoils.ifas.ufl.edu/wgharris/hydric/2015 pdf...
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An Introduction to Hydric Soils
and Hydric Soil Terminology • Based on deliberations of:
The National Technical
Committee for Hydric
Soils (NTCHS).
A word about the NTCHS
• The National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils is a committee
with the following representation:
– Seven representatives from the various universities.
– Five representatives from the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS).
– One representatives from each the following federal agencies: USDA,
Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineering, EPA, US Fish and
Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management.
• The NTCHS make all decisions concerning hydric soils. Decision are
by majority vote. The only agency bound by NTCHS decisions is
NRCS.
• By relying heavily on the scientific and technical communities for its
membership, most NTCHS decisions are quite sound.
Wetlands
Wetlands
• In most cases (previous slide) there are three technical
criteria that must be met before an area can be called a
wetland: Wetland Hydrology, Wetland Vegetation, and
Hydric Soils.
• Throughout this lecture and all remaining lectures we are
not going to concern ourselves with Wetland Hydrology
and Wetland Vegetation. We are going to concentrate our
efforts on learning about Hydric Soils.
Hydric Soil Topics
• Hydric Soil Definition
• Hydric Soil Lists
• Hydric Soil Indicators
• Hydric Soil
– The definition provides up the basis for this lecture, the hydric soil lists are for off-site (office use), and the indicators provide us the best method of field identifying and delineating hydric soils. The ultimate goal of this lecture series is for you to fully understand hydric soils.
Hydric Soil Definition
• A soil that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough
during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part
(Federal Register. July 13, 1994).
• The definition sets the stage for this and future lectures and parts of the definition
will be referenced often.
– “that formed under” means that there are such things as drained hydric soils; that the
presence of ditches do not alter the status of a hydric soil.
– “saturation, flooding, and ponding” tells us there are three conditions for wetness. These
3 conditions of wetness are utilized differently.
– “during the growing season” will be applied differently for different applications.
– “develop anaerobic conditions” tell us that a hydric soil need not be reduced but only
lack oxygen.
– “in the upper part” is vague enough to allow interpretations that vary from region to
region and from climate to climate.
• This definition has many different forms in the 1 1/2 decades prior to 1994; the
NTCHS does not anticipate changing this (1994) version.
Special consideration: Flooded and
Ponded Soils
• The NTCHS has deliberated that a soil that is frequently flooded or ponded for long or very long duration (longer than 7 days) during the growing season is a Hydric Soil.
• However; Anaerobic conditions (as defined in the Hydric Soil Technical Standard) must exist also.
• This (meaning inundation)) provides us the first method of identifying a hydric soil (there will be two others).
• This method of identifying a hydric soil requires use of “during the growing season” data.
Growing Season
• Growing Season: The portion of the year when soil temperatures are above biologic zero 5 degrees C
(41 degrees F) at 50 cm (19.7"). The following growing season months are assumed for each of the
actual mean annual soil temperatures and soil temperature regimes of Soil Taxonomy:
• No Permafrost and
– 22 0 C or higher Isohyperthermic: January-December
– 22 0 C or Higher Hyperthermic: February-December
– 15 to 22 0 C Isothermic: January-December
– 15 to 22 0 C Thermic: February-October
– 8 to 15 0 C Isomesic: January-December
– 8 to 15 0 C Mesic: March-October
– Lower than 8 0 C Frigid: May-September
– Lower than 8 0 C Isofrigid: May-September
– Soil Taxonomy Requirements Cryic: May -August
• Permafrost and
– -10 0 C or lower Hypergelic: July-August
– -4 to -10 0 C Pergelic: July-August
– +1 to -4 0 C Subgelic: July-August
Hydric Soil
List: Most
hydric soil
lists are
created by a
soil scientist
based on local
experience
and
knowledge.
Clay County, Florida
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | |
Map symbol and | Component |Percent | Landform | Hydric
map unit name | | of map | | rating
| | unit | |
_______________________________|_______________________|________|_________________|________
8: | | | |
Sapelo fine sand |Sapelo, hydric | 20 | Flats | Yes
|Rutlege | 3 | Depressions | Yes
|Albany | 10 | Knolls | No
|Sapalo, nonhydric | 67 | Flatwoods | No
9: | | | |
Leon fine sand |Leon, hydric | 10 | Flats | Yes
|Lynn Haven | 3 | Flats | Yes
|Sapelo, hydric | 3 | Flats | Yes
|Leon, nonhydric | 70 | Flatwoods | No
|Sapelo, nonhydric | 14 | Flatwoods | No
11: | | | |
Allanton and Rutlege mucky fine |Allanton | 45 | Depressions | Yes
sands, depressional | | | |
|Rutlege | 35 | Depressions | Yes
|Surrency | 5 | Depressions | Yes
|Sapelo, hydric | 5 | Flats | Yes
|Leon, nonhydric | 10 | Flatwoods | No
12: | | | |
Surrency fine sand, depressional|Surrency | 80 | Depressions | Yes
|Leon, hydric | 3 | Flats | Yes
|Meggett | 3 | Flats | Yes
|Rutlege | 3 | Depressions | Yes
|Santee | 2 | Flood plains | Yes
|Plummer | 9 | Flatwoods | No
13: | | | |
Meggett fine sandy loam |Meggett | 85 | Flats | Yes
|Goldhead, nonhydric | 15 | Flatwoods | No
17: | | | |
Plummer fine sand |Plummer, hydric | 20 | Flats | Yes
|Pelham, nonhydric | 15 | Flatwoods | No
|Plummer, nonhydric | 65 | Flatwoods | No
19: | | | |
Osier fine sand |Osier, hydric | 15 | Flats | Yes
|Rutlege | 2 | Depressions | Yes
|Osier, nonhydric | 65 | Flatwoods | No
|Albany | 10 | Knolls | No
|Hurricane | 8 | Knolls | No
20: | | | |
Scranton fine sand |Scranton, hydric | 15 | Flats | Yes
|Leon, hydric | 3 | Flats | Yes
|Rutlege | 2 | Depressions | Yes
|Scranton | 68 | Flatwoods | No
|Ridgewood | 5 | Knolls | No
|Ona, nonhydric | 3 | Flatwoods | No
Inherent Problems with Hydric Soil Lists
• There is a problem with hydric soil lists which may
confuse users (Hurt and Carlisle. 1997).
– The presence of a soil on a hydric soil list does not mean that the
soil is in fact hydric. This is only an interpretive rating. Just as is
the case with all interpretations based on information in a
published soil survey or other sources of estimated soil properties,
hydric soil interpretations are confirmed by on-site investigations.
• Hydric soil indicators (Hurt and Vasilas. 2006) provides
us a method of on-site confirmation of the presence or
absence of a hydric soil.
Hydric Soil Indicators
• Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the US (Vasilas,
et.al. 2006) has been approved as the sole source
document for hydric soil identification and
delineation by the NRCS, US Army COE, EPA,
and US Fish and Wildlife Service. It has also been
approved as the sole source document for hydric
soil identification and delineation by the State of
Florida (DEP and Water Management Districts).
The beauty of the
hydric soil indicators is
that they provide us a
method to prove or
disproved the presence
of a hydric soil based
on something felt, seen,
or smelled and not
estimated or guessed.
Indicators are based on biogeochemical processes
that occur when a soil is saturated or inundated.
Biogeochemical Processes
• Biogeochemical processes are processes that alter soil due to the interaction of its
chemical composition and the animal and plant life it supports.
• Hydric soil indicators are based on several biogeochemical processes (Vepraskas. 1994)
that occur when soils are saturated or inundated (this subject will be covered thoroughly
in the lecture of redoximorphic features).
– Iron
– Carbon
– Carbon and Iron
– Carbon and/or Iron
– Carbon and Iron/Manganese
– Iron/Manganese
– Sulfur
– Algae
• The processes and the hydric soil indicator that result from the processes are reviewed in
the next few slides. The indicators will be covered in depth during a later lecture.
Ignore their being referenced for now; you may need to refer back after the next lecture.
Iron
• Twelve indicators are
based on iron
reduction,
transformation, and
differential
accumulation:
– A13, A14, A15, S4, S5,
F2, F3, F8, F9, F18,
F19 and F20.
Carbon
• Nineteen indicators
are based on carbon
accumulation and
differential
decomposition:
– A1, A2, A3, A5, A6,
A7, A8, A9, A10, S1,
S2, S3, S7, S8, S9, F1,
F11, F13, and F17.
Carbon and Iron
• Four indicators are based
on carbon accumulation
and differential
decomposition and iron
reduction, translocation,
and differential
accumulation:
– A11, A12, F6, and F7.
Carbon and/or Iron
• One indicator is based on
carbon accumulation and
differential decomposition
and/or iron reduction,
translocation, and
differential accumulation:
– S6.
Carbon and Iron/Manganese
• One indicator is based on
carbon accumulation and
differential decomposition
and iron/manganese
reduction, translocation,
and differential
accumulation:
– F16.
Iron/Manganese
• One indicator is based
on iron/manganese
reduction,
transformation, and
differential
accumulation:
– F12.
Sulfur
• One indicator is based
on sulfur reduction:
– A4.
Algae
• One indicator is based
on precipitation of
calcium carbonate by
algae:
– F10.
Where do we begin our
observations? • To determine whether an
indicator is present or not it is
critical to know where to begin
looking. To determine whether
a hydric soil indicator is present
we would begin our observation
of the soil in the photo to the
right beneath the knife blade
(below the fibric and hemic
material) in most LRRs but
where we begin our
observations varies from region
to region (next slide).
Where to look for an Indicator by
LRR (see slide 31) • The soil surface is the very top of the material upon which standing
– nationwide when applying indicators A1 and A2 and
– in LRRs F, G, H, and M if the material beneath any mucky peat
and/or peat is sandy.
• In LRR R the soil surface is the top of the mineral surface (underneath
any and all fibric, hemic, and/or sapric material) except for application
of A1 and A2.
• In the remaining LRRs and in LRRs F, G, H, and M if the material
beneath any mucky peat and/or peat is not sandy the soil surface is the
top of the muck or mineral surface (underneath any fibric and/or hemic
material) except for application of A1 and A2.
Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the US http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/hydric/fieldind/fieldind.html
• The remain portion of this
lecture pertains to the
publication Field
Indicators of Hydric Soils
in the US (Hurt and
Vasilas 2006)
• The current version is
Version 6.0; the picture to
the right is of the cover to
Version 3.2 (Hurt, et al.
1996)
Regionalization of Hydric Soil Indicators
• The NTCHS has approved each of the indicators for use in specific regions of the US (USDA, SCS. 1981). Most are based on Land Resource Regions (LRRs, next slide). Some are based on the smaller Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs).
• Appendix 1 in Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the US is a listing of the indicators approved for use in each LRR.
• A prime example of regionalization: Only the “presence” of muck is required in south Florida, as one goes North thicker layers are required. In New England (and other areas) muck (sapric material) occurs on upland soils so this indicator is not used in LRR R.
Basic Terms
• There are some basic terms used throughout that need explaining. These terms are defined here because they are used in the definitions of many of the indicators. – Depleted Matrix - Indicators A11, A12, F3, F9, and
F12.
– Gleyed Matrix – Indicators A11, A12, A14, S4, and F2.
– Reduced Matrix – Indicators A11,A12, A14, S4, F2, F3, F9, and F12.
– 70% masked by organic matter- Indicators A5, A11, A12, S7, S8, and S9.
Depleted Matrix
• For loamy and clayey soil material (and sandy soil material for application of Indicators A11 and A12), a depleted matrix refers to the volume of a soil horizon or subhorizon from which iron has been removed or transformed by processes of reduction and translocation to create colors of low chroma and high value. A, E and calcic horizons may have low chromas and high values and may therefore be mistaken for a depleted matrix; however, they are excluded from the concept of depleted matrix unless common or many, distinct or prominent redox concentrations as soft masses or pore linings are present. In some places the depleted matrix may change color upon exposure to air (Reduced Matrix), this phenomena is included in the concept of depleted matrix.
Depleted Matrix
• The following combinations of value and chroma identify a
depleted matrix:
– 1. Matrix value 5 or more and chroma 1 with or without
redox concentrations as soft masses and/or pore linings; or
– 2. Matrix value 6 or more and chroma 1 or 2 with or
without redox concentrations as soft masses and/or pore
linings; or
– 3. Matrix value 4 or 5 and chroma 2 and has 2 percent or
more distinct or prominent redox concentrations as soft
masses and/or pore linings; or
– 4. Matrix value 4 and chroma 1 and has 2 percent or more
distinct or prominent redox concentrations as soft masses
and/or pore linings.
Gleyed Matrix
• Soils with a gleyed matrix have the following combinations of
hue, value, and chroma and the soils are not glauconitic:
– 1. 10Y, 5GY, 10GY, 10G, 5BG, 10BG, 5B, 10B, or 5PB
with value 4 or more and chroma is 1; or
– 2. 5G with value 4 or more and chroma is 1 or 2; or
– 3. N with value 4 or more; or
– In some places the gleyed matrix may change color upon
exposure to air (reduced matrix). This phenomena is
included in the concept of gleyed matrix.
Depleted Depleted Gleyed
4/2, 5/2, 4/1 >5/1, >6/2 value >4, with 2% or more with or gley pages redox without redox of color concentrations concentrations charts
Depleted Matrix
• The range of colors for
the depleted matrix is
value 4 or more and
chroma 1 or 2;
however, colors of
value 4 and chroma 1
or 2 and value 5 and
chroma 2 must have
redox concentrations.
Matrix Color 10YR 4/2
Faint
Distinct
Prominent
Faint
Distinct
Prominent
Distinct
Prominent
Faint
Gleyed Matrix
• The range of colors for
the gleyed matrix is
value 4 or more on
either of the two gley
color charts.
Reduced Matrix
• A reduced matrix is a matrix that upon initial exposure fits
the color requirements of either a depleted matrix or a gleyed
matrix but changes color (redder hue) when exposed to air for
about 30 minutes (Vepraskas. 1994).
• In the next slide a soil (left photo) with a depleted/gleyed
matrix upon initial exposure was air dried for 7 days (right
photo). This is a classic example of a “reduced matrix.” The
most reduced areas turned the reddest after exposure. Some
hue changes occurred after 30 minutes but the change was
more dramatic after 7 days. The white bar in both photos is 1
cm long.
Reduced Matrix
70% Masked
• The picture on the right
is sandy soil material
with (clockwise from
top) 50, 60, and 70%
masked with organic
material. Organic carbon
content of the samples
are about 2, 3, and 4 %
respectively.
Moist Color
• All color requirements (hue,
value, and chroma) are for
moist color. If dry, moisten
to record color; if wet, allow
to dry to moist state. This
picture shows moist soil (L)
and dry soil (R). Features
are usually more readily
identifiable in moist state;
they may be missing if soil is
too wet (let dry).
Chroma
• Soil colors specified in the Indicators
do not have decimal points listed;
however, colors do occur between
Munsell (Gretag/Macbeth. 2000)
chips. Soil colors should not be
rounded to qualify as meeting an
indicator. For example: a soil matrix
with a chroma between 2 and 3 should
be listed as having a chroma of 2+.
This soil material does not have a
chroma 2 and would not meet any
indicator that requires a chroma 2 or
less.
2 2+
Summary
• We have explained the Hydric Soil Definition, Hydric Soil Lists.
Hydric Soil Indicators, and introduced Hydric Soil.
– The definition provides up the basis for this lecture, hydric
soil lists are for off-site (office use), and the indicators
provide us the best method of identifying and delineating
hydric soils (field use).
– Evidence of flooding and ponding can be used as the sole
source of evidence that an area has hydric soils if it has been
shown that anaerobic conditions have been met but really
should not be invoked.
– The presence of a soil on a hydric soil list does not mean that
the soil is in fact hydric; it is only an interpretive rating.
Summary (cont.)
– Hydric soil indicators are based on several biogeochemical
processes that occur when soils are saturated or inundated:
Iron, Carbon, Carbon and Iron, Carbon and/or Iron, Carbon
and Iron/Manganese, Iron/Manganese, Sulfur, and Algae.
– Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the US (Hurt and Vasilas)
provides the structure of the regionalization of hydric soil
indicators and defines the terms depleted matrix, gleyed
matrix, and reduced matrix.
– Moist colors should be recorded and, although colors do
occur between Munsell chips, soil colors should not be
rounded to qualify as meeting an indicator.
Literature Cited
• Environmental Laboratory. 1987. Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual - Technical Report Y-87-1. US Army Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. http://www.wes.army.mil/el/wetlands/pdfs/wlman87.pdf
• Federal Register. July 13, 1994. Changes in Hydric Soils of the United States. Washington, DC. (current Hydric Soil Definition). http://soils.usda.gov/use/hydric/intro.htm#definition
• Hurt, G.W., and V.W. Carlisle. 1997. Proper use of hydric soil terminology. Soil Survey Horizons, Vol. 38, No. 4, Madison, WI. http://soils.usda.gov/use/hydric/hstn.htm#note1
Literature Cited (cont.)
• Vasilas, L.M., G.W. Hurt, and C.V. Noble. 2010. Field indicators of hydric soils in the United States (Version 7.0), USDA, NRCS, Fort Worth, TX. http://soils.usda.gov/soil_use/hydric/field_ind.pdf
• Xrite. 2009. Munsell® Color. New Windsor, NY.
• USDA, SCS. 1981. Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States. USDA-SCS Agricultural Handbook 296. US Govt. Printing Off., Washington, DC.
• Vepraskas, M. J. 1994. Redoximorphic Features for Identifying Aquic Conditions. Tech. Bulletin 301. North Carolina Ag. Research Service, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, North Carolina.