No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Hydric soil development in depressional wetlands: A case study from surface mined landscapes.
... As one example, current losses in natural wetlands have spurred the development of mitigation wetlands. Experience in this field has shown that without a solid understanding of the hydrology of the system, the mitigation site is less likely to develop into a functioning wetland (Atkinson et al., 1997). ...
Building a solid understanding of hydrology is critical to many water resource management endeavors. A broad range of stakeholders draw upon a baseline understanding of hydrology in order to contextualize their own results or to make management decisions that affect the water resource management and the environment. In this study, we present a method that can enhance our understanding of hydrology by utilizing time-series analysis methods to illuminate important aspects of hydrology involving temporal variation. Methods included smoothed first derivative peak finding, spectral density analysis, and wavelet analysis. The case study utilized a combination of these methods to compare specified reaches of two piedmont-to-coastal plain river systems in the southeast US, the Savannah and the Altamaha. These two systems respectively represent a highly flow-regulated river system with many flow-controlled impoundments on the main channel, and a mostly unregulated river system. Results of time-series analysis revealed that the flow-regulated Savannah River can be characterized by a larger number of flow-varying events, most of which are of relatively short-duration compared to flow-varying events in the unregulated Altamaha River. The time-series analysis provided useful additional information on flow variation and differences between that could be obscured or missed by relying solely on more generalized analysis methods.
... According to hydric soil indicators formed under the condition of saturation, flooding or ponding [15,16], soils are reclassified into three types: hydric soil, hydric inclusions and others. ...
Recently, wetland restoration has received increased attention due to multiple and valuable environmental services provided by wetlands. However, most studies have specifically focused on undertaking restoring strategies, such as improving water quality, protecting biodiversity or utilizing flood, without considering the interaction among different wetlands in a whole watershed, such as river connectivity and flow continuity. And the special effects on the restoration performance and management implications are not fully evaluated. Thus, it is needed to evaluate potential effects of wetland restoration activities in a watershed scale, in order to find suitable wetland restoration sites. This paper proposes a GIS-based multi-criteria comprehensive evaluation methodology for wetland restoration suitability evaluation, by taking upstream of the Yongdinghe River as the example. It includes three steps: criteria information extraction, criteria value assignment and normalization, and integrated evaluation. For the first step, the stream order, overland flow length, stream water quality, saturation index, hydric soil and land use were selected as the evaluation criteria. In the second step, unique value was assigned to each criterion according to their potential contribution to the restoration. And all the criteria were normalized in order to eliminate errors that may result from different dimensions. In the final step, the weight of each criterion was calculated and the integrated criterion was deduced by using the AHP method. The restoration suitability prioritization of the wetlands was classified into 5 levels: lowest, low, middle, high, highest by using the histogram segmentation method. And the evaluation accuracy was verified with the Precedence Chart Method. The statistical result shows that about 979 km(2) wetlands in the overall study area has the highest suitability for restoration, accounting for 2.18% of the total area. And most of them are located in Yangyuan country, with an area of about 131.586 km(2). The main types of wetlands are reservoir wetland and river wetland. They are accounting for 11.75% and 11.33% of the total area, respectively. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Conference ESIAT2011 Organization Committee.
... We have observed that wet mine soils often develop in flat areas that were highly compacted during mining and reclamation (see Fig. 4). These poorly drained areas tend to be concentrated at the bench/highwall contact and over shallow bedrock in pre-SMCRA mine soils, and in local depressions underlain by a compacted layers (Atkinson et al., 1998.) in more recent mined landscapes. In the 1980 study, four of the study pits filled with water within minutes to hours after excavation, and the saturated zones were clearly observed to occur above densic layers, with water flowing down over the pit walls from above. ...
Surface coal mining and reclamation methods in the Appalachians have changed dramatically since the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 and subsequent improvements in mining and reclamation technology. In this study, 30 pre-SMCRA mine soil profiles (4-20 yr old) were examined and sampled in 1980 and compared to 20 mine soil profiles (8-13 yr old) described in the same area in 2002 after it had been completely re- mined by modern deep cut methods. Mine soils in both sampling years had high rock fragment content (42 to 81%), relatively well-developed A horizons, and generally exhibited A-C, or A-AC-C horizonation. Although six Bw horizons were described in 1980, only two met all requirements for cambic horizons. The 1980 mine soils developed in overburden dominated by oxidized, pre-weathered material due to relatively shallow mining cuts. The 1980 mine soils had lower rock fragment content, finer textures, lower pH, and tended to be more heterogeneous in horizonation, morphology, and texture than soils observed in 2002, which had formed primarily in unweathered overburden from deeper cuts. Half the pedons sampled in both years had densic materials within 70 cm of the surface. Four poorly to very poorly drained soil profiles were described in each sampling year containing distinct hydric soil indicators in surface horizons. While older pre-SMCRA mine soils do have many properties in common with newer mine soils, their properties are highly influenced by the fact that they generally have formed in more weathered overburden from higher in the geologic column. Overall, Appalachian mine soils are much more complex in subsoil morphology than commonly assumed, and differential compaction greatly complicates their internal drainage and limits their overall productivity potential.
... Additionally, Atkinson et al. (1998) and Nair et al. (2001) examined changes in soil color features and the development of created wetlands on mined lands in Virginia and Florida, respectively. ...
... All established mine soil series currently being used in the eastern U.S. are well drained or somewhat excessively drained. A somewhat poorly drained mine soil series has been recently proposed for adoption in Buchanan County, VA (Haering et al., 2002), and significant areas of poorly to very poorly drained mine soils have been documented in the Powell River Project watershed (Atkinson et al., 1998). Although areas of poorly drained mine soils of up to 2 ha have been previously mapped with spot symbols (Ammons and Sencindiver, 1990), researchers working on prime farmland soils have noted that poorly drained mine soils series should be established (Indorante et al., 1992). ...
Soils formed on lands mined for coal in the Central Appalachians are currently classified by Soil Taxonomy primarily as Typic Udorthents, which does not distinguish these unique anthropogenic soils from other weakly developed natural soils. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of currently utilized mine soil series for describing and classifying a range of mine soil pedons in southwest Virginia. Using established series concepts, we mapped and classified approximately 450 ha of mine soils in an area that had been reclaimed in accordance with the U.S. Surface Mining, Control, and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977. We also used current series concepts to reclassify mine soils in an adjacent and overlapping 250 ha that had been mined prior to SMCRA, and had been mapped using older (non Soil Taxonomy) mine soil classification criteria in 1980. Established mine soil series concepts provided adequate information on particle-size and reaction class, but did not adequately describe drainage class, rock type or parent materials. Classification differences occurred on well-drained soils primarily at the family level and below. There were no established series to describe mine soils with impeded drainage, densic layers, and shallow or moderately deep depth classes, all of which commonly occurred in this study area, and are important criteria for separating soil series. Cambic horizons were also described, and generate classification issues at the order level. Using current taxonomic/mapping procedures, none of these dissimilar soils would be considered limiting inclusions to the dominant soil in the map unit. Since reaction class, drainage class, densic contacts, and soil depth directly affect soil management, we feel that it is important to recognize these features by establishing new mine soil series or phases of established series. Older, pre-SMCRA mined lands are much more complex in short-range landform variability than more modern reclaimed landscapes. This pattern of soil landscape variability and associated differences in land use capability is effectively captured by large scale mapping such as that employed by this study.
Surface coal mining and reclamation methods in the Appalachians have changed dramatically since the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 and subsequent improvements in mining and reclamation technology. In this study, 30 pre-SMCRA mine soil profiles (4-20 yr old) were examined and sampled in 1980 and compared with 20 mine soil profiles (8-13 yr old) described in the same area in 2602 after it had been completely remined by modern deep cut methods. Mine soils in both sampling years had high rock fragment content (42-81%), relatively well-developed A horizons, and generally exhibited A-C or A-AC-C horizonation. Although six Bw horizons were described in 1980, only two met all requirements for cambic horizons. The 1980 mine soils developed in overburden dominated by oxidized, preweathered material due to relatively shallow mining cuts. The 1980 mine soils had lower rock fragment content, finer textures, lower pH, and tended to be more heterogeneous in horizonation, morphology, and texture than soils observed in 2002, which had formed primarily in unweathered overhurden from deeper cuts. Half the pedons sampled in both years had densic materials within 70 cm of the surface. Four poorly to very poorly drained soil profiles were described in each sampling year containing distinct hydric soil indicators in surface horizons. While older pre-SMCRA mine soils do have many properties in common with newer mine soils, their properties are highly influenced by the fact that they generally have formed in more weathered overburden from higher in the geologic column. Overall, Appalachian mine soils are much more complex in subsoil morphology than commonly assumed, and differential compaction greatly complicates their internal drainage and limits their overall productivity potential.
Many studies have chronicled the early development of vegetation in wetlands created as mitigation for wetland impacts; however,
very few studies have followed the floristics of wetlands that are more than 10years post-creation. This article reports
the results of vegetation composition and structural analysis within eleven 20-yr-old created non-tidal, emergent wetlands.
Vegetation and inundation were sampled in 173 plots within 11 wetlands during the 1992 and 1994 growing seasons. A drought
occurred in 1993, thus analyses characterized vegetative response and included weighted average (weighted by the tolerance
of the species to excess soil moisture), species richness, species composition, and life history strategy. Weighted average
and species richness increased in 7 and 10 of the 11 sites, respectively. There was little change among most species including
Typha latifolia and Scirpus cyperinus, the two species with highest importance values (IV). However, among the top 10 species ranked by IV, two aquatic species
decreased and a facultative species increased. Only one of the 10 most important species, Eleocharis obtusa, was an annual and only one, Salix nigra, was a woody perennial and the IV of both species declined during the study. After 20years, a transition from annual to
perennial graminoid life histories is suggested; however, succession from emergent to shrub–scrub or forested wetland is not
indicated.
Plant decomposition and litter accumulation are important components of wetland functions, yet they have rarely been evaluated
in created wetlands. In this study, eleven 20-yr and six 2-yr-old depressional wetlands, the most common type of created wetlands,
were investigated. We measured plant decomposition as mass loss over 507 days for both age classes and litter accumulation
as litter (detritus) mass present in the 20-yr-old wetlands. The wetlands were all created via excavation and contained shallow
facultative wetland and deeper obligate wetland plant communities that were often dominated by Scirpus cyperinus and Typha latifolia, respectively. In the decomposition study, stems and leaves from each species were harvested from an adjacent 20-yr-old wetland
site and placed in separate plastic mesh bags. Bags were deployed in March 1994 and were recovered after 2, 161, 258, 364,
and 507 days. In the litter accumulation study, plant litter that accumulated on top of alluvium was harvested in 0.25-m2 plots adjacent to decomposition bags. Several environmental variables were measured in the 20-yr-old wetlands, including
live standing crop biomass (peak aboveground biomass) in 1993 and 1994, nutrient concentrations (in water, soil, and plant
tissues), and hydrologic parameters. Decomposition was faster in 20-yr-old wetlands (76% of mass remaining) than in 2-yr-old
wetlands (85%) but was well below most literature estimates for comparable species in natural wetlands (53%). Decomposition
of S. cyperinus was slower than that for T. latifolia in all 17 wetlands. In the 20-yr-old wetlands, hydrologic variables were important for decomposition of both species. Masses
of litter that accumulated during the 20 years since excavation were greater among facultative wetland (764 g/m2) than in obligate wetland communities (368 g/m2). Accumulated litter mass in the facultative wetland community was positively correlated with the S. cyperinus percentage of total live standing crop biomass. Accumulated litter mass in the obligate wetland community was positively
correlated with draw-down duration and litter C:N ratios. Decomposition functions of these wetlands are still developing 20
years after creation.
Budgets of organic matter dynamics for plant communities of the Great Dismal Swamp were developed to summarize an extensive data base, determine patterns of biomass allocation, transfer and accumulation, and make comparisons with other forested wetlands. Aboveground net primary production on the flooded sites (1,050–1,176 g m⁻² yr⁻¹) was significantly greater than on a rarely flooded site (831 g m⁻² yr⁻¹). Estimates of belowground net primary production were comparable to aboveground production on flooded sites (824–1,221 gm⁻² yr⁻¹). However, productivity was nearly three times greater belowground than aboveground on the rarely flooded site (2,256 g m⁻² yr⁻¹). Aboveground productivity in Dismal Swamp forests is relatively high compared to other forested wetlands. This is attributed to the timing and periodic nature of flood events. Fine root turnover is shown to be an important source of soil organic matter. Estimates indicate that roots contribute about 60% of the annual increment to soil organic matter. Leaflitter contributes 6–28% and wood debris contributes 5–15%. Comparisons with other forested wetlands suggest that detritus accounts for greater than half of the total organic matter (living + dead) in many wetland systems.
In soils of sandy, coarse loamy, fine loamy, fine silty, and fine particle‐size families, we observed some general relationship between water table depths and soil color pattern. Horizons that have dominantly gray (chroma ≤ 2) color in the matrix or argillans are saturated much of the year. Horizons that have gray mottles, but are dominantly brown, are saturated a few months of the year if they are above the dominantly gray horizons, or are saturated most of the time if these horizons are below the dominantly gray horizon. Horizons that have dominant chroma of three in the matrix, mottles, or argillans are often saturated. Those that have dominant chroma of five or six and have no mottles with chroma of three or less are seldom or never saturated. This study shows that soils with three‐chroma matrix, mottles or argillans are much wetter than they had been thought to be and are wetter than reflected in Soil Taxonomy definitions.
VoliollU/ {Fel/uw! Assessment lVork.\!!o!), F\\"S/OBS-()-t-12. Fish and \VilJJifc Service. \\'ashin&"ton. DC. rp. 100, 12. Richan.boll. C..J. IlJSt;. Fresh\\ at'.:r \-Vctlands: Transformers. Filters. or Sinks? Forl!lIl, School of Fore~try and Environmental Studies
- R J H D Sather
- Smith
Sather. J.H. and R.D. Smith. [9S'+. Proceedings oj'the "VoliollU/ {Fel/uw!
Assessment lVork.\!!o!), F\\"S/OBS-()-t-12. Fish and \VilJJifc Service.
\\'ashin&"ton. DC. rp. 100,
12. Richan.boll. C..J. IlJSt;. Fresh\\ at'.:r \-Vctlands: Transformers. Filters. or
Sinks? Forl!lIl, School of Fore~try and Environmental Studies. Duke
Lilli\ ersity 11 (2): 3-9.
Fresh\\ at'.:r \-Vctlands: Transformers. Filters. or Sinks? Forl!lIl, School of Fore~try and Environmental Studies
- J Iljst
J. IlJSt;. Fresh\\ at'.:r \-Vctlands: Transformers. Filters. or
Sinks? Forl!lIl, School of Fore~try and Environmental Studies. Duke
Lilli\ ersity 11 (2): 3-9.
K(u-ro 50;/ Tt.L\DllOlll
- Soi I Survey
- Staff
Soi I Survey Staff. 1990. K(u-ro 50;/ Tt.L\DllOlll.': 4th ed. SI'v1SS Technical
l\1onograph No. 19. \'irginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Blacksburg. VA.
199-+. Vcget~ltional Cornrnunity Devdopment on Reclaimed Coal Surface I\'lineS in \/irginia
- K D Holl
- Cairns
HolL K. D. and 1. Cairns. Jr. 199-+. Vcget~ltional Cornrnunity Devdopment on
Reclaimed Coal Surface I\'lineS in \/irginia. Bull. Torrey But. Club 121('+):
327-337.
VO/fOIlOI List of PiLl/I! Species tllnt OCClll
- P B Reed
Reed. P.B. Jr. [088,,VO/fOIlOI List of PiLl/I! Species tllnt OCClll" in ~Vet!llllds:
Vi<({iniu. U.S. Fish and \\/ildlifc Service. St. P~tersbllrg. FL.
Oll und Lllili::OI;OIl
J -176. In: '''ctland Soils: C/wrac!e/"i;,oriol1, ClczssZ/icCi[;Oll und Lllili::OI;OIl.
Proceedings of \Vorkshop held 26 1\larch-5 April 1984. International Rice
Research Institute. Los Banos. Laguna. Philippines.
Hook. D.O.~ll1d C.L. Brown. 1973. Runt Adaptations and Relati\ e Flood
Toler~~nce of Fi\e Hardwood Species. Forc.I'r Sci. 19: 225-229.
A~ra(ion and Plant Growth in \'Vet Soib
- Conway
Conway. V\r. I 9.. HJ.,A~ra(ion and Plant Growth in \'Vet Soib. Bor.Ret'. 6(-!-):
1-+9-163.
r)ell~)~SJnj[]l~E.P. J.l1U 14 C~lirrlS~Jr. I9934Usc of Constructed \Ve
- P B Reed
Reed. P.B. Jr. [088,,VO/fOIlOI List of PiLl/I! Species tllnt OCClll" in~Vet!llllds:
Vi<({iniu. U.S. Fish and \\/ildlifc Service. St. P~tersbllrg. FL.
37. i\tkII1S()n, l{.B.~J.[~. r)ell~)~SJnj[]l~E.P. J.l1U 14 C~lirrlS~Jr. I9934Usc of
Constructed \Ve[[and Delinealion and \VeightcJ Averages as a Component of
A,-;ses,"mc-nt. H'e!lunds [3 I~): 185-10.:\.