Estimating Soil Organic Carbon Storage in Wisconsin Wetland Plant Communities
Ecosystem Restoration and Management Benjamin Puuri
Due to anaerobic conditions, wetland soils accumulate soil organic carbon (SOC) more readily than soils in upland sites. However, carbon stocks in these soils can be difficult and time consuming to quantify, as it requires measures of both SOC and bulk density. This project aims to identify a relationship between site qualities such as vegetation or soil characteristics and SOC stocks. Across the state of Wisconsin, soil and vegetation surveys were conducted for 34 pedons. Vegetation surveys were conducted using a combination of transects and survey plots to determine the cover class of each species. Additionally, percent cover was estimated by vegetation type: graminoids, sphagnum, shrubs, and trees. Vegetation data was used to classify sites by plant community. Soil profiles were described in the field, and samples were collected from each horizon. Soil samples were later analyzed for SOC using the loss-on-ignition method. A strong positive relationship was found between depth of the organic horizon(s) (DOH) and SOC stock (R2=82.36%). Preliminary regression analyses did not detect a relationship between SOC and plant community classification, or cover of graminoids, sphagnum, or woody vegetation. Likewise, no relationship was found between SOC and pH or depth to water table. Additional analyses will be conducted to investigate this further. Relationships between SOC and site characteristics could be used to estimate carbon stocks using field data. The relationship found between SOC and DOH could allow landowners to estimate carbon stocks in their wetlands without the added time and cost of sending samples to a laboratory.
Advisors: Bryant Scharenbroch, Ph.D.
Subject Area: Soil and Waste
Type: Oral
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UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources
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