Virgin hardwood forest soils of western North Carolina

dc.contributor.authorDaniels, W. Leeen
dc.contributor.committeechairZelazny, Lucian W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBaker, James C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberMartens, David C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBurger, James A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberReneau, Raymond B. Jr.en
dc.contributor.departmentAgronomyen
dc.date.accessioned2015-05-14T16:36:06Zen
dc.date.available2015-05-14T16:36:06Zen
dc.date.issued1985en
dc.description.abstractLittle is known about the original properties of soils in the East. Eight virgin soils and associated southern Appalachian hardwood vegetation were studied in western North Carolina. The study sites ranged in elevation from 720 to 1200 m on steep slopes. Overall these soils are quite deep and highly weathered due to high rainfall (>200 cm) and soluble feldspathic parent material. Organic matter contents of the surface·horizons were quite high (4.5 - 16 %), and they contained moderate to strong crumb structure. All but one soil contained cambic subsurface horizons and were either Typic Haplumbrepts or Umbric Dystrochrepts. The majority of soils in the watershed are formed in colluvium, but significant amounts of residual soils occur on sideslopes, and appear to be quite stable. The present day landforms appear to be the result of periglacial activity. North-facing soils were higher in whole soil clay, organic matter, and A horizon exchangeable cations than south-facing soils. Cation exchange capacity in these soils is almost totally dependent on organic matter content, and the mineral fraction is relatively inert. All soils were in the oxidic mineralogy class. Bibbsite was common throughout all soils and hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite (HIV) is the dominant clay-sized phyllosilicate in surface horizons. Kaolinite was low in all soils, but was more abundant on south-facing slopes. The silt fractions and sand fractions contained significant quantities of weathered 2:1-type minerals The vegetation varied from mixed-mesophytic cove hardwoods on north-facing slopes to mixed oak-hickory and oak-pine on south-facing slopes. Many trees in coves exceed 1.3 m in diameter and 50 m in height. Total litter production averaged 3494 kg/ha, and the litter layers were typified by thin leaf (L), and well developed fermentation (F) and humus (H) layers. Cations and P are concentrated in the litter layers and immediate surface soil, while N is mixed deep into the profile. Due to their oxidic mineralogy, low CEC, decreasing clay content with depth, and concentration of cations and P in litter and standing biomass these soils highly resemble tropical Oxisols.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.extentviii, 166 leavesen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/52288en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 12888884en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V856 1985.D364en
dc.subject.lcshSoils -- North Carolinaen
dc.subject.lcshSoils -- Analysis -- North Carolinaen
dc.subject.lcshSoil structure -- North Carolinaen
dc.titleVirgin hardwood forest soils of western North Carolinaen
dc.typeDissertationen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineAgronomyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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