ConserveOnline - Characterization of Six Soil Types on the Zumwalt Prairie Preserve

Characterization of Six Soil Types on the Zumwalt Prairie Preserve

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DESCRIPTION

Knowledge of soils is imperative when land is managed intensively or for purposes of habitat preservation. The Zumwalt Prairie in northeast Oregon is both a vital economic resource and a threatened habitat. Efforts to preserve the habitat while maintaining its viability as rangeland are being carried out by The Nature Conservancy, which owns and manages the Zumwalt Prairie Preserve. This project was conducted to obtain information about the soils on the Preserve that was previously unavailable. Six soil pits were excavated at locations that represent the dominant soil-plant âhabitat typesâ present on the Preserve. Soil profiles were described according to standard field description methods, and samples collected from each horizon were analyzed for particle-size distribution, bulk density, total C and N, pH, CEC, and base saturation. Results showed that all profiles can be classified as Xerolls, but that each profile had unique properties at higher levels of classification.

CREATION DATE	March 30, 2010
LAST MODIFIED	March 30, 2010
CREATED BY	Elsbeth Otto
AUTHOR(S)	Schmalz, Heidi
KEYWORDS	soils; Zumwalt Prairie Preserve
DOCUMENT PURPOSE	Reports / Analysis
PUBLICATION YEAR	No Publication Year
REVIEWED STATUS	Internal Review
LICENSE	Attribution Non-Commercial