Soil Genesis, Classification, and Mapping
The extent and characterization of subaqueous soils of Black Moshannon Lake
Photo by Emilie Erich
Recent research conducted on subaqueous soils by Demas and Rabenhorst (1999, 2001), Demas et al. (1996), and Bradley and Stolt (2003) has led to the classification of sediment under up to 2.5 m of water (Soil Survey Staff, 1999; Bradley and Stolt, 2003) as soil according to U.S. soil taxonomy. Such soils are important for supporting aquatic life, which in turn supports other aquatic fauna. Identification of these substrates as soil was an important step in the evolution of soil science and strongly stresses the importance of subaqueous soil environments and the valuable services they provide to society in the form of support for freshwater and estuarine fisheries around the world and support of marsh and wetland ecosystems important in flood protection. Around the United States, many subaqueous soils are experiencing substantial anthropogenic disturbance from surface runoff laden with pollutants and from dredging. Research by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that nationwide recreational and commercial finfishing profits in estuarine environments, where subaqueous soils occur, totaled $30 billion annually. In addition, the EPA estimates that estuaries provide habitat for 75% of the catch of all commercial fish species and approximately 28 million jobs nationwide. Our research in Pennsylvania is addressing the potential extent of subaqueous soils in freshwater ecosystems and the characteristics we can use to identify soil mapping units.
- Demas, G.P., and M.C. Rabenhorst. 1999. Subaqueous soils: Pedogenesis in a submersed environment. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 63:1250-1257.
- Demas, G.P., and M.C. Rabenhorst. 2001. Factors of subaqueous soil formation: A system of quantitative pedology for submersed environments. Geoderma 102:189-204.
- Bradley, M.P., and M.H. Stolt. 2003. Subaqueous soil-landscape relationships in a Rhode Island estuary. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 67:1487-1495.
