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Documentation of iron Monosulfide Improves Hydric soil Identification in Semi-arid Wetlands

  • Applied Wetland Science
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A Correction to this article was published on 24 April 2023

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Abstract

Hydric soils identification is a key component of wetland delineation and management in the United States. However, some hydric soils fail to exhibit characteristic morphologies (i.e., Field Indicators of Hydric Soils - FIHS) used in wetland delineation despite the presence of anaerobic conditions, wetland hydrology, and hydrophytic vegetation. Soils in semi-arid and arid riparian areas remain particularly challenging, where unpredictable patterns of wetland hydrology, salt accumulation, and periodic sediment deposition hinder the development of common hydric soil morphological features. In response, this study (1) applied the Hydric Soils Technical Standard (HSTS) in problematic soils in western Nebraska and (2) assessed the occurrence of iron monosulfide (FeS) features that only form under anaerobic conditions. Results confirmed the presence of hydric soils, despite the absence of FIHS, and documented 2–7% FeS concentrations within the upper 28 cm of the soil surface. Notably, deployed Indicator of Reduction in Soils (IRIS) devices also displayed evidence of FeS-precipitation. These findings suggest that opportunities exist to improve hydric soils identification and wetland delineation in arid and semi-arid regions by incorporating visual observations of FeS into the Field Indicators of Hydric Soils and other approaches to document anaerobic conditions in soils.

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Data availability

The datasets are available by contacting the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Change history

Abbreviations

FIHS:

Field Indicators of Hydric Soils

FeS:

iron monosulfide

HSTS:

Hydric Soils Technical Standard

IRIS:

Indicator of Reduction in Soils

NTCHS:

National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils

C:

carbon

Fe:

iron

Mn:

manganese

OM:

organic matter

redox:

oxidation-reduction

sulfide:

S2−, H2S, HS−

DU:

Ducks Unlimited site

NH:

Nienhauser site

RGM:

RGM site

FS:

Facus Springs site

H:

potential wetland or hydric site

N:

upland or non-hydric site

DAREM:

Direct Antecedent Rainfall Evaluation Measurement

OBL:

obligate

FACW:

facultative wetland

FAC:

facultative

FACU:

facultative

UPL:

upland

LRR:

land resource region

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils and Nebraska USDA-NRCS staff for pre-investigating the original problematic hydric soil situation in Nebraska. We would also like to thank Mike Moore and Will Bowers for their field assistance and Steve Monteith from the USDA-NRCS Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory for additional technical guidance on hydrological data management and analyses. Additional technical support and field and laboratory resources were provided by the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at the University of Wyoming.

Funding

This project was funded by the Society of Wetland Scientists student grant program, the Laramie Audubon Society, The University of Wyoming Roy J. Shlemon Center for Quaternary Studies, and the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, USA

    Chelsea Duball & Angela Elg

  2. Ecosystem Science and Management Department, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA

    Karen Vaughan

  3. USDA-NRCS, Scottsbluff, NE, USA

    Angela Elg

  4. USDA-NRCS, Fort Morgan, CO, USA

    Andy Steinert

  5. Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army, Vicksburg, MS, USA

    Jacob F. Berkowitz

Authors
  1. Chelsea Duball
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  4. Andy Steinert
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  5. Jacob F. Berkowitz
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Data collection was performed by Chelsea Duball, Angie Elg, Andy Steinert, and Karen Vaughan. Material preparation and analysis were performed by Chelsea Duball, Karen Vaughan, and Jacob Berkowitz. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Chelsea Duball, Karen Vaughan, and Jacob Berkowitz, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Chelsea Duball.

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Duball, C., Vaughan, K., Elg, A. et al. Documentation of iron Monosulfide Improves Hydric soil Identification in Semi-arid Wetlands. Wetlands 43, 26 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-023-01674-7

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