Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Bottom Soil Profiles in Ponds at Auburn, Alabama, USA and a Proposed System for Describing Pond Soil Horizons

Abstract

Soil cores were taken from each of three, 2‐, 23‐, and 52‐yr‐old research ponds (650–1,010 m2 area) at Auburn, Alabama. Many physical and chemical variables changed in intensity with increasing depth in cores. Compared to original compacted pond soil, sediment contained more moisture; had lower bulk density (<1.4 g/cm3); possessed higher percentages of silt and clay; had greater porosity, specific surface area, and cation exchange capacity; and contained greater concentrations of organic matter and nutrients. Sediment organic matter was highly decomposed as evidenced by low proportions (5–15%) of carbon and nitrogen associated with the light fraction (soil retained on a 53‐μm sieve). Sediment depth at 100‐cm water depth increased with pond age (11.7 cm, 28.3 cm, and 48.3 cm in 2‐, 23‐, and 52‐yr‐old ponds, respectively), but sediment composition did not change greatly over time. Successive layers in cores were as follows: 1) water near the soil‐water interface with a high concentration of solids; 2) high moisture content sediment with dry bulk density <0.3 g/cm3; 3) lower moisture content sediment with bulk density between 0.3 and 0.5–0.7 g/cm3; 4) rapid transition of bulk density from 0.5–0.7 g/cm3 to 1.4 g/cm3; 5) original compacted soil with bulk density of 1.4–1.7 g/cm3. We propose that these five layers be referred to as F (flocculent layer), S (stirred or mixed sediment), M (mature, bulk, un‐mixed sediment), T (transitional layer), and P (original, undisturbed pond bottom) horizons, respectively. Superficial, oxidized sediment is termed an So horizon, and the reduced part of the S horizon is termed an Sr horizon. The upper part of the T horizon is an MT horizon when it is similar to the M horizon, or a FT horizon when it resembles the P horizon. A system for delineating horizons in pond soil profiles will be valuable in future attempts to classify pond soils.

Lime application methods, water and bottom soil acidity in fresh water fish ponds

“…The combined analyses of data was realized to determine the average responses of treatment for all considered months, and also if these results were consistent for each month. The statistical model described by Steel & Torrie (1980) was used.…”

“…Soil cores of 20-cm length were collected from ten locations in each pond with a 5-cm diameter core tube before ponds were treated with agricultural limestone and at 1-month intervals for four months. The cores were cut into 2-cm long segments as described by (Munsiri et al, 1995). Soil samples were oven dried at 60 o C in a mechanical convection oven and pulverized through a 40-mesh screen (0.425-mm openings).…”

Variations in sediment organic carbon between different types of small natural ponds along Druridge Bay, Northumberland, UK

“…The samples from Hauxley were separated into 3 layers based on visible laminations, consisting of the top layer of accumulated sediment, an underlying transitional layer, and the original undisturbed pond bottom, as described by Munsiri et al (1995). Sediment cores from Blakemoor Farm were dissected into Variations in sediment organic carbon between different types of small natural ponds Inland Waters (2014) 4, pp.…”

“…This high accumulation can be attributed to high nutrient concentrations driving primary productivity, comparably high levels of soil particulate transfer from adjacent land due to the high ratio of pond edge to area, and high rates of preservation due to nearly continuous sediment anoxia (Munsiri et al 1995, Verstraeten and Poesen 2002, Downing et al 2008. Because global coverage of ponds has been drastically underestimated, and rates of carbon sequestration in small lakes and ponds are nearly double that of larger waterbodies, inland waters are now believed to process about 1 petagram yr −1 more C than previously thought (Downing 2010) and may dominate terrestrial global carbon processing (Meyers and Ishiwatari 1993, Cole et al 2007, Boyd et al 2010, Downing 2010 Substantial gaps in our understanding of small ponds in the global carbon cycle still remain, however.…”

Nitrogen transformations and balance in channel catfish ponds

“…Water temperatures in ponds ranged between 22-30°C and were above 25°C for more than 80% of the growing season (Table 6) suggesting that low or high temperature in the surface layer of sediment was not a limiting factor. Organic C is abundant in catfish soils because of sedimentation of dead phyto-plankton (Munsiri et al, 1995). Optimal pH for denitrification is between 6-8 (Boyd and Tucker, 1998), and the pH of anaerobic sediment in ponds of the FRU is usually between 6 -7 (Masuda and Boyd, 1994b).…”