COLUMBIA, Mo. A University of Missouri doctoral student has developed a technique that uses digital imaging of soil samples to take some of the guesswork out of wetland identification.
Identifying wetlands isn't always easy. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' manual on wetlands identification is 143 pages long. Land that is wet isn't necessarily a wetland, and some wetlands aren't always wet. One important tool is looking at the soil for colors and patterns characteristic of frequent and prolonged saturation, said Kevin O'Donnell, a doctoral student in soil science at MU.
Chronic saturation changes a soil's structure and chemical composition and affects the types of microorganisms it harbors. These changes determine the colors and other visible features of soil. Soil scientists use those features to identify what they call "hydric soils."
A trusty companion of soil scientists in the field is a small loose-leaf binder holding a set of "Munsell Soil Color Charts," which contains 238 color chips and other visual aides for classifying soils.
There's a small hole adjacent to each chip that lets you compare the color chip and soil sample side-by-side.
"There's a lot of room for error," O'Donnell said. Cloud cover, time of day and many other factors can affect perception of a soil's appearance. Experienced soil scientists learn to take this into account, but even seasoned pros might come to different conclusions about a given sample.
"You're dealing with jurisdictional identification of wetlands," he said. "Imagine you're a landowner and a soil scientist comes out and says you have a hydric soil."
Wetlands are protected under the federal law, so landowners can end up facing restrictions on developing or farming their land based on a subjective assessment of the soil. "Will that hold up in court? I saw some major issues there."
In an earlier project, O'Donnell used software to analyze aerial ph
'/>"/>
| Contact: Curt Wohleber wohleberc@missouri.edu 573-882-5409 University of Missouri-Columbia Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. Tracing natural hazards by taking Earths pulse
2. Taking sharper aim at stomach ulcer bacteria
3. Research shows that invisible hand guides evolution of cooperative turn-taking
4. Taking the pulse of our planet
5. Taking the next step toward advanced artificial limbs
6. Taking a cue from breath fresheners, researcher develops new method for taste testing
7. Harmful algae taking advantage of global warming
8. Taking the fight against cancer to heart
9. Aging gracefully requires taking out the trash
10. New test takes guesswork out of diagnosing early-stage Alzheimers disease
11. Gene expression findings a step toward better classification and treatment of juvenile arthritis
 |
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |