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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbus, Ohio » Soil Drainage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #172992
Title: COMPARISON OF SOIL CARBON POOLS UNDER TWO DIFFERENT WATER TABLE MANAGEMENT REGIMENS

Author
item Baker, Barbara
item ISLAM, RAFIQ - THE OHIO STATE UNIV.
item Fausey, Norman

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/11/2004
Publication Date: 11/4/2004
Citation: Baker, B.J., Islam, R., Fausey, N.R. 2004. Comparison of soil carbon pools under two different water table management regimens. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting. 2004. CD-ROM. Seattle, WA. Paper 5375.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of this research was to examine the difference in soil carbon pools in a Hoytville soil 9-years after the initiation of two water table management (WTM) treatments in Wood County, Ohio. WTM treatments included both unrestricted subsurface drainage year round (Drainage Treatment) and subirrigation during the crop-growing season to maintain the water table at 25 cm below the surface with unrestricted subsurface drainage the remainder of the year (Subirrigation Treatment). Sampling was conducted in fall of 2000 for total carbon to a 1-meter depth and in fall of 2001 for the particulate organic matter (POM), microbial biomass, and total carbon of the upper 0.20 m of the soil. Results from the fall of 2000 sampling indicate a significant difference in the percent total carbon (% TC) with depth. The upper 20 cm had the greatest % TC with 17.3 %. No differences were found between the water table management treatments for total carbon to a 1-meter depth. A significant difference was found between water table management treatments and organic carbon content of the soil. The drainage treatment had a greater amount of organic carbon in one meter of soil, 12895.6 grams per square meter than the subirrigation treatment of 9812.9 grams per square meter. Subirrigation does not appear to increase the amount of C within the Hoytville soil.