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Principal Component Analysis of Prairie Pothole Soils in North Dakota
Author(s) -
Richardson J. L.,
Bigler R. J.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1984.03615995004800060030x
Subject(s) - wetland , organic matter , soil water , environmental science , soil texture , soil science , soil organic matter , hydrology (agriculture) , salinity , total organic carbon , vegetation (pathology) , sediment , precipitation , geology , ecology , environmental chemistry , geomorphology , geography , oceanography , chemistry , medicine , geotechnical engineering , pathology , biology , meteorology
Selected soil properties in several semipermanent wetlands were compared using a vegetation‐zone model. Principal component analysis was employed for variable analysis. Relative distribution of soil properties does not appear to be strongly related to water levels and would not change if large but infrequent variations in water level occurred. Salinity (electrical conductivity) was the most important soil variable among the wetlands studied, and salinity differences among wetlands are probably due to discharge from higher wetlands and water sources. Differences in organic carbon distribution as determined by principal component analysis were also significant. In general the soil surface is continually enriched with organic matter but the organic matter decreases with depth and presumably with time. Also, the organic matter influences CaCO 3 precipitation and dissolution. Sedimentation processes are important in producing texture differences among these soils; the pond interiors are fine textured and the edges are coarse textured. The edges also become coarser textured near the surface as the ponds fill with sediment.