Soil and plant chemistry of an Atlantic white cedar wetland on the Inner Coastal Plain of Maryland

Abstract

Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) BSP.) wetlands are widely distributed along the Atlantic coast, yet there is very little information on their nutrient dynamics. In this paper we present data on the chemical composition of soils and plant tissues for one of the last remaining stands of Chamaecyparis on the Inner Coastal Plain of Maryland. Comparisons are made among the Chamaecyparis site, five similar nearby wetlands without Chamaecyparis, and other Chamaecyparis sites. The Atlantic white cedar site in Maryland had a distinct soil chemistry characterized by significantly higher Ca, Mg, and Na concentrations and high pH. There were significant differences between wetlands, within wetlands (forested versus bog habitats), and between types of plants (herbaceous versus woody) for most plant nutrients. Woody and herbaceous species at the Atlantic white cedar site almost always had higher concentrations of the 15 elements measured than they did at the other sites. However, nutrient concentrations of Chamaecyparis shoots, when compared with reported plant requirements, indicate a possible deficiency of N and P, low K, and a pronounced accumulation of Pb.