Wetland conversion to beef cattle pasture changes in soil properties

Abstract

Largely influenced by the passage of the Swamp Land Act of 1849, many wetlands have been lost in the coastal plain region of southeastern United States primarily as a result of drainage to convert land for agriculture. While further wetland conversion or loss is universally acknowledged, the process continues with little public recognition of the causes or consequences. This study examined changes in soil carbon, pH, and Mehlich extractable nutrients in soils following conversion of wetland to beef cattle pasture. To better understand the chemical response of soils during wetland conversion to beef cattle pasture, soil samples were collected from the converted beef cattle pastures and from the adjoining reference wetland. Soil samples were collected from eleven sites in the beef cattle pasture, and from four in the adjoining reference wetland. Data that were collected from the reference wetland sites were used as the reference/baseline data to detect potential changes in soil properties associated with the conversion of wetlands to beef cattle pastures from 1940 to 2002. Compared with the adjoining reference wetland, the beef cattle pasture soils in 2002, 62 years after being drained, exhibited: (1) a decrease in organic carbon, TOC (-172.3 g kg-1), nitrogen, TN (-10.1 g kg-1), water soluble phosphorus, WSP (-5.1mg kg-1), and potassium, K (-0.7 mg kg-1); (2) an increase in soil pH (+1.8 pH unit), calcium, Ca (+88.4 mg kg-1), magnesium, Mg (+7.5 mg kgc), manganese, Mn (+0.3 mg kg-1), and iron, Fe (+6.9 mg kg-1); and (3) no significant changes in sodium (Na), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and aluminum (Al). In 2002, the amount of TOC and the concentration of soil organic matter (OM) in pasture fields were significantly lower than the concentration in the reference wetland with average values of 7.8 ± 8 g kg-1 and 36 ± 26 g kg-1 and 180.1 ± 188 g kg-1 and 257 ± 168 g kg-1, respectively. It appeared that conversion of wetlands was proceeding toward a soil condition/composition like that of mineral soils. Overall, conversion of wetland had significant effects on soil carbon, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and extractable nutrients. Results of our study have shown a decrease in TOC, TN, WSP, and K and an increase in soil pH, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Fe. These results are important in establishing useful baseline information on soil properties in pasture and adjoining reference wetland prior to restoring and converting pasture back to its original wetland conditions as a major part of the restoration effort being underway.