Abstract
We: 1) quantified the areal extent of wetlands by type in Caroline County, VA to estimate the relative importance of non-tidal palustrine forested wetlands as a component of the wetland resources in Virginia’s mid-Atlantic coastal plain, 2) used a comparative literature review to identify factors that might be important in controlling P retention in these wetlands, and 3) evaluated three indices that have been used to compare P adsorption potentials in wetland soils. Non-tidal palustrine forested wetlands comprised 66.0% of the 11,372 ha of wetlands in Caroline Co. The majority were either seasonally (4000 ha) or temporarily (1596 ha) flooded wetlands dominated by broad-leaved deciduous species. These wetlands are both small (averaging 5.4 and 2.4 ha in area, respectively) and numerous in this region. Adsorption by Al and Fe (hydr)oxides and precipitation of Al, Fe, and Ca phosphates probably controls dissolved phosphate retention and long-term P storage in these wetlands, although P storage in the woody biomass of aggrading forests may also be important. Phosphorus adsorption isotherms, a single-point phosphorus adsorption index, and concentrations of oxalate-extractrable (noncrystalline) Al and Fe have all been used as comparative indices of P sorption potentials in wetland soils, although the latter may represent the best single index of P sorption capacity because of its direct relationship to the mechanisms controlling P adsorption in soil. When using these indices to compare wetland P sorption potentials, it is important to consider differences in soil depth, profile heterogeneity, and bulk density between sites. Actual amounts of phosphate retained by a wetland will also be influenced by the degree of phosphate loading it receives, as determined by hydrology, phosphate sources in the watershed, and the P sorption potentials of surrounding upland soils. Because of the low P sorption potentials of sandy soils in coastal plain uplands, non-tidal palustrine forested wetlands in the mid-Atlantic coastal plain may perform particularly important functions with respect to dissolved phosphate removal and retention on the landscape.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Literature Cited
Anderson, M.A., 1981. Expectations and limitations for aqueous adsorption chemistry. p. 327–349.In M.A. Anderson and A.J. Rubin (eds.) Adsorption of Inorganics at Solid-Liquid Interfaces. Ann Arbor Scientific, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Bache, B.W. and E.G. Williams. 1971. A phosphate sorption index for soils. Journal of Soil Science 22:289–301.
Baril, R. and G. Bitton. 1969. Teneurs elevees de fer libre et l’identification taxonomique de certains, sols du Quebec contenant de la magnetite. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 59:1–9.
Bell, D.T., F.L. Johnson, and A.R. Gilmore. 1978. Dynamics of litter fall, decomposition, and incorporation in the streamside forest ecosystem. Oikos 30:76–82.
Brinson, M.M., 1990. Riverine forests. Chapter 5.In. A.E. Lugo, M. Brinson, and S. Brown (eds.) Forested Wetlands. Ecosystems of the World Volume 15. Elsevier, New York, NY, USA.
Brinson, M.M. 1993. Changes in the functioning of wetlands along environmental gradients. Wetlands 13: (in press).
Brinson, M.M., H.D. Bradshaw, and E.S. Kane, 1984. Nutrient assimilative capacity of an alluvial floodplain swamp. Journal of Applied Ecology 21:1041–1058.
Brookes, P.C., D.S. Powlson, and D.S. Jenkinson. 1982. Measurement of microbial biomass phosphorus in soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 14:319–329.
Carter, V.. 1990. The Great Dismal Swamp: an illustrated case study. Chapter 8.In A.E. Lugo, M. Brinson, and S. Brown (eds.) Forested Wetlands. Ecosystems of the World Volume 15. Elsevier, New York, NY, USA.
Clark, J.R. and J. Benforado (eds.). 1981. Wetlands of Bottomland Hardwood Forests. Elsevier, New York, NY, USA.
Computer Sciences Corporation. 1991. Trends in Phosphorus in the Chesapeake Bay (1984–1990. Cortract No. 68-WO-0043. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA.
Cooper, J.R. and J.W. Gilliam. 1987. Phosphorus redistribution from cultivated fields into riparian areas Soil Science Society of America Journal 51:1600–1604.
Cooper, J.R., J.W. Gilliam, R.B. Daniels, and W.P. Robarge. 1987. Riparian areas as filters for agricultural sediment. Soil Science of America Journal 51:416–420.
Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.C. Golet, and E.T. LaRoe. 1979. Classification of Wetlands and Deep-water Habitats of the United States. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Biological Services (79/31), Washington, DC, USA.
Cuffney, T.F., 1988. Input, movement and exchange of organic matter within a subtropical coastal blackwater river-floodplain system. Freshwater Biology 19:305–320.
Cuttle S.P., 1983. Chemical properties of upland peats influencing the retention of phosphate and potassium ions. Journal of Soil Science 34:75–82.
Day, F.P., 1982. Litter decomposition rates in the seasonally flooded Great Dismal Swamp. Ecology 63:670–678.
Ewel, K.C. and H.T. Odum (eds.). 1984. Cypress Swamps. University Presses of Floridal, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Faulkner, S.P. and C.J. Richardson. 1989. Physical and chemical characteristics of freshwater wetland soils. Chapter 4.In D.A. Hammer (ed.) Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI, USA.
Freeze, R.A. and J.A. Cherry. 1979. Groundwater. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA.
Frink, C.R., 1991. Estimating nutrient exports to estuaries. Journal of Environmental Quality 20:717–724.
Gambrell, R.P. and W.H. Patrick, Jr. 1978. Chemical and microbiological properties of anaerobic soils and sediments. p. 375–423.In D.D. Hook and R.M.M. Crawford (eds.) Plant Life in Anaerobic Environments. Ann Arbor Scientific, Publishers Inc., Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Hack J.T., 1957. Studies of Longitudinal Stream Profiles in Virginia and Maryland. Geological Survey Professional Paper 294-B. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, USA.
Hedley, M.J. and J.W.B. Stewart 1982. Method to measure microbial phosphate in soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 14:377–385.
Hsu, P.A., 1989. Aluminum hydroxides and oxyhydroxides. p. 331–378.In J.B. Dixon and S.B. Weed (eds.) Minerals in Soil Environments, Second Edition. Soil Science Society of America. Madison, WI, USA.
Hupp, C.R., M.D. Woodside, and T.M. Yanosky. 1993. Sediment and trace element trapping in a forested wetland, Chickahominy River, Virginia Wetlands 13: (in press).
Johnston, C.A., N.E. Detenbeck, and G.J. Niemi, 1990. The cumulative effect of wetlands on stream water quality and quantity: a landscape approach. Biogeochemistry 10:105–141.
Kitchens, W.M., J.M. Dean, L.H. Stevenson, and J.H. Cooper. 1975. The Santee Swamp as a nutrient sink. p. 349–366.In F.G. Howell, J.B. Gentry, and M.H. Smith (eds.) Mineral Cycling in South-eastern Ecosystems. CONF-740513. U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration. Washington, DC, USA.
Kodama, H. and M. Schnitzer. 1977. Effect of fulvic acid on the crystallization of Fe (III) oxides. Geoderma 19:279–291.
Kodama, H., and M. Schnitzer. 1980. Effect of fulvic acid on the crystallization of aluminum hydroxides. Geoderma 24:195–205.
Kuo, S. and A.S. Baker. 1982. The effect of soil drainage on phosphorus status and availability to corn in long-term manure-amended soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 46:744–747.
Kuo S. and D.S. Mikkelsen. 1979. Distribution of iron and phosphorus in flooded and nonflooded soil profiles and their relation to P absorption. Soil Science 127:18–25.
Lindsay, W.L., 1979. Chemical Equilibria in Soils. Wiley, New York, NY, USA.
Lowrance, R., S. McIntyre, and C. Lance. 1988. Erosion and deposition in a field/forest system estimated using cesium-137 activity. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 43:195–199.
Lowrance, R., J.K. Sharpe, and J.M. Sheridan. 1986. Long-term sediment deposition in the riparian zone of a coastal plain watershed. Journal Soil and Water Conservation 41:266–271.
Lowrance, R., R. Todd, J. Fail, O. Hendrickson, R. Leonard, and L. Asmussen. 1984. Riparian forests as nutrient filters in agricultural watersheds. Bioscience 34:374–377.
Lugo A.E., 1990. Fringe wetlands. Chapter 6.In A.E. Lugo, M. Brinson, and S. Brown (eds.) Forested Wetlands. Ecosystems of the World Volume 15. Elsevier, New York, NY, USA.
McWilliams, W.H. and J.F. Rosson. 1990. Composition and vulnerability of bottomland hardwood forests of the Coastal Plain Province in the South Central United States Forest Ecology and Management 33/34:485–501.
Megonigal, J.P. and F.P. Day. 1988. Organic matter dynamics in four seasonally flooded forest communities of the Dismal swamp. American Journal of Botany 75:1334–1343.
Mitsch W.J., C.L. Dorge, and J.R. Wiemhoff. 1979a Ecosystem dynamics and a phosphorus budget of an alluvial cypress swamp in southern Illinois. Ecology 60:1116–1124.
Mitsch, W.J., M.D. Hutchinson, and G.A. Paulson. 1979b. The Momence Wetlands of the Kankakee River in Illinois—An Assessment of Their Value. Illinois Institute of Natural Resources, Doc 79/17, Chicago, IL, USA.
Nair, P.S., T.J. Logan, A.N. Sharpley, L.E. Sommers, M.A. Tabatabai, and T.L. Yuan. 1984. Interlaboratory comparison of a standardized phosphorus adsorption procedure. Journal of Environmental Quality 13:591–595.
Neary, D.G., W.T. Swank, and H. Riekirk. 1989. An overview of nonpoint source pollution in the Southern United States. p. 1–7.In D.D. Hook and R. Lea (eds.) Proceedings of the Symposium: The Forested Wetlands of the Southern United States. July 12–14, 1988, Orlando, Fl.. General Technical Report SE-50. USDA-Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, NC, USA.
Ornernik, J.M., A.R. Abernathy, and L.M. Male. 1981. Stream nutrient levels and proximity of agricultural and forest land to streams: some relationships. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 36:227–231.
Osterkamp, W.R. and C.R. Hupp. 1984. Geomorphic and vegetative characteristics along three northern Virginia streams. Geological Society of America Bulletin 95:1093–1101.
Parfitt, R.L. and R. St. C. Smart. 1978. The mechanism of sulfate adsorption on iron oxides. Soil Science Society of America Journal 42:48–50.
Parsons, S.E. and S. Ware. 1982. Edaphic factors and vegetation in Virginia Coastal Plain swamps. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 109:365–370.
Penka, M., M. Vyskot, E. Klimo, and F. Vasicek. 1985. Floodplain Forest Ecosystem. I. Before Water Management Measures. Elsevier, New York, NY, USA.
Peterjohn, W.T. and D.L. Correll. 1984. Nutrient dynamics in an agricultural watershed: observations on the role of a riparian forest. Ecology 65:1466–1475.
Phillips, P.J., J.M. Denver, R.J. Shedlock, and P.A. Hamilton. 1993. Relation of forested wetlands and water quality in different hydrologic and geomorphic settings of the Delmarva Peninsula. Wetlands 13: (in press).
Pinay, G., A. Fabre, P. Vervier, and F. Gazelle. 1992. Control of C, N, P, distribution in soils of riparian forests. Landscape Ecology 6:121–132.
Pionke, H.B. and H.M. Kunishi. 1992. Phosphorus status and content of suspended sediment in a Pennsylvania watershed. Soil Science 153:452–462.
Ponnamperuma, F.N. 1972. The chemistry of submerged soils. Advances in Agronomy 14:29–96.
Puckett, L.J., M.D. Woodside, B. Libby, and M.R. Schening, 1993. Sinks for trace metals, nutrients and sediments in wetlands of the Chickahominy River near Richmond, Virginia. Wetlands 13: (in press).
Richardson, C.J. 1985. Mechanisms controlling phosphorus retention capacity in freshwater wetlands. Science 228:1424–1427.
Richardson, C.J. and P.E. Marshall. 1986. Processes controlling movement, storage and export of phosphorus in a fen peatland. Ecological Monographs 56:279–302.
Richardson, C.J., M.R. Walbridge, and A. Burns. 1988. Soil chemistry and phosphorus retention capacity of North Carolina coastal plain swamps receiving sewage effluent. Water Resources Research Institute of the University of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC, USA. UNC-WRRI-88-241.
Riekirk, H., D.G. Neary, and W.T. Swank. 1989. The magnitude of upland silvicultural nonpoint source pollution in the South. p. 8–18.In D.D. Hook and R. Lea (eds.) Proceedings of the Symposium: The Forested Wetlands of the Southern United States. July 12–14, 1988, Orlando, Fl. General Technical Report SE-50. USDA-Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, NC, USA.
Sah, R.N. and D.S. Mikkelsen. 1986. Sorption and bioavailability of phosphorus during the drainage period of flooded-drained soils. Plant and Soil 92:265–278.
Schlesinger, W.H. 1978. Community structure, dynamics, and nutrient cycling in the Okefenokee cypress swamp-forest. Ecological Monographs 48:43–65.
Schlesinger, W.H. 1991. Biogeochemistry: An Analysis of Global Change. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA.
Schwertmann, U. 1966. Inhibitory effect of soil organic matter on the crystallization of amorphous ferric hydroxide. Nature 212:645–646.
Schwertmann, U. and R.M. Taylor. 1989. Iron oxides. p. 380–438.In J.B. Dixon and S.B. Weed (eds.) Minerals in Soil Environments, Second Edition. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, USA.
Stevenson, F.J. 1986. Cycles of Soil: C, N, P, S, Micronutrients. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, USA.
Swank, W.T., L.W. Swift, and J.E. Douglass. 1988. Streamflow changes associated with forest cutting, species conversions, and natural disturbances.In W.T. Swank and D.A. Crossley (eds.) Forest Hydrology and Ecology at Coweeta. Ecological Studies 66:297–312.
Tietjen, W.L. and J.C. Carter. 1981. Retention of urban derived phosphorus by an alluvial swamp of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Report ERC 05-81. Environmetal Resources Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Vitousek, P.M. and W.A. Reiners. 1975. Ecosystem succession and nutrient retention: a hypothesis. Bioscience 25:376–381.
Walbridge, M.R. 1991. Phosphorus availability in acid organic soils of the lower North Carolina coastal plain. Ecology 72:2083–2100.
Walbridge, M.R. and E.M. Birk. 1988. P availability inPinus taeda L. stands at the Savannah River Plant. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 69:331. (Abstract).
Walbridge, M.R., R.G. Knox, and P.A. Harcombe. 1992. Phosphorus availability along a landscape gradient in the Big Thicket National Preserve. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 73:377. (Abstract).
Walbridge, M.R., C.J. Richardson, and W.T. Swank. 1991. Vertical distribution of biological and geochemical phosphorus subcycles in two southern Appalachian forest soils. Biogeochemistry 13:61–85.
Walbridge, M.R. and P.M. Vitousek. 1987. Phosphorus mineralization potentials in acid organic soils: processes affecting32PO4 3− isotope dilution measurements. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 19:709–717.
Wharton, C.H., W.M. Kitchens, E.C. Pendleton, and T.W. Sipe. 1982. The Ecology of Bottomland Hardwood Swamps of the Southeast: a Community Profile. FWS/OBS-81/37, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Services Program, Washington, DC, USA.
Willett, I.R., W.A. Muirhead, and M.L. Higgins. 1978. The effects of rice-growing on soil phosphorus immobilization. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 18:270–275.
Winter, T.C. 1988. A conceptual framework for assessing cumulative impacts on hydrology of nontidal wetlands. Environmental Management 12:605–620.
Wood, T., F.H. Bormann, and G.K. Voigt. 1984. Phosphorus cycling in a northern hardwood forest: biological and chemical control. Science 223:391–393.
Yarbro, L.A. 1983. The influence of hydrological variations on phosphorus cycling and retention in a swamp stream ecosystem. p. 223–245.In T.D. Fontaine and S.M. Bartell (eds.) Dynamics of Lotic Ecosystems. Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Walbridge, M.R., Struthers, J.P. Phosphorus retention in non-tidal palustrine forssted wetlands of the mid-atlantic region. Wetlands 13, 84–94 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160868
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03160868