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Missouri Ozark Forest Soils: Perspectives and Realities

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Missouri Ozark Forest Soils: Perspectives and Realities /.~~ ~OO©W~~-------------------------------------------------- Missouri Ozark Forest Soils: Perspectives and Realities R. David Hammer1 Abstract.-Ozark forest soils are dynamic in space and time, and most formed in multiple parent materials. Erosion and mass move­ ment have been variable and extensive. Soil attributes including texture, cation exchange capacity, and mineralogy are related to geologic strata and to geomorphic conditions. Soil organic carbon content is influenced by surface shape, position in landscape, and aspect. Phosphorus is universally low, and most P is occluded. Many soil attributes are distributed in patterns related to topo­ graphic, geologic, and geomorphic features, but the patterns often are masked by site-specific variability such as tree throw, micro-relief, and slumps. Generalizations about Ozark soil landscapes must be given cautiously and are most meaningful in the context of attribute ranges rather than means. The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project ideas being developed as a consequence of (MOFEP) has provided an opportunity to inves­ recent studies and projects. The objective is to tigate Ozark forest soils in a context and with a illustrate important soil-landscape principles, rigor not previously possible. Soils are as with particular emphasis on their applicabilities essential for most terrestrial life as water and in Ozark forests. Rigorous, systematic data solar energy. However, soils are complex bodies evaluation will not be employed because it is that are difficult to study. They do not exist as assumed that most readers are not well versed discrete individual entities, such as trees, deer, in soil science concepts and terminology. The or fish. Soils have many attributes, most of presentation will be framed within a systematic which vru.y temporarily and are difficult to evaluation of a previously published document measure. All soil attributes change at different whose primru.y tenents seem to persist among spatial rates into other attributes. Soils are not non-soil scientists. The purpose in comparing as aesthetically appealing to most natural new ideas with old is not to discredit or embar­ resources students as the biota, particularly rass others. Rather, it is to force readers to trees, fish, and wildlife. Consequently, soils are confront old belief systems with new ones and not so well understood as other ecosystem to make conscious, informed choices. Old components and are infrequently included as paradigms are replaced slowly and reluctantly, components of ecosystem studies. When they even when individuals are confronted with hard are included, soils often are trivialized. Miscon­ evidence (Peters 1991, Rowe 1984, Simonson ceptions and untested assumptions often guide 1968). sampling schemes, thus ensuring that the sampling will not test the hypothesis. These "Landscape" is a currently popular term in circumstances have created an unfortunate, biological sciences, but it has not been well often costly situation. One of the most funda­ defined and often is presented in the context of mental ecosystem components is poorly under­ "scale." In this paper, a landscape is defmed as stood and frequently mismanaged. a population of geomorphically related land­ forms. Geomorphology is the study of pro­ This paper investigates prevailing concepts of cesses that shape the Earth's surface features. Ozark forest soils and compares them with Geomorphology and pedology (the study of soil­ forming processes) are synergistic because the temporal and spatial distributions of water and 1 Associate Professor of Pedology, School of energy control both (Daniels and Hammer Natural Resources. University of Missouri­ 1992). A landform is an individual Earth Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211. 106 surface feature that can be described in the have been eroded since the original land sur­ context of: (1) its location with respect to other veys, and that establishing "original" vegetation landforms, (2) its surface shape (concave or might be impossible because the eroded soils convex), (3) soil attributes within the landform, differ in various and important ways from the and (4) stratigraphic attributes (Hammer soils which supported the "historicfl vegetation. 1997a). Stratigraphy is the layering of geologic The botanist countered that the soils could be materials. Thus, landforms are three-dimen­ restored to their previous condition by re­ sional entities that vary spatially and tempo­ establishing the native vegetation. rally. A landscape is welded by the fluxes of materials and energy through its composing Most of pre-settlement Missouri was mantled by parts (landforms), and the parts segregate a veneer ofWisconsin-aged, silt-size loess. The materials and energy in space and time. loess originated as water-born sediments deposited on the Missouri River floodplain, from PREVAILING CONCEPTS OF OZARK which it was subsequently removed and distrib­ FOREST SOILS uted across the landscape by wind. The loess is underlain by older soil materials of various Sources of Ideas Espousing System origins and ages. Erosion of the loess mantle is Homogeneity irreversible and adds to the complexity of the soil landscape (Ruhe 1956). Sources of Ideas Several lessons emerge. Rowe's (1984) observa­ Primary sources of information about Ozark tion that skeptics are not easily converted in a forest soils are published soil surveys (Gilbert competitive world is reinforced. Second, the 1971, Gott 1975) and an overview of Ozark soils idea that vegetation can "restore" removed and vegetation (Krusekopf 1963). The rugged­ material of specific and unusual geologic origin ness of the Ozark landscape limited access to illustrates fundamental ignorance of basic sites, the stoney, clayey soils were difficult to Earth science. investigate, and the lack of perceived need for more precise information all combined, until Apparently few botanists, foresters, ecologists recently, to limit detailed, systematic investiga­ and others who work with natural systems tions of Ozark soils. Discussions with foresters, include soils beyond the introductory course as ecologists, botanists, and wildlife biologists part of their professional training. Pervasive during the early phases of MOFEP and continu­ evidence illustrates the synergisms of soils with ing to the present, suggest that early concepts the biota and of the complexities of the interac­ about Ozark soils remain widely held and tions of soils, waters and biota. Why do simple persistent. For example, the review of Ozark system models continue to prevail? These region soil attributes in a recently completed situations are not unique to Missouri (Hammer M.S. thesis investigating oak decline in the 1997a), are widespread, and limit the success of Ozarks (Jenkins 1992) cited only Krusekopf all natural sciences (Peters 1991). (1963). Krusekopfs Perceptions Illustrating the Problem Krusekopfs (1963) research bulletin remains a Scientists representing several disciplines met frequently cited source of information about recently to discuss a proposed statewide eco­ Ozark forest soils. Unfortunately, many of logical classification system (ECS). A botanist Krusekopfs key ideas about Ozark soils are suggested that "historicfl vegetation, which he untrue: defined as the plant communities indicated by the early 19th century land survey, should be a ". except for a few small spots on the key ECS component. He said this knowledge Salem and Lebanon plateaus, the entire would be a target towards which to manage Ozark region was originally forestedfl (p. 5). native vegetation in the future. A forester argued that the survey records were a very "In their main physical features, both the coarse, simple, single "point-in-time" represen­ forests and the soils of the Ozark region are tation of a botanical system whose temporal characterized by their sameness." (p. 6). and spatial variability are widely acknowledged. A soil scientist said that most Missouri soils 107 M©W~~-------------------------------------------------------- "Soils are consistently light in color-either surveys published prior to the 1990's and gray or brown, shallow in thickness of containing areas of Ozark forest soils were Dent surface soil, of medium (silt loam) texture, County (Gilbert 1971) and the Mark Twain and of relatively low fertility. Varying National Forest Area (Gott 1975). The legends amounts of chert stone characterize nearly of both surveys have relatively few soil series. all the soils except in the Ozark Border The Dent County survey contains 14 series, 4 ·of region." (p. 7). which are alluvial (table 1). Five of the 12 series mapped in the Mark Twain National Forest are "The lower subsoil tends to have a brown or alluvial (table 2). Thus, the complex upland reddish-brown color and is consistently landscape is portrayed as a small group of acid-a pH value of less than 5. The per­ relatively uniform soils. Is this phenomenon a cent of base saturation is low." (p. 7). consequence of Krusekopfs perspective of "sameness" of soils in the Ozark region? "There are no sharp contrasts in either forests or soils, and all changes tend to be Conversely, site-specific soils investigations gradational." (p. 7). conducted by Meinert (Meinert et al., 1977) on the MOFEP sites, an area much smaller then "Variations in the forest cannot be corre­ either Dent County or the Mark Twain National lated with depth or thickness of the surface Forest, resulted in 4 7 soil mapping units. soil because the latter is remarkably uni­ Meinert's soil units
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