helicopter service was a Bell Model 406-B Jet Ranger equipped with pontoons. Polyvinylchloride 

 tubes were provided on the pontoons to contain the soil augers in flight. 



The field work was accomplished by two teams. Each team consisted of a soil scientist and a 

 biologist The teams were leap-frogged along transects to the sites, with one team traveling while 

 the other team was sampling. 



Examinations and sampling sites were predetermined and plotted on the maps. Sites were 

 aligned into transects which were perpendicular to expected soil and vegetation changes. The 

 sites were spaced roughly one per 2.6 km 2 on continuous land areas. Many islands were examined 

 less intensely and a few small islands were not examined. Site numbers were placed on the base 

 maps and on note sheets. Examination was to a depth of 2 m. Soil properties were recorded and 

 a profile description was made that documented all data needed for classification and correlation 

 of the soil. The plant community was analyzed and each plant species was listed and percent 

 composition was estimated. Other data recorded at each site included percentage of open water 

 within a specified diameter of the site, water depth and flooding characteristics, water salinity, and 

 wildlife activity. 



Soil boundaries were located on the basis of field observations, photo interpretation, and transect 

 data. These boundaries were delineated on aerial photographs at a scale of 1:20,000. 



Telescoping Belgian mud augers and McCauley augers were used to examine organic soils and 

 clayey soils. Bucket augers were used to examine soils in areas dominated by loamy material. A 

 "split-tube" sampling device proved to be the most useful tool for collecting samples for detailed 

 descriptions and laboratory studies from below the water table. The tube was driven to the desired 

 depth and removed with considerable effort assisted by additions of compressed air placed at the 

 tip of the tube. Samples of wet soils required special handling and were refrigerated to below 

 biological zero (5 °C) for storage. 



DISCUSSION 



Physical and Chemical Properties 



Water content under field conditions is an important attribute of wetland soils. Even when 

 soils are continuously saturated, the water content may differ markedly in relation to soil properties 

 or qualities. The percentage of mineral or organic content, the percentage of fiber, and whether 

 or not the soil material has ever become air dry since deposition seem to be the most important 

 factors. As fiber content increases, the water content increases. As mineral content increases, the 

 water content decreases. Studies have shown that soil samples with 25% mineral (75% organic 

 matter on a dry weight basis) contained 625%-l,700% water relative to soil. Soil samples with 75% 

 mineral (25% organic matter on a dry weight basis) contained 80%-250% water. The water 

 content is proportional at intermediate levels of mineral content. 



Water content of the mineral layers of a Larose soil (Typic Hydraquent) are typically 80%- 

 225% while by comparison an upland soil such as Sharkey (Vertic Haplaquept) has water content 

 of about 50%. Sharkey soils are below field capacity at some time during most years, have a firm 

 consistency when moist, and are plastic when wet. The higher water content of the Larose soil 

 is attributed to deposition of the soil material under water and the assumption that it has never 

 dried below field capacity at any time during its history. Mineral soils with water content above 

 100% undergo significant loss of volume when drained. Permanent open cracks form and extend 



60 



