National

Cooperative

Soil

Survey Newsletter

August 2021Issue 96

In This Issue—Shawn McVey Receives Chief’s Conservation

Stewardship Award ....................................... 1

The White Mountains Twilight Zone .................... 2

Remembering Steve Slusser ................................ 5

Carbon Data Collection and Coastal Zone Soil Survey on Sapelo Island, Georgia ............... 5

Observing Soil Profiles ......................................... 9

UNL and Nebraska NRCS Team Up for Extensive Soil Health Measurement .......... 10

National Soil Survey Staff Assist with Black Soils Effort ................................................... 11

USDA-NRCS GPR Supports Archaeological Dig at Historic Houses in Bridgeport, Connecticut .................................................. 13

Soil Temperature Study in the Ozark Highlands of Missouri ................................. 15

A soilSHOP at the 111th Plant Science Day Promotes Healthy Soil and Produce ......... 17

Nondiscrimination Statement ............................. 18

Editor’s Note

I ssues of this newsletter

are available at http://soils.usda.gov/. Under the Soil Survey tab, click on Partnerships, then on NCSS Newsletters, and then on the desired issue number

You are invited to submit articles fothis newsletter to Jenny Sutherland, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. Phone—(402) 437–5326; FAX—(402) 437–5336; email—jenny.sutherland@lin.usda.gov. ■

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Shawn McVey Receives hief’s Conservation tewardship Award

O n August 25, 2021, NRCS Chief Terry Cosby presented Soil

cientist Shawn McVey with the Chief’s onservation Stewardship Award during virtual awards ceremony. The award ecognizes substantial accomplishments nd contributions from NRCS employees ho demonstrate innovation and initiative ell beyond the supervisor’s expectations

or the employee’s position. It was given o McVey and other members of the nnovation and Process Improvement eam for their creation of the NRCS areer Planner Tool. The Chief entioned the importance of having a ell trained workforce and how the tool ill help improve the future of NRCS.

he NRCS Career Planner Tool: Is a Microsoft Excel tool that assists

staff and supervisors in evaluating proficiency levels and identifying gaps in the assigned job competencies for grades 2 through 15.

Provides a product for technical job series employees to use throughout their career to assess and build proficiencies.

Ensures job competencies (skill levels) are linked to training resources

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● Provides NRCS employees and supervisors with a nationally supported tool for use until AgLearn develops this much needed functionality.

● Is currently available to use with job series 457 Soil Conservationist, 458 Soil Conservation Technician, and 470 Soil Scientist (both the MLRA track and resources soil scientist track) and with additional job series in the coming months.

Shawn McVey is the former National Training Coordinator for NRCS Soil and Plant Science Division. He currently works as the Easement Restoration Specialist at the NRCS Nebraska State Office.

NRCS Chief’s 2021 awards and recipients: ● New Employee of the Year – Canton Ford,

AR ● Community Service Award – Arthur “AJ”

Hawkins, OH ● Mentor of the Year – Melissa LeCrone, AR ● Emergency Response – Mark Robinson,

AR ● Chief’s Conservation Stewardship Award

– Innovation and Process Improvement Team; Paula Bagley, NY; Gayle Barry, CA; Wanda Dansby, TX; Dana Edwards, SD; Leslie Glover, D.C.; Melinda Graves, CA; Art Heibel, NE; Juan Hernandez, FL; Christi Hicks, WV; Claudia Hoeft, D.C.; Joan Howard, TX; Matt Hutchinson, KY; Vladimir Jean-Charles; Robert Lawson, WI; Amanda Mathis, AR; Shawn McVey, NE; Johanna Pate, TX; Clarence Prestwich, D.C.; Kurt Readus, MS; Steve Reinsch, NE; Terri Ruch, D.C.; Scott Schneider, KY; Jeffrey Werner, PA and Angela Biggs, WI ■

The White Mountains Twilight ZoneBy Zach Warning, NRCS soil scientist, Belmont, New York.

F   or a fledgling soil scientist, the ongoing mapping detail to the White Mountains National Forest was a training course in false expectations. A quarter-mile on

the GPS was a 45-minute bushwhack through knotted balsam; 500 feet of elevation gain took half an hour and a bottle’s worth of water; and spotty showers predicted to last no more than an hour were 6-hour downpours. Time, distance, elevation, weather, and my own perceived physical limitations were warped there. I very quickly realized why this remained one of the last unmapped areas in the Northeast.

The entirety of my training had been in New York’s southern tier, where mountains were none, hills were plenty, and a road was hardly ever more than a mile away. Precariously balancing fieldwork with sporadic COVID-19 resurgences had accustomed me to a soft routine of data edits and pedon entries, often in my pajamas. When I arrived in New Hampshire, I met my coworkers for the first week, soil scientist Matt Bromley of Michigan and Resource Soil Scientist Devon Brodie of Vermont.

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Their collective miles in hiking boots likely exceeded my car’s odometer. Excitedly, they informed me that day two of our week was to be a journey up Mt. Monroe. At a staggering 5,372 feet, Mt. Monroe is the fourth tallest peak in the Presidential Range, narrowly surpassing Mt. Marcy’s 5,344-foot elevation to be taller than any point in my entire home State.

Our point was just a quarter mile off the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, into the alpine brush. Signs earlier down the trail had warned us not to venture off-trail for the sake of the vulnerable vegetation; after my brief stint traversing the alpine, I firmly believe those signs are in place to protect hikers and vegetation alike. Every step across the interwoven mats of balsam roots and sphagnum was a gamble—either your foot would rest firmly on the vegetation or it would plunge into the space between boulders, swallowing your leg nearly to the hip. Our GPS-ordained point had the beginnings of an E horizon overlain by a thick layer of sphagnum and organic deposits. As we anticipated, beneath the E was rock.

Halfway through our pedon description, we noticed something from across the valley, heading straight for us. Much to my dismay, it was not a moose. It was a cloud, heavy with rain, propelled by winds that made the already brisk 55-degree mountain air dangerously cold. We finished our description as best we could, between the soaked paper and my shaky, wind-whipped handwriting, and regrouped. It was early enough in the detail that I still felt I knew what a quarter mile meant, so repeating to myself “only a quarter mile…only a quarter mile” actually offered some relief from the imminent cold shock. In a blur of clenched teeth and numb fingertips, we clawed our way through the balsam back to the trail and threw our rain-soaked, needle-plastered bodies against the rocks. As we

Figure 1.—One of an endless series of breathtaking views to be had in the White Mountains, if one is willing to climb a bit.

Figure 2.—A striking example of a White Mountains Spodosol. Horizons go from top to bottom, left to right.

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contemplated getting another point, a knot the size of a golf ball emerged, as if on cue, in my left thigh, placing my knee in an unbendable vice-grip. Thankfully, Devon was an experienced hiker and knew exactly what to do. For a knot so large, massaging it would not work. Punching the knot into unraveling was the only way to regain mobility in my leg. I had my doubts, but just as Devon predicted, a few punches and the knot was gone. Matt and I shared a wearied glance and agreed to take the knot as a sign—the mountain had had enough of us.

What followed was a 2 ½ -hour gauntlet of rain-slicked boulders, boot-grappling roots, and exhaustion-induced delirium, and for a brief evening, I felt that gravity was my best friend in the world. As the trail

flattened out near the base of the mountain, the pain of standing, walking, and running became indistinguishable, so for the final stretch, I ran.

Arriving back at the hotel, Matt admitted that in his career spanning over 2 decades as a soil scientist, that day ranked among his most challenging in the field. Once we finished our point and began our descent, just a few hundred feet from the Lake of the Clouds, Devon soldiered on through the rain to reach the peak of Mt. Washington itself, collecting three data points along the way.

The rest of my days in the Whites were not nearly so dramatic, but they were certainly put into context by the day we climbed Monroe. Some days, the hikes were easy, and the pits were full of boulders. Sometimes we would get caught in a thunderstorm, take a wrong turn, get a little lost, take a route too long, or have brief episodes of mosquito-induced madness. But those same days were full of breathtaking views, stunning Spodosols, captivating conversations, and unexpected discoveries.

Despite all the challenges the Whites presented, for which I frankly was unprepared, I am indebted to those mountains. What felt in the moment like an insurmountable test was, in retrospect, enlightening. States of gratitude, liberation, and achievement I had never known—the gratitude of a boulder just loose enough to pry; the liberation of being so soaked with rain that you can’t get any wetter; the achievement of knowing your final meal of the day was one earned by your body. The mountains evoked sensations I can’t recall ever feeling so strongly: the inner furnace of my body, burning every calorie I fed it; the good night’s sleep of a body worked to exhaustion; the rejuvenation of a cold swig of fresh water the moment it hits your throat. Everything was earned. Nothing was easy. Everything was beautiful.

So, if I had any advice for my fellow newbies, it would be this: Get out there. Accept the challenges. Take the details. Meet your fellow scientists. Accept challenges you think you’re not ready for. As Teddy Roosevelt said, “The credit belongs to the man

Figure 3.—Closer to the top of Monroe than the bottom, unknowingly capturing an image of the cloud that would soon encompass us.

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who is actually in the arena…who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be among those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Few careers offer such opportunities to test your limits, see new places, meet new people, and learn so much along the way. More than ever, I am grateful. ■

Remembering Steve SlusserBy Jim Komar, Nevada State Soil Scientist, NRCS, Reno.

O n June 27, 2021, Steve Slusser passed away peacefully, surrounded by friends

and family. Nevada, the NRCS family, and our Nation were blessed to have him as one of ours as a soil scientist with MO-2 and the former MO-3, and subsequently as an Earth Team volunteer and ACES employee for 16 years, following his retirement in 2005.

Steve was born in Alhambra, California, on March 1, 1945. In 1969, while working in the Angeles Forest for the U.S. Forest Service, Steve was drafted into the United States Army. Steve proudly served his country for 18 months, including service in Vietnam. Following his tour, his love of the outdoors continued as he worked as a soil scientist for the USDA for the next thirty-some years. He mapped soils in Nevada and California and on details to other parts of the Nation. Steve was a soil enthusiast through and through, and he particularly enjoyed sharing his knowledge, skills, and experience with students. For 42 years, Steve led soils tours of the Honey Lake Valley for students of Humboldt State University, hosting upwards of 40 to 50 students each time. This August, Humboldt State University established the Steven E. Slusser Memorial $5,000 Scholarship fund to honor Steve’s contributions to its students. Steve’s work touched a lot of people, his contributions to our knowledge of soils in Nevada and California live on, and we all benefit from his service to the land and his Nation. ■

Carbon Data Collection and Coastal Zone Soil Survey on Sapelo Island, Georgia

By Reuben Wilson, NRCS soil scientist, Special Projects Office, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ask someone in soil science what the most sought-after research is right now and soil organic matter or the fate of submerged land will invariably be

mentioned. When it comes to the salt marshes on the coast of Georgia, those two subjects are inextricably linked.

While data concerning salt marshes and their corresponding soil organic matter (SOM) are in high demand, collecting the data is not simple. For example, sites are

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Figure 1.—Map of the sampling sites on Sapelo Island, Georgia.

often best accessed by boat, the threat of heat stroke or other related issues is substantially higher than when carrying out traditional field work, and the logistics of bringing sampling equipment in and out of the areas is a trial unto itself. The University of Georgia (UGA) aims to ease this burden through the creation of “AweSOM Sense,” a multi-modal sensing and analytics framework for modeling belowground SOM in salt marsh wetlands. Nonetheless, models require representative data to be useful. Once more into the breach, the NRCS Soil and Plant Science Division worked in tandem with the University of Georgia to collect a subsection of necessary background data.

Three locations along the Georgia coast were selected for data collection: Skidaway Island, Sapelo Island, and Brunswick. This sampling trip took place on the southwest side of Sapelo Island, Georgia. Sapelo Island was selected because of its proximity to the ocean, existing research infrastructure, and marsh composition (fig. 1). The focus of the sampling was to conduct a coastal g SSURGO product, and provide

carbon inventory for the marsh, update the existinvital soil data for several long-term climate research monitoring projects.

Three sites were chosen by UGA for sampling on Sapelo: Dean’s Creek, AirportMarsh, and Flux Tower. At each site a transect was sampled along five points,

Figure 2.—Actual sample sites along the transects. The five red pins indicate the sites sampled for UGA carbon data, and the yellow pin indicates the sampled NRCS pedon. This polygon is mapped as “Tmh” (Tidal Marsh High), an antiquated name used when the surveys were originally produced and certain series were not yet established.

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capturing a gradient of vegetation and salinity across the marsh. Incorporating this transition is vital in providing data to create accurate machine learning algorithms when predicting carbon sequestered throughout the entire soil profile. Originally, the design only called for carbon data gathered to a depth of 50 cm, but it was agreed that sampling to 200 cm would allow for a more holistic view and better modeling material (fig. 2). At each point along the transect, an electric vibracore was set up and used to drive down an 8-foot section of 3-inch-diameter aluminum pipe into the fluid, mineral marsh soil.

The electric vibracore was chosen as the method of collection because it provides the most complete, undisturbed sample when stacked against current methods available. In this method, the pipe is driven until refusal or 200 centimeters in depth is reached. Next, the core compaction (colloquially known as “rot”) is measured by the difference on the surface proper and the depth

to soil in the core. The pipe is filled with ambient water and is suction sealed with an Oatey cap. From this point, a ladder is placed directly above the pipe (turned soil core), a chainfall is set up using a 2 x 4 wood block with straps on top of the ladder to provide a steady base, and a collar is placed over the top of the pipe and slowly hoisted up with the chainfall (fig. 3). Once removed from the ground, the true length of soil in the core is determined by using a wrench, keen ears, and the core rot measurements. The pipe is then cut at the calculated length; this reduces the amount of weight being carried and provides for ergonomic storage. Due to core compaction, the fluid nature of the soils in the marsh, and dense root mats at the surface, the

Figure 3.—(Left to right) Azeem Rahman, Charles Lagoueyte (kneeling), Reuben Wilson, and Dr. Lori Sutter extracting a freshly vibracored tube on the Airport Marsh.

Figure 4.—Flux Tower Marsh on Sapelo Island. This site consists of approximately 300 acres.

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average soil core from this particular sampling was 100 to 125 cm long.

The salt marshes of Georgia offer a unique set of challenges (fig. 4). The difference between high and low tide on Sapelo is approximately 6 feet. As a result, the area disembarked from at high tide will likely be a super-fluid shoreline of mineral material or a bed of oysters by the time the field work is completed. To overcome this, the boat was moved and repositioned with the fluctuating tides. Regarding sample collection, the electric vibracore requires a considerable amount of equipment, including a generator, ladder, and enough pipe. To transport these materials across the marsh transects (some of which were over 200 meters), a “gorilla cart” was used. The gorilla cart, an all-terrain cart capable of holding most of the needed materials, doubled as a dry platform to work from in the marsh. Typically, one or two individuals pull the cart while another pushes from behind. Tidal creeks also provide a second level of complexity. While not discernable to the untrained eye, a tidal creek in the fluid mineral soil of Sapelo Island is synonymous with quicksand. It is not uncommon to sink a few feet, and this can make moving sampling material and soil cores through the marsh a Herculean feat.

While assisting UGA with the carbon inventory sampling, the NRCS crew retrieved a vibracore for description and laboratory analysis from each site (fig. 5). This is a crucial step in updating the SSURGO product and better serving customers interested in the area. Once extracted, salt marsh cores need to be kept refrigerated to suppress oxidation and allow for an accurate, in-situ soil description when the core is split. UGA refrigeration units were used on Sapelo Island. At the end of the week, the SPSD staff split the cores, described them, and sampled for lab analyses. All three soils correlate to the Bohicket series—fine, mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic Typic Sulfaquents common in saltwater tidal marshes along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina (fig. 6). UGA returned to Athens with

their cores in tow to perform the necessary analysis and sampling. In conclusion, the NRCS Soil and Plant Science Division staff are appreciative

of UGA reaching out and including them in their sample collection work. The experience gained, data retrieved, and relationships made will certainly facilitate future cooperation in creating, and further refining, AweSOM Sense as a computer model to predict both near-surface and deeper soil carbon content for salt marsh ecosystems across coastal Georgia and the Southeast.

Figure 5.—The soil core from the Flux Tower site. The core has an Aseg horizon to a depth of 60 cm, underlain by two Cseg horizons to a depth of 161 cm: silt loam over silty clay loam. The moderately fluid to very fluid material emanated hydrogen sulfide odors.

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Thanks and recognition go to fellow crew and staff who assisted with this project: • Lori Sutter, assistant research

scientist, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, UGA

• Rob Tunstead, senior regional soil scientist, NRCS, Raleigh, North Carolina

• Charles Lagoueyte, MLRA soil survey office leader, NRCS, Richmond Hill, Georgia

• Azeem Rahmen, ecosystem site specialist, NRCS, Richmond Hill, Georgia

For more information on this project and its goals, see the following online articles:• Researchers develop new system to

monitor carbon in salt marshes • SITS: AWESOMSENSE: Multi-

modal sensing and analytics framework for modeling belowground SOM in salt marsh wetlands ■

Figure 6.—An exposed section of the Bohicket soil series actively being eroded by tidal fluctuations and fiddler crabs.

Observing Soil ProfilesBy David Hoover, Director, National Soil Survey Center.

I recently heard a university soils professor talk about seeing 10,000 soil profiles in his career, and it made me think about how many I may have seen in my field

work (as a field soil scientist, project leader, area soil scientist, and state soil scientist) over the years. I decided to figure it out.

I considered the many ways I observed soil profiles as a field soil scientist:

• Hand probe• Power probe/auger• Bucket auger• Spade• Post hole digger• Backhoe• Roadcut/excavation• Holes someone else dug (a favorite!)

I also considered the many ways I traversed the land looking at soil profiles:

• Walking (hand tools)• Driving (power tools)• Motorcycle/ATV

Finally, I considered many other factors that influenced the number of soil profiles I felt I needed to observe every day in the field, both during mapping and through site assistance:

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• The stage in my career. When I was first starting my career, I dug a LOT of holes every day.

• Knowledge of local landscapes. More holes were dug at the beginning of mapping in a region and less were dug after patterns within the landscape were established.

• Surficial indicators of potential changes in soil type. As I walked across the land, I developed the ability to recognize subtle changes in slope, surface texture or color, clod sizes based on changes in clay content, rock fragment differences, and even the subtle changes in reflected heat due to lighter colored soils.

• Soil mapping and field documentation protocol as to the number of required field observations. I also calculated the days I exceeded that level of documentation.

In conclusion, I want to say that this is not a contest to determine who has seen the most soil profiles. Rather, it is a recognition of our extensive field knowledge of soils and their huge variability across the landscape.

My final numbers, after considering all the places and methods I used to observe soil profiles:

• Years of Frequent Observations – 14• Acres Observed through Soil Mapping – 1,260,000• Total Number of Soil Profiles Observed – 50,400

Feel free to do your own calculations but, overall, be proud of the knowledge gained from all the soil profiles you have seen! Whether a soil scientist has worked 1 year or 30 years in the field, they still know more about the soils of the region they worked than anyone else on the earth. ■

UNL and Nebraska NRCS Team Up for Extensive Soil Health Measurement

O n June 15, 2021, ground was broken on a collaborative soil research project between the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the

University of Nebraska—Lincoln (UNL) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). In September 2020, IANR finalized

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a grant and partnership with NRCS to develop a “soil health map.” Data on dynamic soil properties (DSPs) gathered from reference points from across the State will be used to create an interactive map for producers. The map will show how the soil samples from a producer’s land compare to the soil health properties at an associated reference point. It will also provide the entire State of Nebraska with quantifiable representations of region-specific soil health properties.

Soil health is one of the largest contributing factors to the life that grows in the various ecosystems of Nebraska. From cropland, to forests, to untouched prairies, and everything in between, building soil health impacts the outcome of who and what lives there.

“By giving people the tools to easily understand what healthy soil looks like, landowners or managers can evaluate what steps they need to take to optimize their resources,” said State Soil Health Specialist Aaron Hird.

“We will develop an interactive soil map that features Nebraska’s most prominent soil types where users can compare their soil samples to data from high- and low-quality samples,” said Dr. Saurav Das, IANR’s soil health postdoctoral research associate.

The project will use large soil core samples taken from identified ecological site reference locations around the State. The first ecological site reference location (ESRL) was on UNL’s Nine Mile Prairie outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. On June 16, the team took samples from a rye field at Prairieland Dairy by Firth, Nebraska. Intensive research and testing will be done on the soil core samples to build the database. Data collected will include water retention, structural qualities, organic matter, chemical composition, biological analysis, and more. Once gathered, the data will be processed into geographical information system (GIS) software and placed in a mapping application where the quantifiable soil properties will be communicated as user-friendly reference points.

For more information about IANR’s research and programs visit http://ianr.unl.edu. For more information about soil health and other conservation programs and services available from NRCS, visit your local USDA Service Center or go online to http://nrcs.usda.gov. ■

National Soil Survey Staff Assist with Black Soils EffortBy Skye Wills, National Leader for Research, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.

F AO’s Global Soil Partnership (GSP) is an effort to position soils in the global agenda and promote sustainable management of soils for ecosystem services

(such as climate change mitigation) and development (http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/en/). Within the GSP, the International Network of Black Soils provides a mechanism for sharing knowledge and information about these soils. The term “black soils” is a general term meant to represent multiple soil classification and taxonomy schemes that refers to soils with thick, dark surface layers rich in organic matter. These soils are inherently fertile and productive but are susceptible to degradation. Black soils are defined by two categories.

First Category Black Soils

These soils are the most vulnerable and endangered and need the highest rate of protection at a global level. They have the following five properties:

• The presence of black or very dark surface horizons, which typically have a chroma of 3 or less moist and a value of 3 or less moist and 5 or less dry (according to Munsell soil-color charts);

• Black surface horizons with a total thickess of 25 cm or more;

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• An organic carbon content, in the upper 25 cm of the black horizons, of at least 1.2 percent (0.6 percent for tropical regions) but no more than 20 percent;

• A cation-exchange capacity, in the black surface horizons, of 25 cmol/kg or more; and

• A base saturation in the black surface horizons of 50 percent or more.In addition, most but not all of these black soils have well developed granular or fine

subangular structure and high aggregate stability in the black surface horizons that are in a non-degraded or slightly degraded state, or in the humus-rich underlying horizon that has not been subjected to degradation. Second Category Black Soils

These soils are mostly endangered at the national level. They have the following three properties:

• The presence of black or very dark surface horizons, which typically have a chroma of 3 or less moist and a value of 3 or less moist and 5 or less dry (according to Munsell soil-color charts);

• Black surface horizons with a total thickness of 25 cm or more; and • An organic carbon content, in the upper 25 cm of the black horizons, of at

least 1.2 percent (or 0.6 percent for tropical regions) but no more than 20 percent.

Skye Wills has contributed to the understanding and mapping of these soils through international presentations and discussions. Stephen Roecker, Suzann Kienast-Brown, and Chad Ferguson (Soil Business Staff, National Soil Survey Center) used digital soil mapping and a number of existing soil survey datasets to map the likelihood of both types of black soils across the United States (fig. 1).

Recently, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs hosted a virtual symposium on the conservation and utilization of black soils (http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/highlights/detail/en/c/1418291/). U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack gave opening remarks highlighting the importance of soil survey for managing the productive soils. Skye Wills presented the latest work on black soils using data from the Dynamic Soil Properties for Soil Health projects. She illustrated using soil survey, new soil health assessment (SHAPE) curves, and expanded state-and-transition model concepts to assess potential and likely DSP values for black soils from different climates. ■

Figure 1.—Map showing probability of the occurrence of black soils across the United States.

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USDA-NRCS GPR Supports Archaeological Dig at Historic Houses in Bridgeport, Connecticut

I n June 2021, the Connecticut Office of State Archaeology started field excavations at the Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses to investigate an area with

subsurface anomalies that was identified with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) by USDA-NRCS geophysical staff in 2008. The two houses, which were owned by Mary and Eliza Freeman, are the last remaining houses from the 19th-century community of Little Liberia, a settlement of free African Americans in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This settlement was established in the early 1820s (ref. 1). The settlement attained its greatest number of inhabitants just prior to the Civil War. The name, Little Liberia, reflected the identification of the early inhabitants of this community with the newly formed African nation, Liberia, which was established for freed African slaves.

Figure 1.—A Google Earth image showing the locations of the Freemans’ houses, two GPR grids, and the soil symbol from the Soil Survey of the State of Connecticut.

Figure 2.—Amplitude depth-slice maps for three different depths beneath grid site 2. Some of these reflectors appear to form a rectangular pattern that is outlined on both the 60 and 120 cm slice. Based on these reflections, the outlined area was identified as the most promising area for a proposed archaeological excavation.

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In 1848, the Freeman sisters purchased two adjoining lots in Little Liberia. The houses that were constructed on these lots were used by the sisters as rental properties. Remnants of the Freeman Houses are located on Main Street between Whiting and Kiefer Streets, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The Freeman Houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places for their significance to African Americans and Women (ref. 2).

The Freeman Houses are located in an area that is mapped as Urban land (map unit 307) (see figure 1). Urban lands consist of soil materials that have been altered or obstructed by urban facilities and structures. Based on the results of an electromagnetic induction (EMI) survey that was completed by USDA-NRCS in October 2008, a GPR survey was conducted to detect any significant subsurface features at this site. Two detailed GPR grid surveys were completed in the relatively open area located behind the Freeman houses. Multiple, closely spaced, parallel GPR traverses were conducted across each grid site. Advance computer processing techniques were used to construct depth-sliced amplitude images from the radar profiles. The depth-slice amplitude images revealed several areas containing anomalous features buried at different depths (see figure 2). Based on these amplitude depth-slice images, a promising area was selected for excavation by archaeologists.

After removing sections of asphalt pavement and gravel fill materials, the archaeologists immediately began finding artifacts from the mid to late 19th century and early 20th century (fig. 3). These artifacts included ceramics, decorative table glass, medicine bottle glass, buttons, a blue glass bead, kaolin pipe stems and bowl fragments, children’s toys (glass and clay marbles and a saucer from a kid’s tea set), and a 1930s American Red Cross Life Saving Service pin.

Figure 3.—A photograph from the Office of State Archaeology showing a midden deposit behind Eliza Freeman’s house.

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References

1. Banners In Bridgeport Celebrate Historic Little Liberia Community. https://news.housatonic.edu/component/k2/banners-in-bridgeport-celebrate-historic-little-liberia-community.

2. Black History Month: History of Little Liberia. https://www.bridgeport.edu/events/2021-02-25/black-history-month-history-little-liberia ■

Soil Temperature Study in the Ozark Highlands of MissouriBy Samuel J. Indorante, USDA-NRCS, ACES (Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services) Program for Missouri and Illinois.

An important aspect of studying climate change is the study of soil climate change. To address soil climate change, a study was set up in the Ozark

Highlands of Missouri as part of the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN), which is administered by the NRCS National Water and Climate Center. A standard SCAN site monitors soil moisture content at several depths, air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed and direction, liquid precipitation, and barometric pressure (fig. 1).

Soil temperature measurements from a SCAN monitoring site in Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 116A were evaluated on landscapes comprised of Typic Fragiudults (Scholten series) and Typic Paleudults (Poynor series) (fig. 2). The five soil-forming factors were similar for both soils. The major difference between the

Figure 1.—Typical SCAN site configuration.

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adjacent soils was a fragipan in the Scholten series (fig. 3). The objective of this work was to evaluate soil temperature variations between a pedon classified as a Typic Fragiudult and an adjacent pedon classified as a Typic Paleudult in MLRA 116A (Ozark Highlands) of Missouri. Data was collected from July 2012 to December 2020.

Brief Summary of Study Findings

• Results suggest that the mean annual soil temperature of fragipan soils is cooler than that of adjacent soils with no fragipan properties.

• The greatest temperature differences between mean soil temperature and mean air temperature were observed in November (5.1 degrees C for Scholten

Figure 2.—Location of the Journagan Ranch SCAN site, Douglas County, Missouri, in relation to major land resource areas (MLRAs) and soil temperature regimes.

Figure 3.—Typical pattern of soils and parent material of the Poynor and Scholten soil series.

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soil and 5.3 degrees C for Poynor soil), December (5.0 degrees C for Scholten soil and 4.9 degrees C for Poynor soil), and January (4.5 degrees C for Schol-ten soil and 4.4 degrees C for Poynor soil).

• The smallest difference was during the month of March (0 degrees C for Schol-ten soil and 0.3 degree C for Poynor soil).

• The study also indicated that the mean annual soil temperature in the Ozark Highlands can vary by soil series depending on soil properties affecting heat transfer within pedons.

• The results of this study emphasize the importance of understanding soil forming-factors and soil-forming processes over short distances (e.g., soil landscapes or catenas) as well as longer distances (e.g., major land resource areas or soil temperature regimes) when studying soil temperature variation both in space and time.

The complete study is in review for the Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico. A poster presentation of the research was presented at the 2021 NCSS National Conference in June 2021. The study was a cooperative effort of USDA-NRCS (Jorge Lugo-Camacho and Dr. Samuel Indorante), USDA Forest Service (Dr. John Kabrick), and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez (Dr. Miguel A. Muñoz). ■

A soilSHOP at the 111th Plant Science Day Promotes Healthy Soil and Produce

O n Wednesday, August 4, at the 111th Plant Science Day in Hamden, Connecticut, the public was invited to bring a small (1-cup) soil sample from

their home garden for a quick onsite lead screening test. The event was a soilSHOP, which stands for Soil Screening, Health, Outreach, and Partnership, and included the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH), and USDA-NRCS. The objective of a soilSHOP is to promote health education by analyzing people’s soil for lead and then providing targeted one-on-one health education on how to reduce exposures to contaminated soil and produce.

At the event, USDA-NRCS soil staff completed the soil screening test using a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer (pXRF). The pXRF tool provides a rapid method

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(as little as 30 seconds) for analyzing soil samples while producing reliable results suitable for soilSHOP goals. Included in these screened elements are metals such as lead, which may be considered hazardous to human health if they occur in higher-than-typical trace amounts. Following the screening, results were appended to the submission form and provided to CT DPH staff, who provided one-on-one consultation about the lead results and discussed best practices to minimize risk of exposure to lead in soil.

Although not all 1,024 visitors to Plant Science Day remembered their soil sample, most of them stopped by the booth to ask about sources of lead in soil. Soil staff discussed various lead sources, such as deposits from leaded gasoline, exterior lead-based paint (especially in homes built before 1978), and industrial sources that have contributed to increased levels of lead in the soil.

This multidisciplinary team approach, which pools individuals from Federal and State agencies, facilitates the provision of important public health guidance to the urban population across Connecticut, a population that seeks to supplement their food with produce from home and community gardens. There has been an major increase in home-gardening interest during the pandemic, as well as legitimate concerns about food security and availability in regional, national, and global markets. The USDA-NRCS has tools to assist food production at all scales, including the hyper-local, as shown by their role in this soilSHOP event. ■

Nondiscrimination Statement

I n accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices,

and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

fax: (202) 690-7442; or email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. ■