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Soils

  • Soil Descriptions

Breadcrumb

  1. Data & Samples
  2. Collection Methods
  3. Observational Sampling
  4. Observation Types
  5. Soils
  6. Soil Descriptions

Soil Descriptions

megapit soils

During terrestrial site construction, NEON orchestrated two efforts to describe and characterize the local soils. More info about each of these efforts is below. A link to soil description documents and photos for each NEON site can be found in the table at the bottom of this page. Moreover, air-dried soil from these efforts is archived and available for request, visit the Megapit and Distributed Initial Characterization Soil Archives page for more information.

Megapit Info

Sampling and analysis methods

NEON collected soil from each horizon at a single, temporary soil pit at each terrestrial field site, called the megapit. The pit was located in the locally dominant soil type, near the instrumented NEON tower, and was selected to be representative of the soil sensor locations. Soil profiles down to 2 m (or bedrock) were described based on one face of a soil pit at all sites except BONA, HEAL, TOOL and BARR, where the description was based on a soil core due to the presence of permafrost. NEON worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory (NRCS-KSSL) to perform a suite of chemical and physical analyses on soil material from each horizon.

Data

A wide range of information about these soils is available in NEON data products, including:

  • Texture, bulk density, Soil pH, total carbon (C), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S) and other elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Si, Sr, Ti, and Zr): Soil physical and chemical properties, Megapit (DP1.00096.001)
  • Root biomass distribution: Root biomass and chemistry, Megapit (DP1.00066.001)

Distributed Initial Characterization Info

Sampling and analysis methods

NEON contracted the Soil Science Division of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, in partnership with the USDA Agriculture Research Service, to describe the taxonomic, physical and geochemical properties of all major soil units at each NEON site. Between 10 to 34 pedons were described and sampled by horizon at each terrestrial site, generally to 1 m depth (or bedrock). Samples were sent to the NRCS-KSSL to perform a suite of chemical and physical analyses on soil material from each horizon.

Data

A wide range of information about these soils is available in a NEON data product, including:

  • Texture, bulk density, soil pH, cation exchange, concentrations of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus, sulfur (S), and extractable metals: Soil physical and chemical properties, Distributed initial characterization (DP1.10047.001)

Explore the links below to see Megapit and distributed characterization soil descriptions as well as browse soil pit and core images. Click the headers to sort the table. In addition, air-dried soil from each horizon is archived and available for request in the Megapit and Distributed Initial Characterization Soil Archives.

Domain Site Site Code
Domain 01 Northeast Bartlett Experimental Forest NEON, NH BART
Domain 01 Northeast Harvard Forest & Quabbin Watershed NEON, MA HARV
Domain 02 Mid-Atlantic Blandy Experimental Farm NEON, VA BLAN
Domain 02 Mid-Atlantic Smithsonian Environmental Research Center NEON, MD SERC
Domain 02 Mid-Atlantic Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute NEON, VA (SCBI) SCBI
Domain 03 Southeast Disney Wilderness Preserve NEON, FL DSNY
Domain 03 Southeast The Jones Center At Ichauway NEON, GA JERC
Domain 03 Southeast Ordway-Swisher Biological Station NEON, FL OSBS
Domain 04 Atlantic Neotropical Guanica Forest NEON, PR GUAN
Domain 04 Atlantic Neotropical Lajas Experimental Station NEON, PR LAJA
Domain 05 Great Lakes Steigerwaldt-Chequamegon NEON, WI STEI
Domain 05 Great Lakes Treehaven NEON, WI TREE
Domain 05 Great Lakes University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center NEON, MI UNDE
Domain 06 Prairie Peninsula Konza Prairie Agroecosystem NEON, KS KONA
Domain 06 Prairie Peninsula Konza Prairie Biological Station NEON, KS KONZ
Domain 06 Prairie Peninsula KU Field Station NEON, KS UKFS
Domain 07 Appalachians and Cumberland Plateau Great Smoky Mountains National Park NEON, TN GRSM
Domain 07 Appalachians and Cumberland Plateau Mountain Lake Biological Station NEON, VA MLBS
Domain 07 Appalachians and Cumberland Plateau Oak Ridge NEON, TN ORNL
Domain 08 Ozarks Complex Dead Lake NEON, AL DELA
Domain 08 Ozarks Complex Lenoir Landing NEON, AL LENO
Domain 08 Ozarks Complex Talladega National Forest NEON, AL TALL
Domain 09 Northern Plains Dakota Coteau Field Site NEON, ND DCFS
Domain 09 Northern Plains Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory NEON, ND NOGP
Domain 09 Northern Plains Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge NEON, ND WOOD
Domain 10 Central Plains Central Plains Experimental Range NEON, CO CPER
Domain 10 Central Plains Rocky Mountains NEON, CO RMNP
Domain 10 Central Plains North Sterling NEON, CO STER
Domain 11 Southern Plains Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland NEON, TX CLBJ
Domain 11 Southern Plains Marvin Klemme Range Research Station NEON, OK OAES
Domain 12 Northern Rockies Yellowstone National Park NEON, WY YELL
Domain 13 Southern Rockies and Colorado Plateau Moab NEON, UT MOAB
Domain 13 Southern Rockies and Colorado Plateau Niwot Ridge NEON, CO NIWO
Domain 14 Desert Southwest Jornada Experimental Range NEON, NM JORN
Domain 14 Desert Southwest Santa Rita Experimental Range NEON, AZ SRER
Domain 15 Great Basin Onaqui NEON, UT ONAQ
Domain 16 Pacific Northwest Abby Road NEON, WA ABBY
Domain 16 Pacific Northwest Wind River Experimental Forest NEON, WA WREF
Domain 17 Pacific Southwest San Joaquin Experimental Range NEON, CA SJER
Domain 17 Pacific Southwest Soaproot Saddle NEON, CA SOAP
Domain 17 Pacific Southwest Lower Teakettle NEON, CA TEAK
Domain 18 Tundra Utqiaġvik NEON, AK BARR
Domain 18 Tundra Toolik Field Station NEON, AK TOOL
Domain 19 Tiaga Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed NEON, AK BONA
Domain 19 Tiaga Delta Junction NEON, AK DEJU
Domain 19 Tiaga Healy NEON, AK HEAL
Domain 20 Pacific Tropical Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve NEON, HI PUUM
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The National Ecological Observatory Network is a major facility fully funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.