Ditch-Drained Marsh Soil Characterization to Support Socio-Ecological Restoration Decisions.

Coastal communities and habitats are facing increasing stress with increasing rates of sea-level rise. The broad objective of this study is to increase the resilience of the socio-ecological system of the Deal Island Peninsula in Maryland through a process of collaborative learning and integrated ecological-anthropological-economic research. Our focus areas are heritage, flooding, and marsh restoration. A broad range of stakeholders are actively involved in the project from local, county, state, federal, non-governmental, and academic institutions. The restoration of ditch-drained tidal marshes is our marsh restoration case study. Soils data at site and geospatial scales are being collected as a component of the ecological research supporting each of these focus areas. At the site scale, we are collecting data in unditched and ditched marsh systems before and after restoration. Data include bulk density, carbon content, rubbed fiber content, hydroperiod, sedimentation rate, and water quality (including sulfides). At the geospatial scale we will be using SSURGO data as a component of our integrated analyses. In this presentation, we will discuss the results from our first year of data and how these data are being used to support the broader objectives of the study.