Measuring Soil Properties and Soil Change in the Wisconsin Central Sand Plain.

The soils of the Central Sand Plain of Wisconsin are widely used for agriculture (e.g. potatoes, sweet corn, soybeans), and minor areas are under pines and prairie vegetation. Land management in agricultural fields involves land leveling, irrigation, and fertilizer and lime additions.

Research was conducted in a 12km² area in Adams County, Wisconsin. The three main soil types according to SSURGO database are Lamellic Udipsamments, Typic Udipsamments, and Arenic Hapludalfs. The landform is an outwash plain. It is assumed that at one point in time these soils were similar (genoform), but some soils have evolved into different phenoforms due to differences in land use. The overall aim of the research is the mapping of these genoforms and phenoforms that can be used to update the soil series information held in the SSURGO database. 59 soil samples to 2m depth were taking at locations along transects.

The agricultural areas are less acidic, have thicker top soils and sometimes more clay as a result of enhanced mineral weathering (more water). Therefore the soils are classified taxonomically different, by additions of organic carbon, accumulations of clay, and increase of pH. It seems that the genoform of the Udipsamments has changed into Mollisols and Alfisols within five decades of cropping by the use of agriculture inputs and irrigation.