College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2024-01-17 07:07:21
Major
Geology
Honors Course
Geol 497
Number of Credits
6
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Fall 2023
Abstract
Bedrock mapping can be used to locate economic deposits, assess natural disaster (e.g., mass wasting) risk, and decipher the geologic history of a region. This study examines a site at Nemo, South Dakota to assess whether two contrasting types of bedrock produce different soil that result in different types of forest cover. Although bedrock varied, other soil forming factors were uniform. Within an approximately 1 km2 area, quartzite and metagabbro bedrock, ponderosa pine and quaking aspen forests were mapped. The soil above the quartzite bedrock is thinner and sandier and is dominated by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). In contrast, the soil above the metagabbro bedrock is thicker, mostly clay-sized and is dominated by quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and contains irises (Iris germanica). The increased CEC, phosphorus content, and clay content of the metagabbro-derived soil may account for the corresponding quaking aspen forest as aspens require more nutrients than ponderosa pine. Ponderosa pine is more tolerant of nutrient deficient conditions such as the quartzite-derived thin, sandy soil. This research indicates that because bedrock type influences soil properties which in-turn influence forest type, that forest type can be an additional tool in mapping bedrock contacts.
Research Sponsor
John Peck
First Reader
Molly Witter Shelleman
Second Reader
Shanon Donnelly
Honors Faculty Advisor
John Peck
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information
No
Recommended Citation
Isaac, Madison R., "Using Soil and Forest Type to Map Bedrock in Nemo, South Dakota" (2023). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1773.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1773
Included in
Geology Commons, Sedimentology Commons, Soil Science Commons