Surface-soil Properties of Alder Balds with Respect to Grassy and Rhododendron Balds on Roan Mountain, North Carolina—Tennessee

• Published in: Southeastern naturalist (Steuben, Me.) Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 377 - 395
• Main Authors: Donaldson, James T, Dinkins Zachary C, Levy Foster, Nandi Arpita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Humboldt Field Research Institute 2014
• Subjects: acid soils; acidity; Alnus viridis subsp. crispa; cation exchange capacity; cations; iron; magnesium; nitrates; nitrogen compounds; nitrogen-fixing bacteria; plant nutrition; potassium; primary succession; Rhododendron; sodium; vegetation types; zinc

We analyzed soils in Alder Bald, Grassy Bald, and Rhododendron Bald communities on Roan Mountain to infer the influence of vegetation on soil and to help guide management strategies. In all vegetation types, soils were acid (pH = 4–5) sandy loams. We found vegetation-associated differences for org...