Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mapping Soil Pore Water Salinity of Tidal Marsh Habitats Using Electromagnetic Induction in Great Bay Estuary, USA

Wetlands Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Electromagnetic induction was used to measure apparent conductivity of soil pore water within 15 oligohaline to polyhaline tidal marshes of the Great Bay Estuary in New Hampshire, USA. The instrument was linked to a differential global positioning system via a hand-held field computer to geo-reference data. Apparent conductivity was converted to salinity using a regression derived from field data, and mapped to illustrate spatial salinity gradients throughout the marshes. Plant communities occurring at the study sites included native low marsh, high marsh, and brackish tidal riverbank marsh, as well as communities dominated by native and non-native common reed, Phragmites australis. Results revealed mean salinity values were significantly different between each of the community categories sampled within the Estuary. Due to management concerns over expansion of Phragmites within the Estuary, we mapped the salinity range for this community and provided graphic and numerical estimates of potential Phragmites habitat based on salinity alone (26% of the total acreage surveyed). Electromagnetic induction is an efficient tool for rapid reconnaissance of apparent conductivity and salinity gradients in tidal marsh soils that can be superimposed on aerial imagery to estimate suitable habitat for restoration or invasive control based on salinity ranges.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price includes VAT (Canada)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

References

  • Adamowicz SC, Roman CT (2005) New England salt marsh pools: a quantitative analysis of geomorphic and geographic features. Wetlands 25:279–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin AH, McKee KL, Mendelssohn IA (1996) The influence of vegetation, salinity, and inundation on seed banks of oligohaline costal marshes. American Journal of Botany 83:470–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bart D, Burdick D, Chambers R, Hartman JM (2006) Human facilitation of Phragmites australis invasions in tidal marshes: a review and synthesis. Wetlands Ecology and Management 14:53–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bork EW, West NE, Doolittle JA, Boettinger JL (1998) Soil depth assessment of sagebrush grazing treatments using electromagnetic induction. Journal of Range Management 51:469–474

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley PM, Morris JT (1991) The influence of salinity on the kinetics of NH4+ uptake in Spartina alterniflora. Oecology 85:375–380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brevik EC, Fenton TE, Horton R (2004) Effect of daily soil temperature fluctuations on soil electrical conductivity as measured with the Geonics(R) EM-38. Precision Agriculture 5:145–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broome SW, Mendelssohn IA, McKee KL (1995) Relative growth of Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl. and Scirpus olneyi Gray occurring in a mixed stand as affected by salinity and flooding depth. Wetlands 15:20–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burdick DM, Dionne M, Boumans RM, Short FT (1997) Ecological responses to tidal restorations of two northern New England salt marshes. Wetlands Ecology and Management 4:129–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burdick DM, Buschbaum R, Holt E (2001) Variation in soil salinity associated with expansion of Phragmites australis in salt marshes. Environmental and Experimental Botany 46:247–261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers RM (1997) Porewater chemistry associated with Phragmites and Spartina in a Connecticut tidal marsh. Wetlands 17:360–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers RM, Mozdzer TJ, Ambrose JC (1998) Effects of salinity and sulfide on the distribution of Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora in a tidal saltmarsh. Aquatic Botany 62:161–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers RM, Ozgood DT, Bart DJ, Montalto F (2002) Phragmites australis invasion and expansion in tidal wetlands: Interactions among salinity, sulfide, and hydrology. Estuaries 26:298–406

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook PG, Walker GR (1992) Depth profiles of electrical conductivity from linear combinations of electromagnetic induction measurements. Soil Science Society of America Journal 56:1015–1022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corwin DL, Lesch SM (2005) Apparent soil electrical conductivity measurements in agriculture. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 46:11–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz L, Herrero J (1992) Salinity estimates in irrigated soils using electromagnetic induction. Soil Science 154:151–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doolittle J, Petersen M, Wheeler T (2001) Comparison of two electromagnetic induction tools in salinity appraisals. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 56:257–262

    Google Scholar 

  • ESRI (Environmental Systems Resource Institute) (2009) ArcMap 9.3. ESRI, Redlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Geonics Limited (2005) DAT38W software for field computer Allegro CX Field PC, Version 1.00. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

  • Geonics Limited (2006) EM38 ground conductivity meter operating manual. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, p 33

  • Greenhouse JD, Slaine DD (1983) The use of reconnaissance electromagnetic methods to map contaminant migration. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation 3:47–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanson BR, Kaita K (1997) Response of electromagnetic conductivity meter to soil salinity and soil-water content. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering 123:141–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendrickx JMH, Borchers B, Corwin DL, Lesch SM, Hilgendorf AC, Schlue K (2002) Inversion of soil conductivity profiles from electromagnetic induction measurements: theory and experimental verification. Soil Sciences Society of America Journal 66:673–686

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lissner J, Schierup HH (1997) Effects of salinity on the growth of Phragmites australis. Aquatic Botany 55:247–260

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mitsch WJ, Gosselink JG (2007) Wetlands, 4th edn. Wiley, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris ER (2009) Height-above-ground effects on penetration depth and response of electromagnetic induction soil conductivity meters. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 68:150–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris JT, Mendelssohn IA (2000) Eco-physiological controls on the productivity of Spartina alterniflora Loisel. In: Weinstien MP, Kreeger DA (eds) Concepts and controversies in tidal marsh ecology. Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York, pp 59–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Neckles H, Dionne M, Burdick D, Roman C, Buchsbaum R, Hutchins E (2002) A monitoring protocol to assess tidal restoration of salt marshes on local and regional scales. Restoration Ecology 10:556–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niedowski NL (2000) New York State salt marsh restoration and monitoring guidelines. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, East Setauket, p 137

    Google Scholar 

  • Nogues J, Robinson DA, Herrero J (2006) Incorporating electromagnetic induction methods into regional soil salinity survey of irrigation districts. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70:2075–2085

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Odell J, Eberhardt A, Burdick D, Ingraham P (2006) Great Bay Estuary restoration compendium. Report to the New Hampshire Coastal Program and the New Hampshire Estuaries Project

  • Odum WE (1988) Comparative ecology of tidal freshwater and salt marshes. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 19:147–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paine JG, White WA, Smyth RC, Andrews JR, Gibeaut JC (2004) Mapping coastal environments with lidar and EM on Mustang Island, Texas, U.S. The Leading Edge Summer: 894–898

  • PERL (Pacific Estuarine Research Laboratory) (1990) A manual for assessing restored and natural coastal wetlands with examples from southern California. California Sea Grant Report No. T-CSGCP-021. La Jolla, California

  • Portnoy JW, Valiela I (1997) Short-term effects of salinity reduction and drainage on salt-marsh biogeochemical cycling and Spartina (cordgrass) production. Estuaries 20:569–578

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reedy RC, Scanlon BR (2003) Soil water content monitoring using electromagnetic induction. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 129:1028–1039

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades JD (1993) Electromagnetic induction methods for measuring and mapping soil salinity. Advances in Agronomy 49:201–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades JD, Corwin DL (1981) Determining soil electrical conductivity-Depth relations using an inductive electromagnetic soil conductivity meter. Soil Science Society of America Journal 45:255–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades JD, Lesch SM, Shouse PJ, Alves WJ (1989) New calibrations for determining soil electrical conductivity-Depth relations from electromagnetic measurements. Soil Science Society of America Journal 53:74–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saltonstall K, Peterson PM, Soreng R (2004) Recognition of Phragmites australis subsp. americanus (Poaceae: Arundinaceae) in North America: evidence from morphological and genetic analyses. SIDA 21:683–692

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz G, Ruppel C (2005) Inversion of inductive electromagnetic data in high induction number terrains. Geophysics 70:G16–G28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz G, Ruppel C, Fulton P (2007) Integrating hydrologic and geophysical data to constrain coastal surficial aquifer processes at multiple spatial and temporal scales. In: Hyndman DW, Day-Lewis FD, Singha K (eds) Subsurface hydrology: data integration for properties and processes. American Geophysical Union, Geophysical Monograph Series 171:161–182

  • Sheets KR, Taylor JP, Hendrickx JMH (1994) Rapid salinity mapping by electromagnetic induction for determining riparian restoration potential. Restoration Ecology 2:242–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slavish PG (1990) Determining ECa depth profiles from electromagnetic induction measurements. Australian Journal of Soil Research 28:443–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slavish PG, Petterson GH (1990) Estimating average root zone salinity from electromagnetic induction (EM 38) measurements. Australian Journal of Soil Research 28:453–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sperduto DD, Nichols WF (2004) Natural Communities of New Hampshire. NH Natural Heritage Bureau, Concord, NH. Pub. UNH Cooperative Extension, Durham, NH

  • Triantafilis J, Laslett GM, McBratney AB (2000) Calibrating and electromagnetic induction instrument to measure salinity in soil under irrigated cotton. Soil Science Society of America Journal 64:1009–1017

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wijte ABH, Gallagher J (1996) Effects of oxygen availability and salinity on early life history stages of salt marsh plants. II. Early seedling development advantage of Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis (Poaceae). American Journal of Botany 83:1343–1350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams BG, Baker GC (1982) An electromagnetic induction technique for reconnaissance surveys of soil salinity hazards. Australian Journal of Soil Research 20:107–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wittler JM, Cardon GE, Gates TK, Cooper CA, Sutherland PL (2006) Calibration of electromagnetic induction for regional assessment of soil water salinity in an irrigated valley. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering 132:436–444

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank James Doolittle of the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service National Soil Survey Center for technical assistance with the EM38 instrument and for helpful comments on the manuscript, as well as Don Richard for technical support with modeling data output in GIS. We thank David Shay of Jackson Estuarine Laboratory for tireless field assistance, and four anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions to improve the manuscript. This work was supported by the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (Federal Award # 721428–6A380) and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Published as Scientific Contribution Number 501 from the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory and Center for Marine Biology at the University of New Hampshire.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, University of New Hampshire, 85 Adams Point Road, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Gregg E. Moore, David M. Burdick & Chris R. Peter

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Spaulding Hall, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Gregg E. Moore

  3. Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, James Hall, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    David M. Burdick

  4. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2 Madbury Road, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Donald R. Keirstead

Authors
  1. Gregg E. Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David M. Burdick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chris R. Peter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Donald R. Keirstead
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gregg E. Moore.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moore, G.E., Burdick, D.M., Peter, C.R. et al. Mapping Soil Pore Water Salinity of Tidal Marsh Habitats Using Electromagnetic Induction in Great Bay Estuary, USA. Wetlands 31, 309–318 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-010-0144-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-010-0144-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation