Jillian Phillips 2010 STEP Soil Science Student Intern USDA-NRCS

About me Junior at URI – College of Natural Resources. Home State Connecticut 1 st Place winner of National Soil Judging Competition in 2010, Texas

Summer Activities Major work on RI Soil Survey Program – assisting organizing the National Subaqueous workshop, collecting soil data (fresh/salt). Geo-register / Archive Historic soils data (topos, soil survey, geology maps, thesis studies). Collect point data – 21 full pedon descriptions all entered into NASIS. Assist with Rapid Carbon Assessment – learned how to collect and analyze the data. Soil Lab work – collect EC measurements, SOC, particle size, etc. Worked out of the RI NRCS sub-office at URI. Complete NRCS required training (computer, EEO. Etc.). Work with planners, engineers, and other NRCS staff.

Vibracoring Pontoon vibracore set-up for salt water Salt Pond, Pt. Judith Sampled different landscape units within Salt Pond

Vibracore Setup Metal vibrating apparatus is bolted to the aluminum core The core is then lowered through the moon pool, into the water

Holding tube while it is vibrating into the soil Capping and duct tapping the core

Core Descriptions After vibracoring the cores are refrigerated until cut Each core is cut and described Bulk density Incubation pH

Raft Building A small raft that was built specifically for vibracoring  Has opening on one side for core  Two halves are attached together  Anchors used to stabilize while coring Smaller setup, including “backpack” vibracore and ladder

Raft and Vibracore

Bathymetry Ground penetrating radar is used to collect bathy information Depth to peat, muck, mineral layers and other information can be determined Collecting GPR data at Belleville Pond

Bathy Data Collection Manual bathy rod Ground truths GPR Tin boat Canoe GPS All points are marked on GPS Waypoints then uploaded to GIS Tin is made from points and bathy map is created

Geo-registering Maps from 1800s to early 1900s Geo-referenced on GIS to compare landscape units and development Eg. Galilee and dredge materials

Digital Archiving Effort in RI to convert old soil documents to electronic format.  All soil surveys online and maps registered.  Publications on Benchmark Soils (Paxton, etc.).  Pedon descriptions from 1981 survey. Thesis studies – enter data, geo-tag in Google Earth, make data available.

Mapping Marshes/Descriptions Using rod to determine peat depth Narrow river Galilee bird sanctuary Westerly 21 pit descriptions in Chepatchet Near Bowdish reservoir Full profile descriptions Over 600 point observations made.

McCauly Peat Sampler Full pit profile descriptions Pit Descriptions

National Subaqueous Soils Workshop – assisted with setup, field tours, gopher, making copies of course book.