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Title: SOIL PROPERTIES AS INFLUENCED BY DUST EMISSIONS

Author
item Skidmore, Edward
item Tatarko, John

Submitted to: American Geophysical Union
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/4/2003
Publication Date: 11/2/2003
Citation: Skidmore, E.L., Tatarko, J. 2003. Soil properties as influenced by dust emissions. EOS Trans. American Geophysical Union, 84(46) Fall Meet. Suppl.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract only.

Technical Abstract: Wind erosion selectively removes the most fertile portion of the soil. When sediment balance from wind erosion is negative, soil quality is impoverished. Our objective was to determine the change in selected soil propertied that are measures of soil quality as influenced by dust emissions from wind erosion. We sampled saltation drifts and near surface bulk soil from several recently eroded fields, measured selected soil properties, and compared results from the eroded saltation drifts with the non-eroded bulk soil. We found that sandy loams became loamy sands and loamy sands became sands with 10 to 30% increase of sand in the saltation drift with a corresponding decrease in organic matter and cation exchange capacity. Whereas the texture, organic matter, and cation exchange is not benefited by the millions of tons of nutrient and organic matter enriched soil that is deposited in the road ditches, reservoirs, and oceans. In general, wind erosion degrades soil and lowers its capacity to produce food and fiber needed to sustain an increasing population.