Chien-Lu Ping Principal Investigator

Three main North Slope field activities were carried out during the summer season of 2001. These activities were efforts that included work under the ATLAS, Biocomplexity, Hydric Soils and UAF Field course programs.

During the period of July 15-25th, Chien-Lu Ping, Gary Michaelson and four soils students traveled round-trip by vehicle from the Palmer Research Center to Prudhoe Bay. Hydric soil monitoring and ATLAS study sites were visited at Coldfoot, Toolik Lake, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon (MAT and MNT), Deadhorse and Betty Pingo. With the assistance of Skip Walker and his field group, a complete soil pit description and sampling was done at the Deadhorse and Sagwon Hills (MNT and MAT) Biocomplexity / Hydric Soil Monitoring sites. At these three sites, soils under representative nonsorted circles were described and sampled to a depth of 1 meter. Additionally at the Deadhorse site, soils were sampled in incremental depths to 20 cm under a series of six different vegetation cover categories identified by Walker's group. These samples were returned to the Palmer laboratory were they will be evaluated for differences in chemical and physical properties associated with the vegetation categories found on nonsorted circles. All soil samples from the three soil pits will be chemically characterized at the Palmer laboratory. Soils of nonsorted circles near Galbraith Lake were described and sampled to a 1-meter depth with samples returned to the Palmer Laboratory for chemical characterization.

On August 20-22nd Gary Michaelson traveled to Barrow and Atqasuk to work with Hyojung Kwon of Oechel's group at established ATLAS soil respiration/C-flux monitoring sites. At both sites, soils in close proximity to established flux chamber bases were examined and sampled. The soil samples that were collected from genetic horizons at each site will be chemically characterized and the respiration response with temperature examined at the Palmer Laboratory. These data will be used in soil organic matter-field C-flux data integration efforts between the Ping soils and the Oechel C-flux groups.

On August 23-30th, Chien-Lu Ping and Gary Michaelson were joined by John Kimble of the USDA-NRCS National Soil Survey Laboratory, at Prudhoe Bay for complete soils sampling and description of soils at seven north slope sites. Soils described and sampled to a 1-meter depth included those associated with Biocomplexity studies of Skip Walker's group: Franklin Bluffs (moist and dry), Happy Valley, Sagwon Hills (MNT), West Dock, and Howe Island. One day was spent working out of Toolik Lake Field Station at the Galbraith Lake study site of Paul Overduin of Kane's group. Chemical and physical characterization of about 70 soil genetic horizon samples from the seven sites will be performed at the USDA-National Soil Survey Laboratory as well as some analysis at the Palmer Laboratory.