Date of Graduation

2000

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Skousen

Abstract

Background quantities of trace elements were surveyed in Major Land Resource Area 126, the Central Appalachian Plateau in northwestern West Virginia. Three pedons each of Upshur, Vandalia, (both Typic Hapludalfs) and Gilpin (Typic Hapludult) soils were described and sampled in Doddridge, Mason and Clay counties. Twelve trace elements were extracted from soil samples by the EPA 3051 and hydrofluoric acid methods. The data from both procedures showed that except for Ca and Mg, the HF method extracted greater quantities of trace elements than EPA Method 3051. Significant differences were found for all trace elements except Cd, Cr, and Pb. Calcium, Mg, Cu, Ni, and Zn contents’ were significantly higher in the horizons of Upshur and Vandalia than Gilpin. For Ba and Mn, Vandalia was significantly higher than Upshur, which was significantly than Gilpin. Sampling at the soil series level would be adequate to obviate trace element differences among soils.

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