uid=KBS,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=orgalluid=sbohm,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=orgallpublicreadhttps://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datasets/132.emlSoil Properties — Marginal Land Experiment at the Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI (2012 to 2024)G.RobertsonMichigan State University3700 East Gull Lake DriveHickory CornersMI49060US(269) 760-8364(269)671-2351robert30@msu.edu0000-0001-9771-9895RandyJacksonUniversity of WisconsinUS(608)262-1390rdjackson@wisc.edu0000-0002-8033-1250GreggSanfordUniversity of WisconsinMadisonWisconsin53706USgregg.r.sanford@gmail.com0000-0001-5019-9095StephenHamiltonMichigan State University3700 East Gull Lake DriveHickory CornersMI49060(269) 671-2231(269)671-2104hamilton@msu.edu0000-0002-4702-9017Mir ZamanHussainMichigan State UniversityHickory CornersMichiganUSmhussai@msu.edu0000-0002-4916-1302principal contactAshimDattaMichigan State UniversityUSdattaash@msu.edu0000-0002-1843-9981principal contactStaceyVanderWulpMichigan State University3700 East Gull Lake DriveHickory CornersMI49060US(269) 671-2339(269) 671-2333vanderws@msu.eduprincipal contact2026-05-16Dataset Abstractoriginal data source http://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datasets/132LTERKBSKellogg Biological StationHickory CornersMichiganGreat LakessoilpHphosphorusnutrientschemistrycalciummagnesiumpotassiumcationexchangecapacityphorganicmatterlimeDisturbanceInorganic NutrientsLTER Core Research Areafarmingbiotahttps://apps.usgs.gov/thesaurus/thesaurus-full.php?thcode=15Data in the KBS LTER core database may not be published without written permission of the lead investigator or project director. These restrictions are intended mainly to preserve the primary investigators' rights to first publication and to ensure that data users are aware of the limitations that may be associated with any specific data set. These restrictions apply to both the baseline data set and to the data sets associated with specific LTER-supported subprojects.All publications of KBS data and images must acknowledge KBS LTER support.The areas around the Kellogg Biological Station in southwest Michigan-85.404699-85.36685742.42026542.3910192012-01-012023-12-31Kellogg Biological StationData Managerlter.data.manager@kbs.msu.eduhttp://lter.kbs.msu.edu02vkce854KBS LTERThe GLBRC Marginal Land Experiment (MLE) was established in 2013 at north, central and south sites in Wisconsin and Michigan to evaluate the potential use of low productivity fields for low-input bioenergy biomass production. Six potential biofuel cropping systems (a.k.a. treatments; G5-G10 including switchgrass, miscanthus, native grasses, poplar, early successional, and restored prairie, respectively) from the GLBRC Biofuel Cropping Systems Experiment (BCSE) plus an historical vegetation control (G11) are replicated in each of 4 blocks (R1-R4). Split plot treatments were initiated in 2014-2016 to examine the effect of nitrogen fertilization [plus_n (+N) vs control (0N)] on all cropping systems. For more Information on site details, plot layout, and cropping systems see Marginal Land Experiment. For a taxonomic description of soils from each site, see Kasmerchak and Schaetzl (2018).
Both surface and deep-core soil samples are taken and may be analyzed for bulk density, total carbon and nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen, and for agronomic analysis and fertilizer/liming recommendations. Canopy species composition, annual net primary production (ANPP), and dry matter yields are measured in each of the cropping systems. Different methods are needed for ANPP and/or yield measurements of the poplar (G8) and historical vegetation (G11) treatments. Search for GLBRC Marginal land sites under Areas in the ag log for more specifics on sampling/harvesting equipment and procedures.
Each site has a weather station that records 5-minute observations of on-site conditions. Water profilers are installed in three replicates of each of the switchgrass (G5), poplar (G8) and restored prairie (G10) treatments; measurements are recorded at 0, 30 and 60 cm depths.
In 2018, a rainfall exclusion experiment was established in the fertilized split plot of the switchgrass (G5) treatment to examine the effects of drought on switchgrass For more information, see the Marginal Land Rainfall Exclusion Experiment protocol.
Note that Block 1 at the Wisconsin Central – Hancock site was retired in 2015. Also, the entire Wisconsin South – Oregon site was retired after the 2018 growing season due to high soil fertility and the maintenance, sampling, harvest and analysis of the remaining Wisconsin sites was transferred from UW staff to MSU staff.GLBRC Marginal Land Experiment – SamplingData Managerhttp://glbrc.kbs.msu.edu/protocols/181Soil total carbon and nitrogen as well as the ratio of C:N are important attributes of soil fertility. Both total C and N are measured by a combustion method that does not differentiate between organic and inorganic forms of the elements. In most soils, inorganic N is a tiny fraction of total N so total N is synonymous with organic N. Inorganic C, on the other hand, can be a significant portion of total C in soils with carbonate minerals. Extensive testing of KBS surface soils has shown soil inorganic C to be non-detectable; thus total C in KBS surface soils is synonymous with total organic carbon (TOC).
However, carbonates may still be present in deep or recently limed soils, which must be tested for inorganic carbon and, if present, the carbonates removed via acid fumigation (described below) prior to total C analysis. Inorganic C can also be analyzed separately via the inorganic C protocol.
To measure total C and N, subsamples of dried, finely ground soil are weighed into small foil capsules that are combusted in an automated CHN analyzer that measures the amount of released CO2 and N2 by gas chromatography. Final values are expressed as the percentage of carbon or nitrogen in dry soil. If inorganic C has been confirmed to be absent, removed, or analyzed separately and subtracted, values can be expressed as total organic C.
Sampling frequency depends on experiment and research objectives. Since 2001, soils of the LTER Main Cropping System Experiment are analyzed for total C and N as part of the decadal deep soil core (whole profile) sampling program, usually in late fall of wheat years.Soil Total Carbon and NitrogenData Managerhttp://lter.kbs.msu.edu/protocols/37Soil bulk density is a measurement of the dry mass of soil per unit soil volume (g/cm3) and thus includes the combined volume of solids and pores that may contain gases or water, or both. Bulk density can affect many soil processes, such as water passage, heat transfer, aeration and root growth. It is also a necessary factor to convert mass-based units to area-based units.
This protocol describes bulk density analyses associated with deep (1 m) soil cores sampled at approximate 5-10 year intervals to examine changes in soil carbon with depth. Cores are delineated into soil sections and bulk density is determined either by depth interval or by soil horizon (MCSE in 2008). For each core section or interval, dried subsamples are also pulverized and sampled for carbon and nitrogen analysis, and the remainder or a portion thereof is archived.
Sampling frequency: Usually every 5-10 years Soil Bulk Density - Deep CoresData Managerhttp://lter.kbs.msu.edu/protocols/110Ammonium (NH4 ) and nitrate (NO3-) are the predominate forms of inorganic N in soils; their availability affects rates of N transformation, plant uptake, and N leaching. To measure the nutrient pool of NH4 and NO3- in soils, a subsample of a fresh, sieved composite sample is extracted, filtered, and the extract then analyzed using colorimetric techniques. Concentrations of NH4+ and NO3- are typically expressed as element mass of N per gram of dry soil, but conversion to an areal basis is possible if the soil bulk density and sample depth are known.
Sampling frequency: Depends on experiment, time of year, and research objective. Soil inorganic N is routinely measured as part of our LTER and GLBRC soil sampling programs.Soil Inorganic NData Managerhttp://lter.kbs.msu.edu/protocols/33The amount of water or moisture in a given mass of soil is highly variable and is important to measure in field studies because it affects microbial activity, nutrient movement, and plant growth. To measure soil moisture content by the gravimetric method, a subsample of a fresh, sieved composite sample or a fresh soil core is weighed, oven dried until there is no further mass loss, and then reweighed. The moisture content is expressed as mass of water per mass of dry soil.
Sampling frequency: Depends on experiment and research objective. Soil moisture is routinely measured as part of our LTER core soil sampling for inorganic N, N mineralization, and greenhouse gas fluxes.Soil Moisture ‒ GravimetricData Managerhttp://lter.kbs.msu.edu/protocols/24https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datatables/438Kellogg Biological Station LTER: Agronomic Soil Chemistry (GLBRC094-003)Deep core (to 1 m) and surface (typically 0-25 cm) soil samples are taken periodically and sent to an analytical laboratory for fertilizer/liming recommendations and analyzed for pH, lime index, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, cation exchange capacity and, depending on laboratory, organic matter.
From 2012-2022, samples were analyzed by either the Michigan State University Soil and Plant Nutrient Laboratory or the University of Wisconsin Soils Laboratory, which included organic matter in their analyses.Agronomic+Soil+Chemistry.csvNone401\ncolumn,no"\https://data.sustainability.glbrc.org/datatables/438.csvyearyear soil sample was collectedintegersample_datedate of soil coringYYYY-MM-DD11987-4-18siteWisconsin or Michigan sampling siteWisconsin or Michigan sampling sitetreatmentexperimental treatmentexperimental treatmentreplicatereplicate nested within treatmentreplicate nested within treatmentcampaignsampling intentsampling intenttop_depth_cmupper soil sampling depthcentimeterintegerbottom_depth_cmlower soil sampling depthcentimeterintegerpHpH of soil solutiondimensionlessreallime_indexindicator of potential acidityintegerp_ppmphosphorus in soilmilligramsPerKilogramrealk_ppmpotassium in soilmilligramsPerKilogramrealca_ppmcalcium in soilmilligramsPerKilogramrealmg_ppmmagnesium ppm in soilmilligramsPerKilogramrealfield_sectionsection of the field sampledsection of the field sampledn_treatmentnitrogen treatment of given split plotnitrogen treatment of given split plotest_cecCation exchange capacity in meq/100g soilmilliEquivalentsPerHundredGramrealphosphorus_M3_percentphosphorus concentration by the Mehlich 3 methodmilligramsPerKilogramreallabthe lab where the analysis was perfomedthe lab where the analysis was perfomedcommentsnotesnoteshttps://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datatables/495Kellogg Biological Station LTER: Soil Total Carbon and Nitrogen (Deep Core) (GLBRC094-005)Total carbon and nitrogen content of deep core soil samples (1 meter deep core split in 4 depths) from the Marginal Land Experiment.Soil+Total+Carbon+and+Nitrogen+(Dep+Core).csvNone351\ncolumn,no"\https://data.sustainability.glbrc.org/datatables/495.csvyearyear soil sample was collectedYYYY11987-4-18sample_datedate of soil coringYYYY-MM-DD11987-4-18siteWisconsin or Michigan sampling siteWisconsin or Michigan sampling sitetreatmentexperimental treatmentexperimental treatmentreplicatereplicate nested within treatment replicate nested within treatment experimentGLBRC experimentGLBRC experimentcampaignsampling intentsampling intentactual_top_depth_cmactual upper soil sampling depthcentimeterintegeractual_bottom_depth_cmactual lower soil sampling depthcentimeterintegernominal_top_depth_cmnominal upper soil sampling depthcentimeternominal_bottom_depth_cmnominal lower soil sampling depthcentimeternitrogen_percentpercent total nitrogen content in soilgramsPerHectogramrealcarbon_percentpercent total carbon content in soilgramsPerHectogramrealwi_plot_idWisconsin plot identifierintegercommentsnotesnotesfield_sectionsection of the field sampledsection of the field sampledhttps://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datatables/512Kellogg Biological Station LTER: Soil Bulk Density (GLBRC094-009)Soil bulk density determined for each depth interval of deep (to ~1 m) core soil samples from the Marginal Land ExperimentSoil+Bulk+Density.csvNone361\ncolumn,no"\https://data.sustainability.glbrc.org/datatables/512.csvyearthe year the sample was takenYYYY11987-4-18sample_datethe date the sample was takenYYYY-MM-DD11987-4-18sitethe sample sitethe sample siteexperimentthe experimentthe experimenttreatmentthe experimental treatmentthe experimental treatmentreplicatethe experimental replicate plotthe experimental replicate plotfield_sectionthe subsection of the plotthe subsection of the plotactual_top_depth_cmthe soil depth to the top of the core section centimeterrealactual_bottom_depth_cmthe soil depth to the bottom of the core sectioncentimeterrealnominal_top_depth_cmthe top depth prescribed by the protocolcentimeterrealnominal_bottom_depth_cmthe bottom depth prescribed by the protocolcentimeterrealcore_diameterdiameter of the core takencentimeterrealbulk_density_gravel_freebulk density after removing gravel >4 mmgramsPerCubicCentimeterrealtotal_bulk_densitytotal bulk densitygramsPerCubicCentimeterrealcommentscomments about the samplecomments about the samplecampaignthe sample campaignthe sample campaignhttps://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datatables/571Kellogg Biological Station LTER: Soil Moisture Profiles (GLBRC094-011)Profiles of soil moisture for sites of the Marginal Land Experiment. Soil moisture is measured with Campbell CS650 soil moisture probes (https://www.campbellsci.com/cs650) connected to Campbell CR800 dataloggers.Soil+Moisture+Profiles.csvNone321\ncolumn,no"\https://data.sustainability.glbrc.org/datatables/571.csvsitethe MLE site namethe MLE site nameexperimentexperiment conducted in site. In this case, the profiles of soil moistureexperiment conducted in site. In this case, the profiles of soil moisturedatetimesampling datetime in UTC (or as indicated by the time zone offset)YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss+dddd11987-4-18treatmentGLBRC crop plantationGLBRC crop plantationreplicatereplicates nested in treatmentreplicates nested in treatmentdepthtop sampling depth of the vertically installed 30 cm probe. 0 = 0-30, 30 = 30-60 cm,60 = 60 - 90 cmcentimeterintegervwcaverage volumetric water content over the depth rangecubicMeterPerCubicMeterrealecelectrical conductivitydeciSimensPerMeterrealtemperaturesoil temperature at the top sampling depthcelsiusrealpermittivitydielectric permittivity of the soil (in C2N-1m-2) divided by the dielectric permittivity of a vacuum (8.85E-12 C2N-1m-2).dimensionlessrealperiodaverage travel time of the reflected wave multiplied by a scaling factor of 128microsecondrealvoltage ratiothe ratio of the excitation voltage to the measured voltage along the sensor rods when they are excited at a fixed 100 kHz frequency. A measure of signal attenuation voltPerVoltrealsample_idthe unique sample id (for debugging)the unique sample id (for debugging)https://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datatables/778Kellogg Biological Station LTER: Carbon and Nitrogen Surface samples (GLBRC094-018)Surface soils were collected and analyzed for total Carbon and NitrogenCarbon+and+Nitrogen+Surface+samples.csvNone311\ncolumn,no"\https://data.sustainability.glbrc.org/datatables/778.csvyearSampling YearSampling Yearsample_datethe date the sample was collected from the fieldYYYY-MM-DD11987-4-18siteThe MLE siteThe MLE sitetreatmentthe treatment sampledthe treatment sampledreplicatethe replicate plot sampledthe replicate plot sampledsub_plotthe sub plot sampledthe sub plot sampledtop_depth_cmthe top depth of the sample as measured from the soil surfacecentimeterrealbottom_depth_cmthe bottom depth of the sample as measured from the soil surfacecentimeterrealcarbonpercent carbon in the sampledimensionlessrealnitrogenpercent nitrogen in the sampledimensionlessrealidinternal sample idinternal sample idlabelsample labelsample labelhttps://lter.kbs.msu.edu/datatables/613Kellogg Biological Station LTER: Soil Moisture (Gravimetric) (GLBRC131-001)Gravimetric soil moisture at sites of GLBRC Marginal Land Experiment; soil moisture measurements accompany determination of soil inorganic nitrogen.Soil+Moisture+(Gravimetric).csvNone301\ncolumn,no"\https://data.sustainability.glbrc.org/datatables/613.csvyearyear the soil sample was collectedyear the soil sample was collectedsample_datedate the soil sample was collecteddate the soil sample was collectedsiteexperiment locationexperiment locationexperimentthe experimentthe experimenttreatmentthe experimental treatmentthe experimental treatmentreplicatethe experimental replicate plotthe experimental replicate plotlocationthe subsection of the plotthe subsection of the plotn_treatmentnitrogen fertilizationnitrogen fertilizationdepthdepth of samplingcentimeterrealmoisturegravimetric soil moisturegramsPerHectogramrealmle-plots.zipmle-plots.zipziphttps://lter.kbs.msu.edu/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NzUxMSwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--5f9733f4f1e4aafdbecbfc6b3a74e831ad76f200/mle-plots.zipFilelake-city.ziplake-city.zipziphttps://lter.kbs.msu.edu/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NzUxMiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--69fea1375e400d239793db3566d109c71e3a58c2/lake-city.zipFileescanaba.zipescanaba.zipziphttps://lter.kbs.msu.edu/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NzUxMywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--75117d162bf4fc3cb0c77109d223b5f3e9d115ac/escanaba.zipFile@article{citation_4130,
author = {Lukas P Bell-Dereske and Gian Maria Niccolò Benucci and Pedro Beschoren da Costa and Gregory Bonito and Maren L Friesen and Lisa K Tiemann and Sarah E Evans},
title = {Regional biogeography versus intra-annual dynamics of the root and soil microbiome},
year = {2023},
journal = {Environmental Microbiome},
pages = {50},
volume = {18},
doi = {10.1186/s40793-023-00504-x}
}