Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 7
Wetland Biogeochemistry Techniques
Bruce L. Vasilas, Martin Rabenhorst, Jeffry Fuhrmann,
Anastasia Chirnside, and Shreeam Inamdar
Abstract Biogeochemistry is the scientific discipline that addresses the biological,
chemical, physical, and geological processes that govern the composition of the
natural environment, with particular emphasis placed on the cycles of chemical
elements critical to biological activity. Biogeochemical assays may measure a
specific elemental pool, determine the rate of a pathway, or address a surrogate of
a biogeochemical process or an elemental pool. In this chapter, we have attempted
to emphasize field techniques; however, some of the techniques have relatively
standard laboratory components that are beyond the scope of this chapter. This
chapter is not meant to be all inclusive. We have chosen to emphasize the cycling of
carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, manganese, and iron. Some of these
techniques are not appropriate for all types of wetlands, or may be appropriate for
a seasonally saturated wetland only during part of the season. Some of the
techniques are simple and rely on equipment available to most wetlands
practitioners. Others, which utilize isotopic methodologies, require expensive
sophisticated equipment. Some techniques, such as soil organic matter determina-
tion by loss on ignition, have been accepted as standard methods for decades.
Others, such as the determination of dissolved organic matter represent recent
advances in a rapidly evolving field of ultra-violet and fluorescence technology.
Some techniques rely solely on direct field measurements; others rely on the
