A Comparative Assessment of the Characteristics of Manasquan Reservoir’s Wetland Soils and Trail Soils

Principal Investigator:
Julianna Cofinas

Faculty Advisor:
Rebecca Laboy

Abstract:
The Manasquan Reservoir is a man-made reservoir that was constructed in 1990 which consists of multiple pedestrian trails around the pine-oak forest and six major freshwater wetlands that were created after construction. This project analyzed the soil surrounding three of these wetlands along with points along the five mile perimeter trail in order to compare various characteristics of wetland soil and trail soil. Three soil samples from each of the selected wetlands and three from the pedestrian trail were collected and pH tested, sieved for a textural analysis, and assessed for plant-available nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The pH levels of the wetland and trail soils did not show much diversity and overall indicated an average value of 6 which is more basic than the average pH of 3.5-4.4 for the coastal plain of New Jersey. The wetland soils displayed a variety of soil textures including sandy clay loam, loamy sand, and sandy loam while all trail samples were sandy loam. While nitrogen was not present in any soil sample, the trail soil samples indicated a higher level of phosphorus than the wetland soil and implies a source of nutrients from neighboring homes or another human source. A surplus of potassium was revealed in all wetland samples and requires more testing to determine the cause of these excess nutrients. Further research of the reservoir’s construction history and continued nutrient testing of the wetland soil will help ensure the wetlands of the Manasquan Reservoir remain protected and unaffected by human influence so the ecosystem can continue to develop and thrive.