The Effects of Terrain Position and Elevation on Soil C in the Southern Appalachians

Soil carbon (C) content affects biogeochemical cycles, and varies with climate, vegetation, soil moisture, and other factors. These factors vary in predictable patterns in many regions, including the southern Appalachians (Lindsay and Sawyer, 1970; Whittaker, 1956). For example, temperature decreases and precipitation increases from low to high elevations in the southern Appalachians (Meiners et al., 1984; Bolstad et al., 1998a), and soil moisture decreases from cove to ridge and increases from low to high elevations (Helvey et al., 1972; Yeakley et al., 1998).