Diversity of hydric soils in North Carolina,USA

Hydric soils are used as supportive evidence for wetland delineations by federal and state agencies and by the private sector in North Carolina, USA. An analysis of hydric soil distribution and hydric soil characteristics was conducted with county soil surveys and soil taxonomy of the USA. Approximately 100 hydric soils have been used for soil mapping in North Carolina, and they represent seven of the ten soil orders in soil taxonomy. An estimated 23% (2.9 million ha) of the land surface area in North Carolina supports hydric soils. Approximately 96% of the known hydric soil acreage was found in the coastal plain of North Carolina. Over one-third of the soils were hydric Ultisols, which represented close to 10% of the land surface area. The other soil orders with extensive hydric soil acreage included Histosols, Inceptisols, and Entisols. The soil orders were separated into great groups of soil taxonomy to discuss soil profile characteristics. Landscape positions and associated wetland communities were also presented. In North Carolina, a statewide inventory of wetlands does not exist and soil surveys offer a resource for a first approximation of wetland boundaries.