| Abstract: | ABSTRACT: Analyses of soil and water were made in a stretch of shallow ground north of a cypress head in South Florida. The area is covered with water for part of the year, and it flows slowly southward. The soil is primarily peat formed from the local graminid vegetation during its decay. The top layer consists of a blue-green algal mat whose decay products contribute to the peat also. Collections of soil (including the top layer) were made layer by layer and anlyzed for cations and anions and for ion exchange capacity. The latter appears to be high enough in all layers to account for the ion content within the soil and surrounding waters. It probably is a very important buffer system that retards limestone erosion. CEC values ranged from 20 to 190 meg/100 gm dry soil from bedrock to surface. |
