Hydric Soil Identification Techniques

Conceptually, hydric soils are soils that formed under hydrologic conditions associated with wetlands. Identification of soils as “hydric” is critical to the identification and protection of wetlands. Conditions of saturation and anaerobiosis associated with wetland hydrology create morphological characteristics in soils that can be used to distinguish them from non-hydric (upland) soils. These distinctive morphological characteristics have been used to develop “indicators” to facilitate the rapid identification of hydric soils in the field without relying on chemical assays or long term monitoring. An understanding of how soils form and the soil properties related to hydric soil morphologies such as soil color and texture are needed to field identify indicators of hydric soils. This chapter emphasizes the proper application of field indicators of hydric soils, the process of describing soil morphology inherent to the use of hydric soil indicators, and approaches to address soils suspected to be hydric but do not meet a field indicator.