Nov 13, 2007.  Soils-Based Evidence for a Former Salt-Marsh; Jarosite and Buried A Horizons (Humboldt County, CA), at the Soil Science Society of America Meeting in New Orleans, LA. View the full article here:  http://now.humboldt.edu/news/humboldt-makes-strong-presence-at-soils-conference/

Humboldt State University Professor Susan Edinger Marshall and Wildland Soils major Rosemary Records presented a poster titled “Soils-Based Evidence for a Former Salt-Marsh; Jarosite and Buried A Horizons (Humboldt County, CA),” at the Soil Science Society of America Meeting in New Orleans, LA.

Anthony Baker, of the Department of Biological Sciences, assisted the undergraduate researchers in isolating a bacterium known to create the yellow-colored mineral, jarosite, which often occurs in drained wetlands and costal marshes.

Jarosite is often associated with Acid Sulfate Soils (ASS), a result of drained coastal areas. Acid sulfate soils are low pH soils that can harm aquatic life and corrode structures. Fortunately, the local field site where the jarosite was found is not acidified and is being appropriately used for beef cattle production.) Other contributing undergraduate researchers in soil microbiology and soil morphology and classification courses included Marie Petersen, David Risberg, Carrie Alexander and Adam Burdett.