LOCATION BEMIS ME
Established Series
PAH-LRF-WDH
02/2012
BEMIS SERIES
The Bemis series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils on smooth, concave positions in valleys at higher elevations. These soils formed in dense glacial till. Permeability is moderately slow to moderately rapid in the organic surface layer, moderate in the mineral subsoil and slow or very slow in the dense substratum. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 34 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is about 50 inches at the type location.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, acid, shallow Aeric Cryaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Bemis gravelly fine sandy loam, on a 13 percent north-facing slope in a very stony forested area. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Oa--0 to 5 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) sapric material; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine and common medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bg--5 to 13 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) gravelly fine sandy loam; weak thin platy structure; friable; few very fine roots; few medium faint light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) iron depletions and few prominent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) faces of peds; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 17 inches thick)
Cd1--13 to 23 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) gravelly loam; massive; very firm; many coarse distinct gray (5Y 6/1) iron depletions and many coarse prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; 20 percent gravel; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 53 inches thick)
Cd2--23 to 36 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) gravelly loam; massive; very firm; common medium distinct gray (5Y 5/1) iron depletions and common coarse prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; 20 percent gravel; strongly acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 47 inches thick)
Cd3--36 to 65 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) gravelly loam; massive; very firm; common medium prominent gray (5Y 6/1) iron depletions and common faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; 20 percent gravel; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Maine; Redington Township (T1 R2); about 2.5 miles south of the Redington and Coplin town line and southwest of Nash Stream, about 2.0 miles west of the Redington and Carrabassett Valley town line, approximately 2600 feet in elevation; USGS Black Nubble topographic quadrangle; lat. 45 degrees 01 minute 30 seconds N. and long. 70 degrees 25 minutes 25 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 7 to 20 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 35 percent in the A horizon where present, and in the B horizon. It ranges from 5 to 30 percent in the substratum. Rock fragments are pebbles, cobbles, channers, and stones. Stones cover from 0 to 15 percent of the surface. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid in the solum and from very strongly acid to moderately acid in the substratum.
The Oa horizon, and the Oe horizon where present, have hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 2 and chroma of 1 or 2. They have weak or moderate fine granular structure.
The A horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 3 and chroma of 1. It is silt loam in the fine-earth fraction and has granular structure. Consistence is friable when moist and slightly sticky when wet.
The Bw horizon where present, has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam, loam, or sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. It has granular or subangular blocky structure. Consistence is friable when moist and non-sticky to sticky when wet.
Th Bg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. It has granular, subangular blocky, or platy structure. Consistence is friable when moist and nonsticky or slightly sticky when wet.
The Cd horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 1 to 4. It is silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. It is massive and consistence is firm or very firm.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. The
Brayton and
Monarda series are in related families. The Brayton and Monarda soils have a frigid soil temperature regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bemis soils are in smooth, concave positions in valleys at higher elevations. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in dense glacial till. The climate is humid and cool temperate. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 60 inches and the mean annual temperature ranges from 32 to 38 degrees F. The frost-free season ranges from 30 to 90 days. Elevation ranges from 1900 to 5300 feet above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are principally the
Saddleback,
Sisk and
Surplus soils, but also the
Enchanted and
Ricker soils. Saddleback soils are shallow to bedrock. Sisk and Enchanted soils are well drained and are on steeper slopes. Surplus soils are moderately well drained and somewhat poorly drained soils in more convex or more sloping areas. Ricker soils are organic and are very shallow to moderately deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Permeability is moderately slow to moderately rapid in the organic surface layer, moderate in the mineral subsoil, and slow or very slow in the dense substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Forested. Common tree species include red spruce, balsam fir, mountain paper birch, American mountain ash and yellow birch.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern mountains of Maine. (MLRA 143) The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County Area and Part of Somerset County, Maine Soil Survey, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 5 inches (Oa horizon).
b. Cambic horizon - the zone from 5 to 13 inches (Bg horizon).
c. Cd horizon - a very firm, dense basal till at a depth of 13 inches. d. Aeric feature - chroma of 3 in the Cd1 horizon above 20 inches. e. Cryic feature - studies done in Franklin County, Maine show that these wet, high elevation soils are saturated with water during some part of the summer and that the average summer temperature is lower than 43 degrees F.
ADDITIONAL DATA: The soil interpretation record number for the Bemis series, stony is ME0139.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.