LOCATION BISCUIT MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty over clayey, mixed, superactive, frigid Alfic Epiaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Biscuit very fine sandy loam - on a 1 percent slope in an abandoned field with speckled alder brush. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; dark gray (5YR 4/1) very fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
E--10 to 11 inches; pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bs1--11 to 12 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3 and 3/4) loamy very fine sand; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium and thick platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; friable; few fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bs2--12 to 16 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very fine sandy loam; many coarse prominent brown (7.5YR 5/4) mottles; weak medium and thick platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; friable; few fine roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
E'--16 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam; few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium and thick platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; friable; few fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
B/E--19 to 22 inches; about 85 percent reddish brown (5YR 5/4) silt loam (Bt); surrounded by brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam (E); weak medium and thick platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; friable; few fine vesicular pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 10 inches thick)
2Bt--22 to 31 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) clay; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and light gray (5Y 7/1) mottles; moderate medium and thick platy structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; firm; common fine vesicular pores; common faint light olive brown (2.5YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds; mildly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
2C--31 to 60 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) clay; with few thin light gray (10YR 7/2) silt bands; moderate medium and thick platy structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; firm; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Chippewa County, Michigan; about 5 miles east of Brimley; 1,900 feet east and 100 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 32, T. 47 N., R. 1 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges from 20 to 40 inches in thickness. Reaction of the upper loamy material is strongly acid to neutral.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. The E horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. It occurs as pockets or discontinuous layers in the Ap horizon in some pedons. The A and E horizons are very fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, or very fine sand.
The Bs horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. They are very fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, or very fine sand.
The E' horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. Textures are the same as for the Bs horizons. Some pedons have a Bw horizon with hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 6.
The B part of the B/E horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR and chroma of 4 to 6. The E part has colors similar to the E' horizon. The B/E horizon is very fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand or silt loam.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR and value of 4 or 5. It is clay, silty clay, or silty clay loam. It is neutral or mildly alkaline.
The 2C horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR and value of 4 or 5. It is clay or silty clay with thin stratified bands of silt and silt loam. The thin bands have hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 or 3. Some pedons do not have stratified bands. Reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the Allendale and Arkona series. Both of these soils have coarser textures in the upper solum. In addition, Arkona soils are mesic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Biscuit soils are on level or nearly level slopes on lake plains. Slope gradients range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 26 to 35 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 42 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gaastra, Ontonagon, and Rudyard soils. The Gaastra soils are coarse-loamy and are on similar landscape positions. The Ontonagon soils are clayey and are on steep side slopes. The Rudyard soils do not have upper loamy subsoils and are on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate in the upper loamy part and very slow in the lower clayey part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are abandoned fields reverting to red maple, quaking aspen, speckled alder, balsam fir, and paper birch. A few areas are in hayland, pasture, or small grain crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and possibly the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chippewa County, Michigan, 1989.
REMARKS: Classification was adjusted to agree with ST Issue #17 on 7 Sept 94 by CLG. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 10 inches (Ap horizon); albic horizon - the zone from 10 to 11 inches and from 16 to 19 inches (E and E' horizons); spodic horizon - the zone from 11 to 16 inches (Bs1 and Bs2 horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 22 to 31 inches (2Bt horizon). For laboratory data on representative pedon, refer to Michigan Technological University pedon number 85MI-033-1.
Based upon the current problems with the chemical requirements for spodosols, the classification of the series was changed from Sideraquods to Haplaquods.