LOCATION HALCOTT NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, frigid Lithic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Halcott very channery loam-mixed hardwood forest. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Oi--0 to 1 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) slightly decomposed leaf-litter (1 to 3 inches thick).
A--1 to 6 inches; dusky red (2.5YR 3/4) very channery loam, weak red (2.5YR 6/4) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and few common medium roots; 45 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 14 inches; dusky red to dark red (2.5YR 3/4-3/6) very channery silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and few coarse roots; 60 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; (4 to 11 inches thick)
2R--14 inches; dusky red (2.5YR 3/4) thinly bedded sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Greene County, New York. Town of Windham. Road cut 400 feet south of Barnum Road and new development road junction. Elevation 2080 feet, USGS Hensonville topographic quadrangle; Latitude 42 degrees, 16 minutes, 09 seconds N. and Longitude 74 degrees, 10 minutes, 54 seconds W., NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 6 to 20 inches. Depth to bedrock ranges from 10 to 20 inches. Rock fragments range from 15 to 50 percent in the A horizon and from 20 to 70 percent in the B horizon averaging more than 35 percent in the control section. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout the soil.
The O horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR with value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1,2, or 3. The material consists of mostly slightly to moderately decomposed leaves and twigs.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 through 4. Dry color value is 6 or more. It is channery or very channery loam, silt loam, or fine sandy loam. It has weak or moderate fine or medium granular structure. Consistence is friable or very friable.
The B horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 3 through 8. It is channery or very channery silt loam, loam or fine sandy loam. It has weak or moderate fine or medium subangular blocky or granular structure. Consistence is very friable or friable.
Some pedons have BC or C horizons with colors and textures similar to the Bw horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. The Taconic series was in the same family but has not been classified to the 8th edition of the Keys To Soil Taxonomy. Taconic soils overlie folded phyllite bedrock. Arnot, Catlett, Dimal, Klinesville, Nassau, Unicoi and Weikert are similar soils in related families, but all have mesic temperature regimes. Barto and Insula soils are in similar families, but are non-skeletal.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Halcott soils are on nearly level to very steep uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 70 percent. They formed in a thin mantle of till derived from reddish, acid sandstone, siltstone and shale. Mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 49 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 47 to 60 inches. The growing season is 90 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Elka, Lewbeach, Onteora, Rockrift (T), Suny, Tor, Vly, and Willowemoc. Elka, Lewbeach, Rockrift (T), and Willowemoc soils are very deep. Onteora soils are very deep and somewhat poorly drained. Suny soils are very deep and poorly drained. Tor soils occur on the same landscapes, but are poorly drained. Vly soils are on the same landscapes, but are moderately deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Permeability is moderate or moderately rapid throughout. The potential for surface runoff is low to very high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly forested. A few areas were cleared and are used for unimproved pasture. Native vegetation is mostly red oak, sugar maple, black cherry, white pine, and white ash.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central-eastern New York State at higher elevations in the Catskill Mountains. MLRA 140. The series is extensive with an estimated 250,000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Greene County, NY, 1985.
REMARKS: The Halcott series is the frigid analogue of the Arnot series.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - from 1 to 6 inches.
2. Cambic horizon - from 6 to 14 inches.
3. Lithic subgroup - as evidenced by bedrock at 14 inches.
4. Udic soil moisture regime
Soil Interpretation Record Nos: NY0341, NY0342.
Additional Data - Characterization data is available for 2 pedons from Delaware Co. NY (S86NY025-003, 009)