LOCATION LEISY NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Udic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Leisy fine sandy loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak, fine, granular structure; soft, very friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
A--8 to 18 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak, coarse, subangular blocky structure parting to weak, medium and fine, subangular blocky; soft, very friable; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--18 to 22 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak, coarse, subangular blocky structure parting to weak, medium and fine, subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; many, fine, tubular pores; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--22 to 32 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate, coarse and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate, medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few sand grains on faces of peds; many, very fine, tubular pores; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--32 to 46 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; common, medium, prominent, reddish brown (5YR 5/4 moist) mottles in the lower part; moderate, coarse, prismatic structure parting to moderate, medium, subangular blocky; hard, firm; few sand grains on faces of peds; many, fine, tubular pores; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bt4--46 to 80 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; common medium prominent reddish brown (5YR 5/4 moist) mottles; weak medium, prismatic structure parting to moderate, medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few sand grains on faces of peds; many, very fine pores; neutral. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 28 to 50 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: Cuming County, Nebraska; 2 3/4 miles south of Wisner; 2500 feet north and 120 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 23, T. 23 N., R. 4 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 70 inches, and depth to carbonates is below 50 inches. The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The solum ranges from medium acid to neutral.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is typically fine sandy loam but ranges to include loam, sandy loam, and loamy fine sand.
The Bt1 horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Typically it is loam containing sufficient increase in clay content to qualify for an argillic horizon.
The remaining Bt horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 7 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is typically silty clay loam or clay loam averaging between 27 to 35 percent clay. Thin, shiny dark coatings are common on fresh exposed surfaces of peds throughout these horizons. Reddish brown mottles below a depth of 30 inches are common.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 7 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is silty clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, or loam. Reaction is generally neutral. Below a depth of 55 inches the texture ranges from fine sandy loam to sand in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Lancaster, Loretto, and Wells series in the same family and the Houdek, Moody, Paka, and Ree series. Lancaster soils are moderately deep over sandstone or sandy shale. Loretto soils typically have less clay in the Bt horizon and have carbonates higher in the profile. Wells soils formed in residuum weathered from reddish sandstone and sandy shale. Houdek soils formed in glacial material and have carbonates higher in the profile. Moody and Paka soils are fine-silty, and in addition, Paka soils formed in residuum weathered from calcareous siltstone. Ree soils formed in loamy alluvium and have a thinner solum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on very gently sloping to moderately steep sloping uplands with gradients ranging from 1 to 15 percent. The Leisy soils formed in eolian sand and the underlying loess. The mean annual temperature ranges from 49 to 51 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 24 to 28 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Moody and Thurman soils are the principal associated soils on the landscape. Moody soils are on similar landscapes. Thurman soils are sandy and are higher on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff ranges from low on the very gently sloping areas to moderately high on the moderately steep sloping areas. Permeability is moderate in the upper part and moderately slow in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: The very gently to strongly sloping areas are commonly cropped to corn, alfalfa, and soybeans. The steeper slopes are most commonly in native grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nebraska. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cuming County, Nebraska, 1973.
REMARKS: The Leisy series were called Moody fine sandy loam on earlier surveys. Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon--the zone from 0 to 18 inches (Ap and A horizon) and argillic horizon--the zone from 18 to 60 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3 and Bt4 horizons).