LOCATION LOXLEY MI+ME MN NY WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Dysic, frigid Typic Haplosaprists
TYPICAL PEDON: Loxley mucky peat - on a nearly level area in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe1--0 to 5 inches, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) broken face, dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) rubbed mucky peat (hemic material); about 65 percent fibers, 35 percent rubbed; weak coarse platy structure; very friable; many fine roots; sodium pyrophosphate light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), about 80 percent sphagnum and 20 percent herbaceous; few partially decomposed woody stems; extremely acid (pH 3.5 in 0.01M calcium chloride); abrupt smooth boundary.
Oe2--5 to 13 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3), broken face, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) rubbed mucky peat (hemic material); about 65 percent fibers, 20 percent rubbed; weak coarse platy structure; very friable; few fine roots; sodium pyrophosphate light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), primarily herbaceous fibers; few partially decomposed woody stems; extremely acid (pH 3.5 in 0.01M calcium chloride); clear smooth boundary.
Oa1--13 to 27 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2), broken face, black (5YR 2/1) rubbed muck (sapric material); about 55 percent fibers, 5 percent rubbed; weak coarse platy structure; very friable; sodium pyrophosphate pale brown (10YR 6/3), primarily herbaceous fibers; extremely acid (pH 3.5 in 0.01M calcium chloride); clear smooth boundary.
Oa2--27 to 60 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2), black (5YR 2/1) rubbed muck (sapric material); about 35 percent fibers, 5 percent rubbed; massive; sodium pyrophosphate pale brown (10YR 6/3), primarily herbaceous fibers; extremely acid (pH 3.5 in 0.01M calcium chloride).
TYPE LOCATION: Clare County, Michigan; about 5 miles southwest of Lake George; 528 feet east and 150 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 32, T. 18 N., R. 6 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The combined thickness of the organic layers exceed 51 inches. In some pedons there is a surface covering of sphagnum moss up to 18 inches thick. The layers in the surface tier consist dominantly of hemic materials, but in some pedons they are composed of fibric or sapric material. Fibric horizons are dominantly sphagnum moss and have hue of 5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 5 and chroma of 2 to 6. These layers are derived from herbaceous plants and sphagnum moss. Structure in the surface tier is dominantly platy but is granular or massive in some pedons. Layers within the control section have a hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y; value of 2 to 5; and chroma of 0 to 4. Colors commonly become darker on brief exposure to air. The subsurface and bottom tiers range from platy structure to massive. Reaction throughout the control section ranges from ultra acid to very strongly acid (pH less than 4.5 in 0.01M calcium chloride).
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Pleasant Lake (T) and Citypoint series. The Pleasant Lake soils formed in organic material derived from woody plants. The Citypoint soils have a lithic or paralithic contact within 60 inches. Closely related series are the Beseman, Carbondale, Carlisle, Dawson, Greenwood, Houghton, Lupton, and Rifle series. Beseman soils have loamy mineral material within 51 inches of the surface and the Dawson soils have sandy material within 51 inches of the surface. . The Greenwood, soils consist dominantly of hemic materials. The Carbondale, Carlisle, Houghton, Lupton and Rifle soils are less acid in the subsurface and bottom tiers. In addition the Carlisle and Houghton soils are mesic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Loxley soils are in depressions on moraines, lake plains, and outwash plains. In some places they are in depressions on flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The average annual precipitation ranges from about 22 to 34 inches, the mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Au Gres, Croswell, Dawson, Grayling, Kinross, Roscommon, and Rubicon soils. The excessively drained Rubicon and excessively drained Grayling soils, the moderately well drained Croswell soils, and somewhat poorly drained Au Gres soils are nearby or border the Loxley soils. The poorly drained Kinross and Roscommon soils are the most common adjacent soils. The Dawson soils occupy similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. The representative depth to wet soil moisture status is at the surface to 1 foot below the surface at some time throughout the year. The representative depth of ponding is from 0 to 1.0 foot at some time throughout the year. Surface runoff is negligible to medium. Permeability ranges from moderately slow to moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Very little intensive use is made of these soils because of excess wetness, extreme acidity, and frost hazard. Soil areas usually lack suitable drainage outlets. Ground cover consists principally of blueberry, leatherleaf, sphagnum moss, and wintergreen. Trees are limited to a few scattered black spruce, jack pine, quaking aspen, and tamarack.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Osceola County, Michigan, 1966.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Sapric and typic features; well decomposed organic material from the surface to a depth of greater than 51 inches;
Dysic feature; reaction of less than 4.5 in 0.01M CaCl2 throughout.