LOCATION NUNICA MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Haplic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Nunica loam on a 1 percent slope - forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
Oi--2 to 0 inches; recent hardwood litter.
A--0 to 2 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) loam, gray (5YR 6/1) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable; many roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
E--2 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) silt loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; common roots; medium acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
B/E--6 to 8 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) silty clay loam (Bt); weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; occupies about 70 percent of the horizon completely surrounded by or penetrated by fingers of brown (7.5YR 5/2) silt loam (E); common roots; medium acid; clear broken boundary. (2 to 12
inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 14 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) silty clay loam; strong medium and fine subangular blocky structure; firm; common roots; common clay flows in pores and on faces of peds; medium acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--14 to 25 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common roots; common clay flows in pores, root channels, and on faces of peds; medium acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 12 to 18 inches)
C1--25 to 35 inches; stratified reddish brown (5YR 5/3) and 2.5YR 4/4 and 5/4) silt, silt loam, and silty clay loam; weak medium platy structure; friable; few roots; few pores; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C2--35 to 60 inches; stratified reddish brown (5YR 5/3 and 2.5YR 4/3 and 4/4) and pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) silt, silt loam, silty clay loam, and fine sandy loam; weak coarse plates that tend to part along textural layers; friable; few roots; few pores; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Baraga County, Michigan; about 2 miles northeast of Pelkie; 1,650 feet south and 100 feet west of the center of sec. 11, T. 51 N., R. 34 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral in the solum and from medium acid to moderately alkaline in the substratum.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 2 to 4; and chroma of 1 to 3. When present the Ap horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 3 or 4; and chroma of 2 to 4. The E horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 5 or 6; and chroma of 2 or 3. The A and E horizons are silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam.
The B part of the B/E horizon has colors and textures similar to the Bt horizons and the E part of the B/E horizon has colors and textures similar to the E horizon. Some pedons have an E/B horizon above the B/E with colors and textures similar to the B/E. The Bt horizons have hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR with chroma of 3 or 4. They are silty clay loam or silt loam.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is stratified silty clay loam, silt loam, silt or fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Similar or related soils are the Froberg, Nester, Ontonagon, and Watton soils. The Froberg soils are underlain by sandy loam till. The Nester and Watton soils formed in loamy glacial till and do not have textural stratification. Ontonagon soils formed in clay and have less stratification.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nunica soils are on lake plains. Dominate slopes are 1 to 8 percent, but range up to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 26 to 33 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 40 to 45 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the somewhat poorly drained Bowers and the moderately well drained Munising and Ontonagon soils. The Munising and Ontonagon soils are on similar landscape positions. The Bowers are in depressions and drainageways. The Munising soils have sandy loam textures.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is medium to rapid. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested with sugar maple, balsam fir, quaking aspen, American basswood, yellow birch, and eastern hemlock. Some areas are in hay, pasture, small grains, and cultivated crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern lower Michigan. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baraga County, Michigan, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon); albic horizon - the zone from 2 to 6 inches (E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 6 to 25 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).