LOCATION RATROOT                 MN

Established Series
GDN-JFG
12/2010

RATROOT SERIES


The Ratroot series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that formed in calcareous, clayey glacial till. These soils have slow permeability. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 25 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 38 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Vertic Endoaqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Ratroot silty clay loam with a concave slope under black ash forest and sedges. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

O--0 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) partially decomposed organic matter; many roots throughout; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.

A--4 to 10 inches; very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) silty clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots throughout; few fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) Fe concentrations; 1 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

Btg1--10 to 28 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay; moderate fine angular blocky structure; firm; common fine and medium roots throughout; common distinct dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) Fe concentrations and few fine prominent greenish gray (5GY 5/1) Fe depletions; 2 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Btg2--28 to 37 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay; strong medium angular blocky structure; firm; common medium roots throughout; common distinct dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) Fe concentrations and common fine prominent greenish gray (5GY 5/1) Fe depletions; 2 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons are 8 to 32 inches thick)

Cg1--37 to 54 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) clay; massive; firm; common medium roots throughout; few fine prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) Fe concentrations and common medium prominent greenish gray (5G 5/1) Fe depletions; 4 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Cg2--54 to 80 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) clay; massive; firm; common medium and coarse roots throughout; many fine and medium irregular white (2.5Y 8/1) soft masses of carbonate throughout; many medium prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) Fe concentrations and common coarse prominent greenish gray (5G 5/1) Fe depletions; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Koochiching County, Minnesota; about 3 miles east and 2 miles north of Ray; 1880 feet south and 150 feet west of the northeast corner of section 22, T. 69 N., R. 22 W; USGS Ray Quadrangle; latitude 48 degrees 27 minutes 17 seconds N. and longitude 93 degrees 08 minutes 06 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates ranges from 16 to 38 inches. The series control section averages 35 to 60 percent clay. Rock fragments of mixed lithology range from 1 to 8 percent by volume.

The O horizon is partially to well decomposed organic matter from remains of trees, shrubs, sedges, and forest floor flora. It has a hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 1 to 3, and chroma of 1 or 2.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 or 3, chroma of 1 or 2. It is silty clay, silty clay loam, or clay. It is strongly acid to neutral.

The Btg horizon has hue of 2.5Y to 5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. It is slightly acid to neutral.

Some pedons have a Bkg horizon.

The Cg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ratroot soils are on concave or plane surfaces on ground moraines. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. They formed in calcareous, clayey glacial till. The mean annual temperature ranges from 36 to 40 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 23 to 28 inches. The frost free period ranges from 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dora, Kab, Kooch and Haystore series. Very poorly drained Dora soils formed in organic material over clayey sediments and are in lower lying concave positions. Poorly drained Kab soils are on plane or slightly concave surfaces on slightly higher positions. Somewhat poorly drained Kooch soils are on slightly convex to plane surfaces on higher lying positions. Moderately well drained Haystore soils are on convex higher lying positions

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Surface runoff is negligible. Permeability is slow. The seasonal high water table is at depths ranging from the surface, to one foot above the surface, from September to June in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is forested. Black ash, willow and black spruce are common species. Some areas are cleared and used for pasture or hay.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Minnesota, MLRA-88, 93; Moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Koochiching County, Minnesota, 2010. The name comes from a river in the county.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - zone from the surface to 6 inches (A horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 6 to 33 inches (Btg horizons); aquic moisture regime - low chroma immediately below the ochric epipedon; vertic subgroup based on more than 6 cm of LE.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.