LOCATION ROUSSEAU MI+WI

Established Series
Rev. RWJ-WEF-LMC
04/2022

ROUSSEAU SERIES

The Rousseau series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in sandy eolian deposits on dunes, lake plains, and outwash plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 762 mm (30 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 6.7 degrees C (44 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Entic Haplorthods

TYPICAL PEDON: Rousseau fine sand, on a 6 percent slope in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 2.5 cm (1 inch); black (N 2.5/) fine sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [0 to 13 cm (5 inches) thick]

E--2.5 to 20 cm (1 to 8 inches); pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) fine sand, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) dry; very weak medium granular structure; very friable; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. [5 to 33 cm (2 to 13 inches) thick]

Bs1--20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) fine sand; very weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; strongly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. [5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 inches) thick]

Bs2--28 to 43 cm (11 to 17 inches); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) fine sand; single grain; loose; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [10 to 41 cm (4 to 16 inches) thick]

BC--43 to 64 cm (17 to 25 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) fine sand; single grain loose; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 41 cm (16 inches) thick]

C--64 to 152 cm (25 to 60 inches); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) fine sand; single grain; loose; moderately acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Delta County, Michigan; about 2.5 miles northeast of the village of Brampton; 500 feet south and 200 feet east of the center of sec. 14, T. 41 N., R. 22 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the solum: (20 to 45 inches)
Series control section: averages 50 percent or more fine sand throughout; horizons with loamy fine sand texture occur only in the upper part of the solum, and the combined thickness of horizons with loamy fine sand texture is less than 38 cm (15 inches)
Rock fragment content: 0 to 2 percent gravel throughout the profile

A or Ap horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR, or is neutral
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: dominantly fine sand, but includes loamy fine sand
Reaction: extremely acid to moderately acid, but may range to neutral where cultivated

Some pedons have a thin layer of forest litter (Oa, Oe or Oi horizon) with colors and reaction similar to that of the A horizon.

E horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: dominantly fine sand, but includes loamy fine sand
Reaction: extremely acid to moderately acid, but may range to neutral where cultivated

Bs1 horizon:
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 3 or 4; value and chroma of 3 do not occur together
Texture: dominantly fine sand, but includes loamy fine sand
Reaction: extremely acid to moderately acid

Bs2 horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: dominantly fine sand, but includes loamy fine sand
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

BC horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: fine sand
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

C horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: dominantly fine sand but includes medium sand
Reaction: extremely acid to neutral

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Duel, East Lake, Hartwick, Ishpeming, Karlin, Kiva, Rubicon, Sayner, and Sultz series. Duel and Ishpeming soils have a lithic contact within a depth of 102 cm (40 inches). East Lake, Kiva, and Sayner soils have more than 2 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Hartwick soils average more than 10 percent rock fragments in the upper part of the series control section. Karlin soils do not have dominant texture of fine sand throughout the series control section. Rubicon soils average less than 50 percent fine sand throughout the series control section. Sultz soils are stratified with loamy and sandy textures in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rousseau soils are on old lake border dunes, lake plains and outwash plains of Wisconsinan age. Slope ranges from 0 to 70 percent. Rousseau soils formed in sandy eolian deposits. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 686 to 864 mm (27 to 34 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 5.0 to 8.3 degrees C (41 to 47 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the somewhat excessively drained Kalkaska and Karlin soils; the excessively drained Vilas and Rubicon soils; and the Bohemian and Keweenaw soils on similar landscape positions. The moderately well drained Neconish soils and the somewhat poorly drained Wainola soils are in slightly lower landscape positions, and the poorly drained or very poorly drained Deford soils are in depressions and drainageways. The Neconish, Wainola and Deford soils form a drainage sequence with the Rousseau soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Potential for surface runoff is negligible to low depending on the slope. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high. Permeability is rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: Only a small acreage has been cleared and is used for hay or pasture. Most areas are in second growth timber or brush. Native vegetation includes sugar maple, red maple, balsam fir, white birch, quaking aspen and American beech.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 93B, 94A, 94B, 94C, 95A, and 98 in the northern portion of the Lower Peninsula, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and northeastern Wisconsin.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montcalm County, Michigan, 1956.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 20 cm (8 inches) (A and E horizon).
Albic horizon: from a depth of 2.5 to 20 cm (1 to 8 inches) (E horizon).
Spodic horizon: from a depth of 20 to 43 cm (8 to 17 inches) (Bs1 and Bs2 horizons).

The moderately well drained phase is no longer within the series concept and has been replaced by the Neconish series. The dark subsoil phase of this soil is no longer within the concept of the series and has been replaced by the Liminga series.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.