LOCATION AHMEEK MN+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Dystric Eutrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Ahmeek fine sandy loam with a convex slope of 8 percent on a moraine in a clear cut planted to red pine. Elevation of about 430 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 10 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots and common medium and coarse; about 8 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 centimeters thick)
Bw1--10 to 23 centimeters; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; many very fine and fine roots and common medium and coarse; about 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--23 to 38 centimeters; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots and few medium and coarse; about 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined Bw horizon thickness is 10 to 147 centimeters)
2BC--38 to 89 centimeters; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; moderate thick platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; friable; common very fine and fine roots and few medium; about 15 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles and 3 percent stones; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 51 centimeters thick)
2BCd1--89 to 140 centimeters; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) gravelly sandy loam; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) Fe accumulations around stones; moderate very coarse and extremely coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium platy, few 2 to 3 millimeter oblique fractures 15 centimeters to 1 meter apart; very firm; few very fine and fine roots; about 17 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles and 3 percent stones; slightly acid; diffuse wavy boundary.
2BCd2--140 to 203 centimeters; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) gravelly sandy loam; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) Fe accumulations around stones; moderate very coarse and extremely coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium platy, few 2 to 3 millimeter oblique fractures 15 centimeters to 1 meter apart; very firm; about 18 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles and 3 percent stones; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 93A - Superior Stony and Rocky Loamy Plains and Hills, Western Part; St. Louis County, Minnesota subset; about 18.5 miles northeast of Duluth; 900 feet east and 2,250 feet south of the northwest corner, section 10, T. 52 N., R. 13 W., USGS Barrs Lake quadrangle, lat. 47 degrees 0 minutes 14.6 seconds N., Lon. 91 degrees 58 minutes 50.3 seconds W., NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the 2BCd horizon (densic contact)--46 to 152 centimeters
Depth to free carbonates--more than 203 centimeters
Some pedons have a thin O horizon (duff layer).
A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam or silt loam
Clay content--5 to 15 percent
Sand content--30 to 55 percent
Rock fragment content--total 0 to 14 percent; with 0 to 12 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones and boulders
Reaction--very strongly acid to moderately acid
Some pedons have a thin E horizon.
Bw horizon:
Hue--5YR or 7.5YR
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--sandy loam, silt loam, loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam or their gravelly analogues
Clay content--5 to 15 percent
Sand content--35 to 60 percent
Rock fragment content--total 0 to 20 percent; with 0 to 18 percent gravel, 0 to 7 percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones and boulders. It averages between 35 to 60 percent sand with 5 to 15 percent clay
Reaction--very strongly acid or moderately acid
Some pedons have a 2Bt horizon.
Some pedons have a 2Bw horizon.
2BC horizon (when present):
Hue--5YR
Value--3 or 4
Chroma of 3 or 4
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam or their gravelly analogues
Clay content--5 to 15 percent
Sand content--50 to 70 percent
Rock fragment content--total 8 to 25 percent; with 8 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones and boulders
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
2BCd horizons:
Hue--2.5YR or 5YR
Value--3 or 4
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam or their gravelly analogues
Rock fragment content--total 8 to 25 percent; with 8 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones and boulders
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
It typically has 1 to 3 millimeter oblique fractures 10 centimeters to 3 meters apart.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Aldenlake,
Linneus, and
Mesaba series.
Aldenlake--have sandy textures dominant in the lower third of the series control section
Linneus--have sola terminated by bedrock within the series control section
Mesaba--have sola terminated by bedrock within the series control section
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils have linear to convex slopes that range from 0 to 45 percent. They typically are on till plains, moraines or drumlins. They formed in a friable loamy mantle and the underlying dense, firm and very firm, loamy Superior lobe till of the Late Wisconsinan glaciation. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 2 to 6 degrees C. and mean annual precipitation ranges from 710 to 790 mm. Annual frost free days range from 80 to 140. The elevation above sea level ranges from 200 to 600 meters.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Normanna, Hermantown, Canosia, Giese, Cathro and Twig soils. The moderately well drained Normanna and somewhat poorly drained Hermantown soils are on lower lying or less sloping positions on the landscape. The poorly drained Canosia soils are in drainageways, and on flats and toeslopes. The very poorly drained Giese and Twig soils are in depressions or drainageways. The very poorly drained Cathro soils are in depressions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained--frequent saturation does not occur within a depth of 2.0 meters during the wettest periods of normal years
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--4.23 to 42.34 micrometers per second (0.6 to 6.0 inches per hour)in the loamy mantle and 0.01 to 0.42 micrometers per second (0.0015 to 0.06 inches per hour)in the underlying dense till
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is forested. A small portion is cropped to small grains and hay or is in pasture. Native vegetation was mixed deciduous-coniferous forest. Major species of trees are quaking aspen, paper birch, balsam fir, northern red oak, and eastern white pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Divisions--Laurentian Upland or Interior Plains
Physiographic Provinces--Superior Upland or Central Lowland
Physiographic sections--undefined(if in the Superior Upland Province) or Western lake section(if in the Central Lowland Province)
MLRAs--Superior Stony and Rocky Loamy Plains and Hills, Western Part(93A) and Wisconsin and Minnesota Thin Loess and Till, Northern Part(90A)
LRR K; Northeastern Minnesota and possibly northwestern Wisconsin.
Extent--large
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Houghton County, Michigan in 1943.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 10 centimeters (A horizon);
cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of 10 to 89 centimeters (Bw1, Bw2 and 2BC horizons);
dystric subgroup--no carbonates within a depth of 1 meter;
densic contact--at a depth of 89 centimeters;
Isotic mineralogy--based on a 15 kPa water to measured clay ratio equal to or greater than 0.6
The designation of the 2BCd horizon is based on fractures and platy structure in the densic material. Evidence of clay and silt translocation can be seen on faces of peds.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station Central File Code No. 2955 (a former representative pedon for this series) and Central File Code No. 612 for additional data.