LOCATION ALCESTER SD+MN NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Alcester silt loam - on a northeast-facing slope of 2 percent in a cultivated field. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--18 to 38 centimeters (7 to 15 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. [A horizon is 30 to 61 centimeters (12 to 24 inches) thick.]
Bw1--38 to 61 centimeters (15 to 24 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; crushing to very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--61 to 86 centimeters (24 to 34 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, crushing to dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; few darker colored worm casts; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw3--86 to 107 centimeters (34 to 42 inches); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few darker colored worm casts; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw4--107 to 127 centimeters (42 to 50 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky; few fine distinct gray (5Y 5/1) redox depletions moist, and prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations moist; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined Bw horizons are 64 to 178 centimeters (25 to 70 inches) thick.]
Bk--127 to 152 centimeters (50 to 60 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky; few fine distinct dark gray (5Y 4/1) redox depletions moist, and prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations moist; few fine and medium accumulations of carbonates; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 102C (Loess Uplands); Union County, South Dakota subset; about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) south and 0.8 kilometers (1/2 mile) east of Alcester; 82 meters (270 feet) south and 616 meters (2,020 feet) west of the northeast corner of sec. 34, T. 95 N., R. 49 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section 0 to 25 percent of the time when the soil temperature at 50 centimeters (20 inches) is 5 degrees C (41 degrees F) or higher in most years. They are moist in all parts for 70 to 89 days cumulative in most years.; ustic moisture regime.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 91 to greater than 152 centimeters (36 to >60 inches)
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 61 to 152 centimeters (24 to 60 inches); typically 90 centimeters (36 inches)
Thickness of the solum: 91 to greater than 152 centimeters (36 to >60 inches)
Note: Some pedons have clay or silty clay textures below a depth of 102 centimeters (40 inches).
Buried A horizons are in some pedons.
Some pedons have recent lighter colored overwash.
Particle-size control section (weighted average): silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 (dry) 2 or 3 (moist)
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline
Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 6 (dry) 2 to 4 (moist)
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
Bk horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 (dry) 3 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam, but some pedons are loam and clay loam.
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
C horizon (where present):
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 (dry) 3 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam, but some pedons are loam and clay loam.
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the:
Ackmen soils are dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section for 25 to 50
percent of the time that the soil temperature at a depth of 50 centimeters (20 inches) is 5 degrees C (41 degrees F) or higher, and have free calcium carbonate at depths less than 91 centimeters (36 inches).
Gabaldon soils are dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section for 25 to 50
percent of the time that the soil temperature at a depth of 50 centimeters (20 inches) is 5 degrees C (41 degrees F) or higher.
Irak soils have a seasonal apparent water table at 30 to 90 centimeters (1 to 3 feet).
Muir soils do not have cambic horizons.
Shell soils do not have cambic horizons and have solums less than 91 centimeters (36 inches).
Tobin soils do not have cambic horizons.
Trementina soils have carbonates at 38 to 76 centimeters (15 to 30 inches).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Alcester soils
Parent material: silty colluvial-alluvial sediments derived from loess
Landform: concave upland slopes and toe slopes
Landscape: Drainageways and stream terraces
Slopes: 0 to 6 percent typical, range to 25 percent
Elevation: 305 to 505 meters (1000 to 1650 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 9 to 11 degrees C (48 to 52 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 500 to 660 millimeters (20 to 26 inches)
Frost-free period: 135 to 165 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are:
Crofton soils do not have a mollic epipedon and are on higher landscapes.
Egan soils have a mollic epipedon less than 50 centimeters (20 inches) thick, and are typically on higher
parts of the landscape.
Eltree soils have a regular decrease in organic matter and are higher on the landscape.
Lamo soils are somewhat poorly drained and are on bottom lands and low terraces.
Moody soils have a mollic epipedon less than 50 centimeters (20 inches) thick, and are typically on higher
parts of the landscape.
Nora soils have a mollic epipedon less than 50 centimeters (20 inches) thick, and are typically on higher
parts of the landscape.
Wentworth soils have a mollic epipedon less than 50 centimeters (20 inches) thick, and are typically on
higher parts of the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: Well and moderately well drained.
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Moderate.
Surface runoff: Slow to medium.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly used to grow corn, oats, soybeans, and alfalfa.
Principal native grasses are big bluestem, little bluestem, green needlegrass, sideoats grama, and needle and thread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Major Land Resource Areas 55C (Southern Black Glaciated Plains), 102B (Loess Uplands and Till Plains), and 102C (Loess Uplands). The series is of large extent; the total extent is about 117,000 hectares (288,000 acres).
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Rock County, Minnesota, 1945.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of about 86 centimeters (34 inches - Ap, A, Bw1, Bw2
horizons);
cambic horizon-the zone from 86 to 127 centimeters (34 to 50 inches).
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from
similar soils in the surrounding area.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Taxonomic Version: Eighth edition, 1998