LOCATION ALCONA MI+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Alfic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Alcona fine sandy loam on a 42 percent slope in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 1 inch; moderately decomposed plant material; strongly acid (0 to 2 inches thick)
E--1 to 3 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; about 1 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bs1--3 to 6 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; about 1 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bs2--6 to 9 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; about 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bs3--9 to 17 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; about 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bs horizons ranges from 4 to 20 inches.)
B/E--17 to 23 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam (Bt); few faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; occupies about 65 percent of the horizon surrounded by tongues of light pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) (E), very fine sandy loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine and medium roots; about 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
E/B--23 to 54 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) loamy fine sand (E), pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; occupies about 70 percent of the horizon surrounding peds of reddish brown (5YR 5/4) (Bt) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay flows on faces of peds; common fine vesicular pores; few fine and medium roots; about 1 percent gravel; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 34 inches thick)
2C--54 to 80 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) and brown (7.5YR 5/4) stratified loamy very fine sand, fine sandy loam, and very fine sandy loam; massive; friable; few fine and medium roots; about 1 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Mackinac County, Michigan; about 6 miles west of the village of Allenville; 1,450 feet east and 2,300 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 17, T. 42 N., R. 5 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 22 to 65 inches. Depth to free carbonates ranges from 22 to greater than 60 inches. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 10 percent in the A horizons, 0 to 20 percent in the Bs and E horizons, and 0 to 5 percent in the Bt and C horizon. Cobbles range from 0 to 5 percent throughout the profile.
Cultivated areas have an Ap horizon, up to 10 inches thick, with hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR; value of 3 or 4; and chroma of 1 to 3. Some areas have an A horizon less than 4 inches thick with hues of 7.5YR, 5YR or neutral; values from 2 to 4 and chroma of 0 to 3. The A or Ap horizons are sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy very fine sand. Reaction of the A or Ap horizon ranges from extremely acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 1 to 3. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy very fine sand. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to neutral.
Some pedons have a Bhs horizon with hue of 5YR or 7.5YR; and value and chroma of 2 or 3. Textures are the same as for the Bs horizons. Reaction of the Bhs horizon ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The Bs or Bs1 horizons have hue of 5YR, or 7.5YR; and value and chroma of 3 or 4, or hue of 7.5YR; value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. Value and chroma of 3 do not occur together. It is loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam. Reaction of the Bs1 horizon ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid. The Bs2 and Bs3 horizons have hues of 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 4 to 6. They have similar textures to the Bs or Bs1 horizon. Reaction of the Bs2 or Bs3 horizons ranges from extremely acid to neutral.
Some pedons have separate E'horizons that have hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 2 to 4. They are loamy sand, sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand, or fine sandy loam.
There can be combinations of B/E, Bt or E/B horizons, but the B/E and/or Bt horizons are always present. The E part of the B/E or E/B horizons has colors and textures similar to those of the E' horizon. The B part of the B/E, E/B or Bt horizons has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, 5YR, or 2.5YR; value of 3 to 6; and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam. Strata of silt loam, loamy very fine sand, loamy fine sand, and sandy clay loam are in some pedons. Reaction of the B/E, E/B or Bt horizons ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid.
Some pedons have an E and Bt horizon. The lamellae are 2 to 6 inches thick, separated by E horizons 1/2 to 4 inches. In these pedons total accumulation of the Bt lamellae is greater than 6 inches. Some pedons have BC horizons.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, 5YR, or 2.5YR; value of 4 to 7; and chroma of 3 to 6. It is stratified sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand, very fine sand, and silt loam with thin layers of clay loam, sandy clay loam, and silty clay loam. It ranges from strongly acid to moderately alkaline. Some pedons have free carbonates.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cheboygan and Greylock series. The Cheboygan soils have a densic contact between 20 and 50 inches. The Greylock soils have 5 to 15 percent gravel in the substratum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Alcona soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping areas of lake plains, outwash plains, ground moraines and end moraines, and stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 70 percent. The soil formed in sandy and loamy glaciofluvial deposits. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 34 inches, and mean annual air temperature range from 41 to 47 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Emmet, Leelanau, Annalake, Richter and Tonkey soils. The moderately well drained Annalake, somewhat poorly drained Richter and poorly and very poorly drained Tonkey soils are in lower landscape positions and are in the same drainage sequence. Emmet and Leelanau soils are on adjacent morainic areas while stratified soils of both finer and coarser textured materials are associated with the Alcona soils in lake plain and outwash plain positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is low to medium, dependent on slope. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: A considerable part of the less sloping areas are cropped to corn, small grain, and hay crops. Other areas are in forest or permanent pasture. The natural vegetation is primarily American basswood, American beech, red pine, eastern white pine, sugar maple, and yellow birch.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern half of the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin. The series is small in extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alcona County, Michigan, 1941.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon - 0 to 3 inches (Oe and E horizon)
albic horizon - 1 to 3 inches (E horizon)
spodic horizon - 3 to 6 inches (Bs1 horizon)
argillic horizon - 17 to 23 inches (B/E horizon)
glossic horizon - 17 to 54 inches (B/E and E/B horizons)
The moderately well drained phase is no longer within the series concept.