LOCATION BERNICE                 AK

Established Series
Rev. KMO-JPM
02/2022

BERNICE SERIES

The Bernice series consists of shallow to sand and gravel, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in a thin mantle of loess over sand and gravel. Bernice soils occur on glaciofluvial terraces and associated escarpments. Slopes range from 0 to 45 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 34 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 22 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Typic Haplocryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Bernice silt loam - on a northwest facing slope at 200 feet elevation under forest vegetation. (All colors are for moist soils)

Oi -- 1 inch to 0; dark reddish brown mat of decomposing organic material; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

E -- 0 to 1 inch; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam; weak thin platy structure; friable; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)

Bs1 -- 1 to 2 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (1/4 to 1 inch thick)

Bs2 -- 2 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; 5 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

BC -- 4 to 5 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; 5 percent gravel; few pockets of coarse sand; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

C -- 5 to 9 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; massive; very friable; 25 percent gravel; many pockets of coarse sand; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

2C -- 9 to 60 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) very gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 50 percent gravel; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Susitna Valley Area, Alaska; SW 1/4, SW 1/4, Section 32, T. 22 N., R.4 W., Seward Meridian; near Caswell Creek bridge along George Parks Highway.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges from 3 to 7 inches in thickness. Depth to sand and gravel ranges from 6 to 12 inches. In some pedons, the diagnostic horizons may be convoluted due to frost churning or tree fall. Coarse fragment content in the control section ranges from 35 to 70 percent. Reaction throughout the profile is strongly to very strongly acid.

An A horizon may be present in some pedons.

The E horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value moist of 4 or 5, and chroma moist of 1 or 2. Texture is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.

The Bs horizons have hue from 10YR through 5YR, value moist from 3 to 5, and chroma moist of 3 or 4. The BC horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value moist from 3 to 5, and chroma moist of 3 or 4. Texture of the B horizons is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or sandy loam. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value moist of 4 or 5, and chroma moist of 3 or 4. Texture is dominantly sandy loam with thin stratas of silt and sand. Coarse fragment content ranges from 15 to 35 percent.

The 2C horizon has value moist of 3 or 4, and chroma moist from 4 through 6. Coarse fragment content ranges from 35 to 70 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Lutak, Nikishka, and Yakutat(T)series. These soils all have solums that are greater than 7 inches thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Bernice soils occur on glaciofluvial terraces and associated escarpments. The soils fomed in a thin mantle of loess over sand and gravel. Summers are cool and winters are long and moderately cold. Average annual precipitation ranges from about 16 to 28 inches. Average annual air temperature ranges from about 33 to 36 degrees F. Slope ranges from 0 to 45 percent.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Medium to rapid runoff. Permeability is moderate in the loess mantle and rapid in the underlying material.

USE AND VEGETATION: The Bernice soils are used for wildlife habitat and recreation. The native vegetation is dominantly white spruce, paper birch, and quaking aspen.

DISTRILBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kenai-Kasilof Area, Alaska, 1960.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are: a.spodic horizon from 1 to 4 inches; sandy skeletal material from 9 to 60 inches.

The Bernice series now includes the concepts of the inactive Kasilof series.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.