LOCATION BOGOSLOF AK
Established Series
Rev. MJM/JPM
02/2022
BOGOSLOF SERIES
The Bogoslof series consists of very deep, well-drained soils formed in medium textured material weathered from volcanic pyroclastics overlying sandy alluvium. Bogoslof soils are on flat terraces on nearly level plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 35 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 24 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal, amorphic over mixed Vitrandic Dystrocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Bogoslof silt loam - under Nootka lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis), Mountain foxtail (Alopecurus alpinus), and Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) at 65 feet elevation (21 m). (All colors are for moist soil)
Oi - 0 to 2 inches (0 to 4 cm); very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) peat; common fine and few medium roots; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0.5 to 3 inches thick)
A - 2 to 3.5 inches (4 to 9 cm); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) medial silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; slightly-sticky and slightly-plastic; few fine roots; weakly smeary; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bw - 3.5 to 12 inches (9 to 32 cm); very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) medial fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; slightly-sticky and slightly-plastic; few fine roots; weakly smeary; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
2BC - 13 to 51 inches (32 to 130 cm); dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) sand; weak massive structure parting to single grain structure; loose; non-sticky and non-plastic; non-smeary, neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 40 inches thick)
2C1 - 51 to 75 inches (130 to 190 cm); black (5Y 2.5/1) sand; single grain structure; loose; non-sticky and non-plastic; non-smeary; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
3C2 - 75 to 79 inches (190 to 200 cm); black (7.5YR 2.5/1) and very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) stratified sand and silt loam; weak medium platy structure; loose to very friable; non-smeary; non-sticky and non-plastic; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Saint Paul Island Alaska; UTM Zone 2, 545815 E and 6334798 N.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the organic mat ranges from 0.5 to 3 inches. The thickness of the material meeting vitrandic subgroup criteria ranges from 10 to 14 inches. Occasionally a thin layer of eolian sand occurs at the surface. The weighted average particle size of the control section is strongly contrasting with a medial upper part and a sandy lower part with less than 50 percent very fine sand and less than 35 percent coarse fragments. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral in the profile.
The A horizon, when present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value moist of 2, 2.5, or 3. Texture is silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value moist of 2.5 or 3, and chroma moist of 2, 3 or 4. Texture is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sand.
The BC horizon (when present) has chroma moist of 3 or 4. Texture is silt loam, very fine sandy loam or loamy sand.
The 2BC horizon has chroma moist of 3 or 4. Texture is sand or loamy sand
The 2C1 horizon has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, 5Y, or 2.5Y; value moist of 2.5, 3, 4 or 5; and chroma moist of 1, 2, 3,or 4. Texture is sand or loamy sand. Thin strata of silt loam or sandy loam are present in some pedons.
The 3C2 horizon (when present) has hue of 7.5YR or 2.5Y, value moist of 2.5, 4 , or 5, and chroma moist of 1, 2, or 3. Texture is loamy sand or sand. Thin strata of silt loam or sandy loam are present.
COMPETING SERIES: none
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bogoslof soils are formed on level terraces on nearly level plains. They are formed in reworked materials derived from scoria and other volcanic pyroclastics overlying sandy alluvial materials. The climate is cold maritime. Mean annual air temperature is 35 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 19 to 28 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Polovina series on adjacent plains and dipslopes, and
Lukanin series on nearby dunes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderately rapid to rapid in the upper medial materials and rapid to very rapid in the underlying sandy material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly in grass and forbs dominated by Mountain foxtail (Alopecurus alpinus), Nootka lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis), sedges, and Yarrow (Achillea borealis) with a ground layer of Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Saint Paul Island, Alaska. The series is of limited extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Saint Paul Island, Alaska, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic layers and features recognized in this profile include: an ochric epipedon and cambic horizon. The criteria for inclusion in a vitrandic subgroup and amorphic mineralogy are assumed based in part on properties of like materials elsewhere on Saint Paul. A layer or layers within 30 inches of the mineral surface between 10 and 14 inches thick and having a fine earth fraction containing 30 percent or more coarse silt to sand, at least 5 percent volcanic glass, and aluminum plus 1/2 iron percent by ammonium oxalate times 60 plus the volcanic glass percent equal to 30 or more. In the upper part Bogoslof soils have, in the mineralogy control section, a sum of silica plus 2 times the iron (percents by acid oxalate) of 5 or more and 8 times the silica is more than 2 times the iron. In the upper part of the control section 1500 kPa water retention of between 12 and 15 percent on air-dried samples (undried samples were not examined). A cryic temperature regime and a strongly contrasting weighted average particle size of medial over sandy or sandy skeletal from 10 to 40 inches.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.