LOCATION BRONSON MI+IN OH

Established Series
Rev. RWJ-WEF-RAB
02/2014

BRONSON SERIES

The Bronson series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in loamy and sandy materials overlying loamy sand or gravelly sand deposits on outwash plains, valley trains, and low-lying moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 7 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 889 mm (35 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 10.0 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Bronson sandy loam, on a 2 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 229 meters (751 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (9 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common roots; about 3 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [18 to 28 cm (7 to 11 inches) thick]

BE--23 to 51 cm (9 to 20 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common roots; about 2 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [0 to 28 cm (11 inches) thick]

Bt1--51 to 74 cm (20 to 29 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few thin clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; about 3 percent gravel; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary.

Bt2--74 to 109 cm (29 to 43 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common thin clay films on faces of peds; common coarse prominent gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions in the matrix; about 8 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 46 to 84 cm (18 to 33 inches).]

2BC--109 to 142 cm (43 to 56 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; about 10 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [0 to 76 cm (30 inches) thick]

2C--142 to 203 cm (56 to 80 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand and coarse sand; single grain; loose; about 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Van Buren County, Michigan; about 3 miles west of Lawton; 2,568 feet north and 1,290 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 34, T. 3 S., R. 14 W.; USGS Pawpaw topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 9 minutes 51.95 seconds N. and long. 85 degrees 55 minutes 52.67 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 588278 easting and 4668590 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 102 to 178 cm (40 to 70 inches)
Depth to carbonates: 102 to 178 cm (40 to 70 inches)

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam

A horizon, where present:
Thickness: 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 inches)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 1 or 2
Rock fragment content: 2 to 14 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

E horizon, where present:
Thickness: less than 20 cm (8 inches)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 2 to 14 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

BE horizon, where present:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loamy sand or sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 2 to 14 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: sandy loam or sandy clay loam, or their gravelly analogues; in some pedons, the lower part is stratified with 3 mm to 10 cm (1/8 to 4 inches) bands of sandy loam separated by sand or loamy sand
Clay content: averages between 10 to 20 percent clay
Sand content: less than 50 percent fine sand and very fine sand
Rock fragment content: 2 to 25 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

2BC horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: gravelly loamy sand or loamy sand
Rock fragment content: 2 to 25 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sand or coarse sand, or their gravelly or very gravelly analogs
Rock fragment content: 10 to 50 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Harbor series. Harbor soils have a Bt horizon that is less than 20 cm (8 inches) thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bronson soils are on outwash plains, valley trains, and low-lying moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 7 percent. Bronson soils formed in loamy and sandy materials overlying loamy sand or gravelly sand deposits. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 762 to 1067 mm (30 to 42 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 8.9 to 11.7 degrees C (48 to 53 degrees F). Frost-free period is 130 to 170 days. Elevation is 177 to 311 meters (580 to 1020 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Boyer, Brady, Gilford, Hillsdale, Lapeer, Oshtemo, Perrin, and Spinks soils. Boyer, Perrin, and Spinks soils are associates on outwash plains and valley trains. Boyer soils are well drained. Perrin soils have sand and gravel deposits within 102 cm (40 inches) of the surface. Spinks soils are sandy throughout. The somewhat poorly drained Brady, the well drained Oshtemo, and the poorly drained or very poorly drained Gilford soils are in a drainage sequence with the Bronson soils. The well drained Hillsdale and Lapeer soils are associates on moraines.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Depth to a seasonal high water table ranges from 46 to 76 cm (1.5 to 2.5 feet) below the surface from November to May in normal years. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high. Permeability is moderately rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are cropped to small grains, beans, corn, and hay. A small part is in permanent pasture or in forest of oaks, shagbark hickory, and sugar maple. Native vegetation is hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 97, 98, 99, 111B, and 111C in southern Michigan and northern Indiana. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Branch County, Michigan, 1928.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 23 cm (9 inches) (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 51 to 109 cm (20 to 43 inches) (Bt horizon).
Aquic conditions: iron depletions present between 51 and 109 cm (20 and 43 inches) (Bt horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab characterization data is available from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.