LOCATION BARREN NY+NJ
Established Series
LAH-RBT-JTI
02/2017
BARREN SERIES
The Barren series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils. The soils formed in a thick mantle of sandy dredge spoils from dredging activities in coastal waters and rivers. The sandy dredge material is thicker than 100 cm and occurs on modified landscapes in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high in the surface and very high in the subsoil and substratum. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C, and mean annual precipitation is about 1196 mm.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Dredgic, mixed, mesic Typic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Barren sand, in a bayberry shrub and brush cover area on a flat plain on a 1 percent slope. (Colors are moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
^A -- 0 to 13 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sand; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; common, fine and medium roots; very strongly acid (pH 5.0), abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)
^Bw -- 13 to 28 cm; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) sand; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few, very fine, fine, and medium roots; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary (0 to 38 cm thick)
^Bg -- 28 to 43 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sand; massive; very friable; few, very fine roots; few medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)
^Cg1 -- 43 to 89 cm; gray (2.5Y 6/1) fine sand; massive; very friable; few, very fine roots; few medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary.
^Cg2 -- 89 to 165 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sand; massive; very friable; 13 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Kings County, New York; Floyd Bennett Field, Gateway National Recreation Area, 47 feet Southeast of main runway off of model airplane field, 410 feet West Southwest off true corner of airfield; USGS Coney Island, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 40 degrees, 36 minutes, 13.00 seconds N. and Longitude 73 degrees, 53 minutes, 19.00 seconds W., WGS 1984.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the sandy dredge material ranges from 100 to 200 centimeters and is sourced from coastal waterways, bays, or rivers. Rock fragments, including shell fragments, range from 0 to 20 percent. Human artifacts range from 0 to 10 percent. Soil textures include loamy fine sand or coarser. Pockets of clay or peat may be present. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately alkaline.
The ^A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is typically weak, very fine granular structure with low organic matter accumulations. Consistence is very friable.
The ^B horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 6. The upper part is typically weak very fine subangular blocky structure. The lower part is typically structureless and massive. Consistence is very friable.
The ^Cg or ^C horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 4. This horizon is typically structureless, massive or single grain. The horizon may effervesce in the lower part. Consistence is very friable or loose.
In some pedons buried natural horizons may occur below the control section. Their properties are variable.
COMPETING SERIES: The
Jamaica series is in the same family. Jamaica soils formed in the same parent materials but have a shallower seasonal high water table and are considered poorly drained.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Barren soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping artificially-created or human-altered landforms. These soils formed in human-transported soil material from dredging activities of nearby shorelines, waterways, bays or rivers, in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1020 to 1325 mm. Mean annual temperature ranges from 8 to 17 degrees C.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Bigapple,
Breeze,
Fortress,
Hooksan,
Ipswich,
Jamaica,
Matunuck,
Pawcatuck,
Sandyhook, and
Verrazano series. The well to excessively drained Bigapple, moderately well drained Fortress, and poorly drained Jamaica soils are associated in a drainage sequence. Breeze soils average more than 10 percent (by volume) human artifacts throughout. Hooksan soils formed in sandy eolian deposits. Ipswich, Matunuck, Pawcatuck, and Sandyhook soils are subject to tide flooding. Verrazano soils have a contrasting particle size class in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to very high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high in the surface and very high in the subsoil and substratum. Some pedons may be subject to coastal flooding during severe storm events.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists of poison ivy, bayberry, multiflora rose, Phragmites, bittersweet, mugwort, milkweed, and dogwood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are on human-altered landscapes in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast, MLRAs 144A, 149A, and 149B. The soils of this series are of small extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kings County, New York, 2014.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 13 cm (^A horizon).
2. Psammaquents - the zone from 25 to 100 cm is fine sand or sand and averages less than 35 percent rock fragments (^Bw, ^Bg, ^Cg1, and part of ^Cg2 horizons).
3. Non-cambic pedogenic horizon - the zone from 13 to 89 cm (^Bw and ^Bg horizons).
4. Aquic conditions - the zone from 28 to 165 cm (^Bg, ^Cg1, and ^Cg2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Full characterization data for sample no. S1999NY047002. Pedon analyzed by the KSSL, Lincoln, NE, 1999. Characterization data for Barren and similar soils is available through the National Cooperative Soil Survey Soil Characterization Database:
http://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.