LOCATION CARLOS MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Marly, euic, frigid Limnic Haplohemists
TYPICAL PEDON: Carlos muck - pasture field (Colors are for the moist soil.)
Oa--0 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1, broken face and rubbed) sapric material about 15 percent fibers, 5 percent rubbed; massive; nonsticky; herbaceous fibers; few snail shells; about 50 percent mineral material; violent effervescence; neutral (pH 7.3 in 0.01 molar calcium chloride); clear smooth boundary.
Lca--6 to 12 inches; gray (10YR 5/1), and grayish brown (10YR 5/2, broken face), grayish brown (10YR 5/2 rubbed) marl; massive; nonsticky; about 70 percent mineral material; few thin sapric-like layers in lower part; few snail shells; about 10 percent plant detritus; violent effervescence; neutral; (pH 7.3 in 0.01 molar calcium chloride); clear smooth boundary.
Oe--12 to 60 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2, broken face and rubbed) hemic material; about 40 percent fibers, 15 percent rubbed, massive; nonsticky; herbaceous fibers; about 35 percent mineral material; trace of snail shells; strong effervescence; neutral (pH 7.2 in 0.01 molar calcium chloride).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Minnesota; 210 feet east and 120 feet north of southwest corner of sec. 31, T. 130 N., R. 36 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The organic material including one or more layers of marl with an aggregate thickness of 2 to about 18 inches, extends to depths of more than 51 inches, typically 51 to 100 inches. In some pedons the marl forms a continuous relatively thick layer below the organic soil materials. The organic materials are primarily herbaceous, but in some pedons they are partly derived from Hypnum moss. Woody fibers and fragments typically are lacking, but a small amount are in the upper tier of some pedons. Snail shells or fragments or both commonly comprise as much as 10 percent of the volume. The organic soil material contains 15 to 50 percent mineral material. Typically the organic soil material has free carbonates in all parts with a calcium carbonate equivalent of 10 to 35 percent. However, pedons that lack free carbonates in some layers are not excluded from the series. The organic soil materials range from neutral to mildly alkaline in 0.01 molar calcium chloride. Mean annual soil temperature is estimated to range from 38 to 47 degrees F. These soils commonly are saturated with water during most of the year unless artificially drained.
Hemic material is dominant in the control section. The broken face of this material has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. Value or chroma or both decrease as much as one unit after rubbing in some pedons. Fiber content typically ranges from 35 to 55 percent and from 15 to 30 percent after rubbing. This material is massive or has weak platy structure. Some pedons have layers of sapric soil material in the surface tier that have hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2 on the broken face. Value or chroma or both commonly decrease by one unit after rubbing. This material is massive or has a weak granular or blocky structure.
The Lca horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 through 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is relatively low in bulk density and feels like a silt loam. It is massive. Mineral content ranges from 65 to 95 percent and the calcium carbonate equivalent is 30 to more than 50 percent. It commonly contains snail shells with some marl layers containing as much as 20 percent by volume. In some Lca horizons plant detritus comprises up to 20 percent of the volume. It ranges from neutral to mildly alkaline in 0.01 molar calcium chloride.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the only series in this family. Closely related series are the Brophy, Millerville, Rifle, and Rondeau series. The Brophy soils have fibric organic soil materials consisting mostly of Hypnum moss in the subsurface tier. The Millerville soils have layers of coprogenous earth in the control section and lack layers of marl. The Rifle soils lack limnic layers above depths of 51 inches. The Rondeau soils are dominated by sapric soil materials in the organic portion of the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Carlos soils are on plane level positions in bogs primarily in wide sluggish, low gradient drainageways within glacial moraines, outwash plains, and valley trains. Sufficient gradient exists in these areas to cause significant lateral movement of water. These soils formed in organic soil material derived from herbaceous plants and layers of marl 2 inches or more thick within a depth of 51 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 36 to 45 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 20 to 35 inches or more.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The competing Brophy and Millerville soils are the main ones.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Surface runoff is very slow to ponded. Permeability is moderately slow or moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is in native vegetation but some areas are used for pasture or hay. Native vegetation is mostly grasses and sedges with scattered willow and alder.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and northern Minnesota and possibly Michigan and Wisconsin. Inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Minnesota, in December, 1970.
REMARKS: This series was classified as a Bog or Half-Bog soil in the former system. Further consideration needs to bee given as to whether this series should be restricted to soils consisting only of thin marly strata between layers of organic soil material or whether it also should include soils consisting of organic soil materials over rather thick continuous layers of marl.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to MAES No. 69-21-11-1 for results of some laboratory analysis of the typifying pedon.