LOCATION CLARENA AK
Established Series
Rev. MHC/JPM
02/2022
CLARENA SERIES
The Clarena series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in stratified loamy alluvium overlying, gravelly alluvium. Clarena soils occur on fan terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Clarena silt loam on a 6 percent slope under white spruce woodland at 2500 feet elevation. (All colors are for moist soil)
Oi--4 inch to 0; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) peat; fibrous moss, roots, and twigs; many roots of all sizes; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A/Bs--0 to 3 inch; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) with intermittent areas of yellowish red (5YR 5/6) occupying about 40 percent of the horizon; moist silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many roots of all sizes; very strongly acid (pH 4.7); abrupt irregular boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
2Bs1--3 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist fine sandy loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
2Bs2--6 to 8 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
2E/Bsb--8 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) and dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist occupying about 45 percent of the horizon; stratified fine sand through silt with a composite texture of fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
2Bsb--12 to 14 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist stratified fine sand through silt; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
2BC--14 to 18 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist stratified fine sand through silt; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
3C1--18 to 23 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist very gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky, and nonplastic; 45 percent rounded gravel and 10 percent rounded cobble; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
3C2--23 to 60 inches; variegated extremely gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky, and nonplastic; 45 percent rounded gravel and 15 percent rounded cobble; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: The Gulkana River Area, middle fork, Alaska; about 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of Paxson; the NE1/4 of the NW1/4 of section 19, T.13N., R.3W., Copper River Meridian.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges in thickness from 12 to 20 inches. The loess mantle is 1 to 5 inches thick. The upper part of the control section ranges from 10 to 31 inches thick and is coarse-loamy. The lower part of the control section is sandy or sandy-skeletal and averages from 35 to 70 percent coarse fragments. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid in the solum and neutral in the substratum.
The A part of the A/Bs horizon (absent in many pedons) has value moist of 2, 3 or 4; chroma moist of 1, 2, or 3. Texture is silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
The Bs part of the A/Bs horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, or 7.5YR; value moist of 3 or 4; chroma moist of 3 through 6. Texture is silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
The 2E part of the 2E/Bsb horizon has hue moist of 7.5YR or 10YR; value moist of 4 or 5; chroma moist of 2 or 3.
The 2Bs and 2Bs part of the 2E/Bsb horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 7.5YR; value moist of 3 or 4; chroma moist of 4 through 6.
The 3C horizons are variegated loamy sand, sand, or coarse sand. Rock fragments range from 40 to 75 percent and include 35 to 70 percent rounded gravel and 5 to 15 percent rounded cobble.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ismailof and
Kwatahein series in the same family and the
Stainky and
Yohn series in the same subgroup. Ismailof soils lack silty loess mantles. Kwatahein soils have Bhs horizons and humid maritime climates. Yohn and Stainky soils have loamy skeletal substratums.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The CLARENCE soils are on fan terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. The soils formed in a thin mantle silty loess over stratified loamy alluvium underlain by gravelly alluvium. Climate is subarctic continental. Mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow runoff. Moderate permeability in the loess and loamy surface mantle; rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: Primary use is as wildlife habitat. Vegetation is white and black spruce forest or bog birch scrub.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral Alaska. The series is of minor extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gulkana River Area, Alaska, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include spodic materials from 0 to 14 inches; a mantle of silty loess with a coarse-silty particle size from 0 to 3 inches; loamy stratified alluvium with a coarse-loamy particle size from 0 to 18 inches; sandy-skeletal particle size from 18 to 60 inches; cryic temperature regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.