LOCATION EASTON MEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, frigid Aeric Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Easton gravelly silt loam, on a 2 percent northwest facing slope in a hayfield. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; some mixing of Eg in the base of Ap; 22 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Eg--9 to 15 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) faces of peds; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak thin platy; firm; common very fine and few fine roots; few fine black (5YR 2/1) oxide coatings on faces of plates; many medium faint olive gray (5Y 5/2) iron depletions, and common medium prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; 14 percent gravel; moderately acid, abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bg1--15 to 18 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) gravelly loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) faces of peds; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium platy; firm; few very fine roots along faces of prisms; common fine black (5YR 2/1) oxide coatings on faces of plates; common medium faint olive gray (5Y 5/2) iron depletions, and common medium prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; 28 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bg2--18 to 24 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) gravelly loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) faces peds; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium platy; firm; few very fine roots along faces of prisms; common fine black (5YR 2/1) oxide coatings on faces of plates; common medium faint olive gray (5Y 5/2) iron depletions, and common medium distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the B horizon is 6 to 23 inches)
C1--24 to 29 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) gravelly loam, gray (5Y 5/1) faces of prisms and olive 5Y 4/3) faces of plates; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak thin platy; friable; few fine black (5YR 2/1) oxide coatings on faces of plates; 26 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
C2--29 to 60 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) gravelly loam, weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak thin and medium platy; friable; 27 percent gravel and 4 percent cobbles; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Aroostook County, Maine; Town of Washburn; 0.5 miles east of Maine Route 164 and 0.4 miles north of the Caribou Lake Road, in a hayfield; USGS Caribou topographic quadrangle; latitude 46 degrees 48 minutes 36 seconds N., and longitude 68 degrees 06 minutes 26 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 35 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is dominantly silt loam or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 35 percent by volume with approximately 90 percent being gravel and the remaining being dominantly cobbles. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral in the surface and subsurface, and from moderately acid to mildly alkaline in the subsoil and substratum.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 to 3. It has weak to strong, very fine to coarse granular structure and is very friable or friable.
The E horizon has hue of 5Y or 2.5Y, value of 5 and chroma of 2 or 3. It has weak or moderate, thin to very thick platy, weak very fine subangular blocky or moderate very coarse prismatic primary structure. Consistence is friable or firm.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6 with chroma of 2 or less on faces of peds in some subhorizons within 20 inches of the mineral soil surface. It has weak or moderate, very fine or fine subangular blocky, thin or medium platy, very fine granular or moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to platy or subangular blocky. Consistence is friable or firm.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 2 to 6. It has weak or moderate, thin to thick platy, fine to medium angular blocky or weak or moderate very coarse prismatic structure that may part to platy or angular blocky or the horizon is massive. It is friable or firm.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in the same family. The Angelica, Deerheart, Gretor, and Gulf series are in closely related families. Angelica and Deerheart soils are from outside of Region R. Angelica soils have redder hues in the B horizon and have an active CEC class. Deerheart soils formed in glaciolacustrine material , have less than 5 percent rock fragments throughout, and have a semiactive CEC class. Gretor soils are moderately deep to bedrock, are acid, and have an active CEC class. Gulf soils formed in glacial outwash deposits and have an active CEC class.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Easton soils are in depressions on glaciated uplands. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. The soil developed in till derived primarily from metamorphosed lime- stone, calcareous sandstone and shale. The climate is humid and cool temperate. The mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 42 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 36 to 40 inches. The frost-free season ranges from 90 to 120 days. Elevation ranges from 350 to 800 feet above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Caribou, Conant, and Mapleton soils. Caribou, Conant, and Mapleton soils are better drained and are on higher positions in the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Permeability is moderate in the surface, moderately slow in the subsoil, and slow in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly forested or areas reverting to forest. Forest vegetation is mainly balsam fir, northern white cedar, red spruce, white spruce, and red maple. Other areas have been cleared of trees and used for hay and pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Aroostook County, Maine; MLRAs 143 AND 146. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Aroostook County, Maine, 1908.
REMARKS: 1. The classification is updated to Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, frigid Aeric Endoaquepts with this revision to conform to the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 8th edition, 1998. The former classification was Fine-loamy, mixed, nonacid, frigid Aeric Haplaquepts. 2. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 15 inches (Ap and Eg horizons).
b. Albic horizon - the zone from 9 to 15 inches (Eg horizon).
c. Cambic horizon - the zone from 15 to 24 inches (Bg horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Source of data used in establishing taxonomic class and range in characteristics are Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, Technical Bulletin 137; Characterization Data and composite data from the Field Appraisal of Resource Management Systems compiled by Dr. Paul R. Hepler, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, Maine.
The Soil Interpretation Record numbers for the Easton series are: Easton, ME0046; and Easton, stony, ME0093.