LOCATION EDGEMERE PAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Fragiaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Edgemere extremely stony loam; in a forested area.(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise specified)
Oe-- 0 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) extremely stony moderately decomposed organic matter; weak fine granular structure; very friable, non sticky, non plastic, weakly smeary; many fine and medium to common coarse and very coarse roots; 25 percent rounded sandstone boulders and cobbles; 20 percent subangular sandstone stones; 30 percent angular sandstone flags and channers; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick.)
A/E-- 2 to 5 inches; 75 percent black (N 2/), and 25 percent dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) extremely stony loam; weak fine and medium granular structure; very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and medium to common very coarse and coarse roots; 25 percent rounded sandstone boulders and cobbles; 20 percent subangular sandstone stones; 30 percent angular sandstone flags and channers; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick.)
Bg1-- 5 to 12 inches; 80 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), and 20 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely stony loam; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium to few coarse roots; common faint silt bridging between sand grains; common medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2), gray (10YR 5/1) areas of iron depletion and distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) soft masses of iron accumulation; 25 percent rounded sandstone boulders and cobbles; 20 percent subangular sandstones; 30 percent angular sandstone flags and channers; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bg2-- 12 to 24 inches; 70 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), and 30 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) very stony sandy loam; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common faint silt bridging between sand grains, and common distinct oxide coats on faces of peds and in pores; many fine and medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2), and common medium faint light gray to gray (10YR 6/1) areas of iron depletion and many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; 25 percent sandstone channers; 15 percent sandstone gravels; 10 percent sandstone stones; 5 percent sandstone boulders; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bg is 6 to 26 inches.)
Bx1-- 24 to 36 inches; 70 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2), and 30 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam; moderate coarse platy structure parting to weak very coarse prismatic; very firm, non sticky, non plastic, brittle; common fine dendritic tubular, and constricted tubular pores; few distinct clay films (cutans) in root channels and pores; few distinct oxide coats on faces of peds and in pores, and common prominent manganese or iron-manganese stains on faces of peds; common medium plate like iron-manganese concretions, and few fine and medium rounded soft masses of iron-manganese; many coarse distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) areas of iron depletion and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 25 percent rounded sandstone gravels; 5 percent sandstone stones; 10 percent angular sandstone channers; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bx2-- 36 to 46 inches; 50 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), 30 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), and 20 percent light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly sandy loam; strong coarse and very coarse platy structure parting to moderate very coarse prismatic; very firm, non sticky, non plastic, brittle; few fine dendritic tubular, and common constricted tubular pores; common distinct clay films in pores, few distinct oxide coats on faces of peds and in pores, and common prominent manganese or iron-manganese stains on faces of peds; common fine and medium plate like iron-manganese concretions, and few fine and medium rounded soft masses of iron-manganese; many coarse distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) areas of iron depletion and common coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; 35 percent rounded sandstone gravels; 5 percent angular sandstone stones; 5 percent subangular sandstone channers; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bx3-- 46 to 66 inches; 65 percent brown (10YR 4/3), 25 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), and 10 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam; strong coarse and very coarse platy structure parting to moderate very coarse prismatic; very firm, non sticky, non plastic, brittle; common fine vesicular and tubular, and few dendritic tubular pores; common distinct clay films in pores, few distinct oxide coats on faces of peds and in pores, and common prominent manganese or iron-manganese stains on faces of peds; common fine and medium plate like iron-manganese concretions, and few fine and medium rounded soft masses of iron-manganese; many coarse distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) areas of iron depletion and common coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; 40 percent rounded sandstone gravels; 15 percent angular sandstone stones; 1 percent subrounded sandstone boulders; very strongly acid. (Combined thickness of the Bx horizons is 35 to over 46 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: Pike County, Pennsylvania; Porter Township, 2.1 miles north of Bushkill Rd. on Flat Ridge Rd., 1500 feet west on state forest logging road, then 2000 feet south on logging road; Pecks Pond, PA USGS topographic quadrangle; Latitude 41 degrees, 14 minutes, 16 seconds N. and Longitude 75 degrees, 2 minutes, 18 seconds W. NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to bedrock is 6 to 15 feet. Coarse fragments range from 35 to 75 percent by weighted volume in the profile, and range 25 to 80 percent by volume in individual horizons. The depth to the top of the fragipan is 20 to 30 inches. The control section averages 8 to 15 percent clay. The soil reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid. If areas are limed soil reaction ranges to moderately acid.
The A horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 through 3. The texture is loam, silt loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam and their stony or rubbly modifiers. Structure is weak fine and medium granular.
The B horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2 with some small areas of chroma 3 and high chroma redoximorphic concentrations. The texture of the B is loam, silt loam, or fine sandy loam. Structure is weak medium and coarse subangular blocky.
The Bx horizons have hue of 5YR through 2.5Y, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 2 through 6. Texture is loam or sandy loam. Structure is moderate very coarse prismatic, parting to moderate to strong coarse and very coarse platy, or it is massive within the prisms.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other members within this family.
Chippewa, Dannemora, Marcy, and Norwich are in closely related families. Chippewa and Norwich have 18 to 34 percent clay in the fine earth fraction. Dannemora and Marcy have frigid temperature regimes. Chippewa, Dannemora, Marcy, and Norwich have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Edgemere soils are on drainage ways and structural benches below seep areas. Slope ranges from 0 to 8 percent. Edgemere soils formed in till, mainly from areas of sandstone, and shale. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 50 inches and is evenly distributed throughout the year. Mean annual temperature ranges from 46 to 50 degrees F., and the growing season ranges from 110 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Chippewa, Mardin, Norwich, Shohola, Wellsboro, Wurtsboro, and Volusia soils derived from the same material. The Mardin, Wellsboro, and Wurtsboro soils are very deep, moderately well drained soils with fragipans on nearby convex toeslopes. Shohola and Volusia soils are very deep, somewhat poorly drained, fragipan soils on directly adjacent landscapes. The Chippewa and Norwich soils are very deep, very poorly drained soils with less than 35 percent stones on similar landscapes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Edgemere soils are poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to very high. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan and slow in the fragipan. A perched water table is above the fragipan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are wooded, and used for timber. Few areas have been cleared at one time for use as pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern and eastern Pennsylvania. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pike County, Pennsylvania, 1995.
REMARKS: Horizons and Diagnostic Features in this pedon:
Ochric Epipedon - The Oe and A/E horizon from 0 to 5 inches.
Cambic Horizon - The Bg1, Bg2 horizons from 5 to 24 inches.
Fragipan - From 24 to 66 inches.
CEC Activity Class is Superactive by lab data S91PA-103-002.