LOCATION FAIRLESS                AK

Established Series
Rev. JDW/DKS/DLM
05/2022

FAIRLESS SERIES

The Fairless series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in silty, micaceous loess. Fairless soils are on loess-mantled hill and mountain backslopes and footslopes. Slopes range from 3 to 25 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 28 degrees F, and the average annual precipitation is about 11 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Fairless silt loam - forested (Colors are for moist soil unless specified)

Oi--3 to 1 inches; slightly decomposed forest litter.

Oe--1 inch to 0 ; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) partially decomposed organic matter; many fine and coarse roots; mycelia; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--0 to 2 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick).

E--2 to 5 inches; brown to brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak thin platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick).

Bw--5 to 15 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak thin platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine distinct dark brown to brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; common fine roots; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick).

C1--15 to 25 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; weak medium platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine faint light gray (2.5Y 7/2) and common fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) mottles; few fine roots; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick).

C2--25 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; massive; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; few fine roots; neutral (pH 6.8).

TYPE LOCATION: North Star Area, Alaska; in the SW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of section 32, T.2N, R.1W, Fairless Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges from 10 to 30 inches thick. Texture of the control section is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or silt with substantial mica content. The weighted average particle size of the control section has less than 18 percent clay and less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Reaction is strongly acid to neutral in the solum and slightly acid to moderately alkaline in the substratum.

The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value moist of 3 or 4, and chroma moist from 2 to 5.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value moist from 4 to 6, and chroma moist from 2 to 4.

The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value moist of 4 or 5, and chroma moist from 2 to 6.

The C horizon has hue from 10YR to 5Y, value moist of 4 or 5, and chroma moist from 2 to 4.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bodenburg, Fairbanks, Koyukuk, Nunaniq, and Toghotthele series. Bodenburg soils lack visible mica. Koyukuk have sandy-skeletal substratums. Fairbanks soils have fine textured lamellae in the solum. Nunaniq soils are presumed to have warmer soil temperatures. Nanaiq soils lack sandy subsoils.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Fairless soils are on backslopes and footslopes of hills and mountains in unglaciated uplands. The soils formed in micaceous loess that is from 40 inches to many feet thick over fractured bedrock. The climate is cold continental. Mean annual temperature ranges from 26 to 30 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches. The length of the growing season is between 93 and 123 days, and the average number of growing degree-days in June, July, and August is 1760.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderate permeability. Surface runoff is moderate under native forest, but is rapid in moderately or steeply sloping cleared fields.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly in forest dominated by white spruce, paper birch and quaking aspen. Some areas are cleared and cultivated for vegetables, grasses, and grains.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Interior Alaska. The series is extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: North Star Area, Alaska, 1990.

REMARKS: Diagnostic layers and features recognized in this profile include: an ochric epipedon; a cambic horizon from 5 to 15 inches; cryic temperature regime; and coarse-silty particle size from 10 to 40 inches. Formerly classified as Cryochrepts.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.