LOCATION FELDTMANN MITentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, frigid Typic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Feldtmann loamy coarse sand on a 1 percent southwest facing slope, forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oe--2 to 0 inches; very dark gray (5YR 3/1) partially decomposed forest litter, strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary (0 to 3 inches thick).
A--0 to 5 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) loamy coarse sand; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many medium and fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary (4 or 5 inches thick).
C1--5 to 22 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) coarse sand; single grain; loose; many medium and fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
C2--22 to 60 inches; red (10R 4/6) gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; few fine and medium roots; about 20 percent gravel; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Keweenaw County, Michigan. About 1,000 feet southeast of the intersection of the Rainbow Cove Trail and Feldtmann Lake Trail at the Feldtmann Lake camp ground, Isle Royale National Park, NE 1/4, SW 1/4 of sec. 19, T. 63N., R. 38 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The volume of gravel in the A horizon ranges from 0 to 10 percent, and that of the C horizon ranges from 0 to 20 percent. Reaction of the A horizon ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid, and the reaction of the C horizons ranges from strongly acid to neutral.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR; value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, coarse sand or sand.
The C horizons have hue of 2.5YR or 10R; and value of 3 or 4. They are loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, coarse sand or the gravelly analogues of these textures.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Claire, Eastport, Friendship, Grayling, Mahtomedi, Menahga, Nymore, Omega, Pelkie, Plainbo, Sartell, Serden, Shawano and Sunday series in the same family and the related Deer Park, Oakville and Plainfield soils. All of these soils have yellower hues in their subsoil and/or substraums.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Feldtmann soils are on Lake Superior shoreline positions. Slopes range from 1 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 26 to 36 inches, and the mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained. Surface runoff is very slow. Permeability is very rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Feldtmann soils are forested and support stands of balsam fir, white spruce, paper birch, red maple and northern white cedar. The understory and ground vegetation is composed of grasses, thimbleberry, big leaf aster and alder.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western portion of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and possibly Northeastern Minnesota along the Lake Superior Shoreline where red conglomerates outcrop. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES PROPOSED: Keweenaw County, Michigan. 1989. The source of the name is a lake on Isle Royale National Park.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 5 inches (A horizon); udic soil moisture regime. The source of materials for the Feldtmann soils is the result of wave action and glacial activity eroding the exposed red Copper Harbor Conglomerates.