LOCATION FELS                    AK

Established Series
Rev. MHC/DLM
05/2022

FELS SERIES

Depth class: shallow to moderately deep to permafrost
Drainage class: well drained
Landforms: hills on peat plateaus
Parent material: mossy organic material and/or woody organic material
Elevation: 2,848 to 2,999 feet (868 to 914 m)
Slope: 6 to 60 percent
Annual precipitation: 22 to 24 inches (564 to 607 mm)
Annual temperature: 25 degrees F (-4 degrees C)
Frost-free period: 50 to 70 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Dysic, subgelic Glacic Folistels

TYPICAL PEDON: Fels peat - on a slope of 24 percent under shrub birch-mixed ericaceous shrub/cloudberry scrub. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oi--0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 cm); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) peat; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; extremely acid (pH 4.2); clear wavy boundary.

Oe1--4 to 13 inches (10 to 33 cm); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) mucky peat; common very fine and fine roots; extremely acid (pH 4.2); gradual wavy boundary.

Oe2--13 to 20 inches (33 to 51 cm); dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moderately decomposed plant material; common very fine and fine roots; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt wavy boundary.

Oef--20 to 41 inches (51 to 104 cm); dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) permanently frozen moderately decomposed plant material; very strongly acid (pH 4.6).

Wf--41 to 60 inches (104 to 152 cm); massive ice.

TYPE LOCATION: Delta River Area, Alaska; approximately 3 miles northwest of Dickey Lake; UTM coordinates: Zone 6, Easting 539525, Northing 6981381.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture class: udic
Average annual soil temperature: 30 to 31 degrees F (-0.5 to -1.0 degrees C)
Depth to permafrost: 16 to 20 inches (41 to 51 cm)
Depth to massive ice: 41 to 60 inches (104 to 152 cm)

Oi, Oe horizon:
Colorhue of 2.5YR to 10YR; value of 2 to 4; chroma of 2 to 4
Texturepeat, mucky peat
Organic matter content65 to 90 percent

Oef horizon:
Colorhue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 2 to 4; chroma of 2 to 4
Reactionextremely acid or very strongly acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are the no competing series in this classification.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landforms: hills on peat plateaus
Parent material: mossy organic material and/or woody organic material
Elevation: 2,848 to 2,999 feet (868 to 914 m)
Slope: 6 to 60 percent
Annual precipitation: 22 to 24 inches (564 to 607 mm)
Annual temperature: 25 degrees F (-4 degrees C)
Frost-free period: 50 to 70 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Schleyer, Shand and Turbellina soils. Schleyer soils are somewhat poorly drained, very deep, and occur on hills, mountains, outwash plains, and terraces. Shand soils are very poorly drained, very deep, and occur on flood plains. Turbellina soils are very poorly drained, shallow to moderately deep to permafrost, and occur on hills and outwash plains.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained, very high runoff. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high above the permafrost and very low in the permafrost.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife habitat and recreation. Native vegetation is shrub birch-mixed ericaceous shrub/cloudberry scrub.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 228, Interior Alaska Mountains, Alaska. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Delta River Area, Alaska, 2005

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:
Depth to permafrost: 20 to 41 inches. (Oef horizon)
Depth to massive ice: 41 to 60 inches
Histic epipedon: 0 to 41 inches. (Oi, Oe1, Oe2, and Oef horizons)
Soil reaction: less than 4.5 (in 0.01M CaCl2) through out
Temperature regime: pergelic
Moisture regime: udic.

ADDITIONAL DATA:

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.