LOCATION FRAM ND+MN
Established Series
CJH
07/2014
FRAM SERIES
The Fram series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in till or water sorted sediments over till. These soils are on till plains, moraines and lake plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 40 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 17 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aeric Calciaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fram loam on a convex north-northeast facing 1 percent slope in a cultivated field. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; about 1 percent pebbles; slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
Bk--7 to 18 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine pores; few thin tongues of A material; about 1 percent pebbles; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual irregular boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
BCk--18 to 38 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; few masses of carbonates; about 1 percent pebbles; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 inches thick)
C--38 to 60 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; few fine reddish brown redoximorphic concentrations below 40 inches; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few small nests of gypsum crystals in upper part, more in lower part; about 5 percent pebbles; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Wells County, North Dakota; about 5 miles east and 1 mile south of Fessenden; 385 feet west and 45 feet north of the southeast corner, Sec. 13, T. 148 N., R. 70 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 20 inches. The top of the calcic horizon is at depths of less than 16 inches, and in some pedons the lower part of the mollic epipedon qualifies as part of the calcic horizon. The soil contains 1 to 10 percent rock fragments. Some pedons contain stones. Some pedons are saline. The soil is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline throughout.
The A horizon has a hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam or silt loam. Some pedons have Ak or ABk horizons.
The Bk horizon has a hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, 5 to 8 dry, and chroma of 1 to 4. It typically is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. Redoximorphic features are in some to all parts of the Bk and C horizons. Some pedons have Bky or BCk horizons.
The C horizon has a hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
Some pedons have a 2C horizon. It typically has a coarse textured lag line at the top.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Wyndmere series. Wyndmere soils do not have rock fragments and formed in lacustrine material.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fram soils are on level and nearly level till plains, moraines and lake plains. Slope gradients range from 0 to 3 percent. They formed in till or water sorted sediments over till. The climate is cool, subhumid, with a mean annual air temperature ranging from 36 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranging from 15 to 22 inches. The frost-free period ranges from 90 to 140 days. The elevation above sea level ranges from 750 to 2300 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Emrick,
Hedman,
Heimdal,
Ortonville,
Parnell,
Tonka, and
Vallers soils. Emrick, Heimdal, and Ortonville soils are on better drained, higher lying positions. Hedman soils are on adjacent, poorly drained flats. Parnell and Tonka soils occupy very poorly and poorly drained areas in depressions. They have argillic horizons. Vallers soils on poorly drained rims of the depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is negligible to medium depending on slope. Permeability is moderate. A seasonal high water table is at depths of 1.5 to 3.5 feet at some time during the period April through June.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated with small grains and hay the principal crops. The original native grasses were big and little bluestem, wheatgrass, prairie dropseed, and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. The soils are of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wells County, North Dakota, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 7 inches (Ap horizon); calcic horizon - the zone from 7 to 18 inches (Bk horizon); characteristics associated with wetness - calcic horizon within 16 inches.
Where the soil has been previously correlated as moderately well drained or with slopes of more than 3 percent it should be recorrelated to Ortonville (Aquic Calciudolls).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.