LOCATION FLATIRON NY+PAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Typic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Flatiron sandy loam, on a 24 percent slope in a wooded area at an elevation of 2,280 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Oe-- 0 to 1 inches; black (10YR 2/1) decomposed leaves; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
E--1 to 2 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) loamy fine sand; single grain, loose; many fine roots; 10 percent subrounded quartz pebbles; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1-- 2 to 25 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine and coarse roots; 15 percent subrounded quartz pebbles; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--25 to 36 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly loamy fine sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; common medium and coarse roots; 30 percent subrounded quartz pebbles and 2 percent sandstone fragments; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bw horizon is 25 to 45 inches)
C1--36 to 47 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam; massive; firm; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt faces along rock fragments; 50 percent subrounded quartz pebbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 26 inches thick)
C2--47 to 60 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silty clay loam; massive; firm; light gray (10YR 7/2) faces on rock fragments; common manganese stains; 10 percent shale fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C3--60 to 80 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam; massive; firm; 20 percent quartz pebbles and sandstone; very strongly acid. (0 to 28 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Cattaraugus County, New York; town of Olean, 1,400 feet north of Two Mile Road and NY Rt. 16, 1,800 feet southeast of NY Rt. 16; USGS Olean Topographic Quadrangle, Latitude, 42 degrees, 01 minutes, 23 seconds N., Longitude, 78 degrees, 26 minutes, 42 seconds W. NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 26 to 60 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Rock fragments of subrounded quartz and sandstone, range from 5 to 35 percent in individual horizons of the solum and from 10 to 60 percent in the substratum. Boulders, stones, and channers cover about 5 to 60 percent of the surface of some pedons. The control section averages less than 18 percent clay. Reaction ranges from strongly acid through extremely acid throughout the soil where unlimed.
The O horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2, consisting of highly decomposed leaf litter 1 to 3 inches thick.
The A horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
The E horizon, has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 7 and chroma of 1 to 4. It is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is weak, fine to medium granular or single grain. Consistence is very friable, friable or loose.
The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. Texture is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam in the fine-earth fraction. Structure is weak or moderate, fine to coarse subangular blocky or granular. Consistence is very friable or friable.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. It ranges from loamy sand to loam in the fine-earth fraction, with subhorizons of silty clay loam. Structure is weak subangular blocky, single grain or the material is massive. Consistence is friable or firm.
COMPETING SERIES: The Bice, Dummerston, Elka, Haights, Lombard, Millsite and Mongaup series are the series currently known to be in this family. All competitors are formed in till or outwash.
The Franklinville (T), Mesaba, and Trow series are in related families. Franklinville (T) soils are glaciated soils that have rock fragments primarily of sandstone, siltstone and shale. Mesaba soils are moderately deep to gabbro or basalt bedrock. Trow soils are glaciated soils that are moderately deep to interbedded phyllite and limestone.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Flatiron soils are on ridges and summits and upper side slopes. Slopes are usually convex with gradients of 0 to 50 percent. These soils developed in material weathered from the Olean and Knapp conglomerate and occur as transitional areas. The Olean formation varies from a massive conglomerate with well rounded pebbles, 0.25 to 3 inches in diameter, of milky quartz imbedded in a dark gray siliceous matrix, to a coarse quartzose sandstone containing few pebbles. The Knapp conglomerate is loosely cemented with small flattened discoidal quartz pebbles. Near the type location the mean annual air temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F.; mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 45 inches; and the growing season ranges from is 90 to 120 days. These soils are mostly above elevations of 2,000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The competing Carrollton, Elko, Eldred, Kinzua, Knapp Creek, Mandy and Onoville soils are in the same landscape. Buchanan, Cookport, Gilpin, Rayne, Hartleton and Wharton soils are nearby. Buchanan, Cookport, Elko and Onoville soils have fragipans. Carrollton, Gilpin and Mandy soils have bedrock within 40 inches. Eldred, Hartleton, Kinzua, Rayne and Wharton soils are finer textured with argillic horizons. Knapp Creek soils contain more than 35 percent rock fragments within the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to high. Permeability is rapid to moderately rapid in the solum and moderately rapid to moderately slow in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most Flatiron soils are in woodland areas of mixed oaks, sugar maple, black cherry, striped maple and occasional conifers. Some areas have been cleared for pasture and hayland.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Unglaciated areas in the Appalachian Plateau of southwestern New York and northwestern Pennsylvania at elevations above 2,000 feet. MLRA 127. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cattaraugus County, New York 2002.
REMARKS: This series is of minor extent. It developed from the weathering of the Oleon and Knapp conglomerate. Reference pedon S93NY-009-07.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 2 inches (Oe, and E horizons).
b. Cambic horizon - the zone from 2 to 36 inches (E, Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).