LOCATION GARDENISLE NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Eutrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Gardenisle loam on a 3 percent slope in abandoned cropland reverting to brush. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 5 inches, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; many fine and very fine pores; 10 percent rock fragments of sandstone; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick).
BE--5 to 9 inches, brown (10YR 4/3) loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; many fine and very fine pores; 10 percent rock fragments of sandstone; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick).
Bw--9 to 17 inches, brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky; few thin clay films lining pores; friable; many very fine roots and few fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; 10 percent rock fragments of sandstone, 5 percent rock fragments of dolomitic limestone; slightly effervescent, slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick).
2C--17 to 24 inches, dark brown (10YR 3/3) very channery loam; common fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) streaks in the lower part; massive; friable; few fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; 45 percent rock fragments of argillite (including 10 percent greater than 3 inches); strongly effervescent, moderately alkaline; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick).
2Cr--24 to 34 inches, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) highly weathered argillite bedrock with silt loam occupying 20 percent of volume between rock layers; decomposing rock structure; firm; violently effervescent, moderately alkaline; gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick).
2R--34 inches, folded, gray (10YR 5/1 dry) argillite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Clinton County, New York; in the Town of Plattsburgh, about 1.3 miles northwest of the NY-VT ferry dock parking lot and about 1000 feet west of Cumberland Head Road; USGS Plattsburgh topographic quadrangle; latitude 44 degrees 43 minutes 01 second N. and longitude 73 degrees 23 minutes 26 seconds W. NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 15 to 40 inches. Depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Carbonates occur within 15 inches of bedrock contact in most pedons. Clay content ranges from 18 to 27 percent in the control section. Rock fragments, primarily of sandstone and dolomitic limestone, range from 5 to 25 percent by volume in the solum. Rock fragments range from 20 to 60 percent in the substratum and consist primarily of argillite with some dolomitic limestone. The average rock fragment content is less than 35 percent in the control section. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline in the upper solum and from neutral to moderately alkaline in the lower solum and substratum.
The Ap has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 or 3. Some undisturbed A horizons have value and chroma one unit lower than the Ap horizon. Texture is fine sandy loam or loam in the fine earth fraction, and less commonly silt loam. Structure is weak or moderate granular. Consistence is very friable or friable.
The BE horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is fine sandy loam or loam. Structure is weak or moderate subangular blocky or granular. Consistence is friable or very friable.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 4 through 6. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is loam or silt loam. Structure is weak or moderate subangular blocky. Consistence is friable.
The BC horizon, if present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture of the fine earth fraction is loam or silt loam. Structure is weak or moderate subangular blocky or platy. Consistence is friable or firm.
The C or 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is loam or silt loam. Structure is weak or moderately platy or it is massive. Consistence is friable or firm.
The 2Cr horizon, if present, has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value 3 through 5 and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture of the fine earth fraction between weathered bedrock fragments is loam or silt loam.
COMPETING SERIES: The Camillus series is in the same family. Camillus soils are underlain by calcaerous shale and contains less than 15 percent hard rock fragements throughout the soil. The Hennepin series was in the same family, but has not been classified for CEC activity class. Hennepin soils have a thinner solum and are greater than 40 inches to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gardenisle soils are nearly level to moderately steep soils on glacial till uplands. They are on ridges and sideslopes controlled by interbedded and slightly folded argillite (indurated calcareous mudstone), dolomitic limestone and limestone bedrock. Slopes range from 0 to 25 percent. The till parent material is derived mainly from dolomitic limestone and sandstone. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 31 to 36 inches; mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 49 degrees F.; and the frost free period is 130 to 180 days. Elevation ranges from 100 to 300 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The shallow Benson soils are on similar landscapes, and the Amenia, Kingsbury, Massena, Northway (T), and Rhinebeck soils are on nearby landscapes. The Amenia and Massena soils are very deep to bedrock and formed in loamy glacial till. The Northway soils are very deep outwash sand overlying loamy glacial till. The Kingsbury and Rhinebeck soils are somewhat poorly drained clayey soils on lake plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow to rapid. Permeability is moderate in the upper solum and moderately slow to moderate in the lower solum and substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in forest or reverting to brush. Forested areas contain northern white cedar, sugar maple, hophornbean, northern red oak and white ash.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Champlain Valley of Northern New York. MLRA 142. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clinton County, New York, 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 5 inches (Ap horizon).
2) Cambic horizon - from 9 to 17 inches (Bw horizon).
3) Eutrochrepts - base saturation of 60% or more between 10 and 30 inches.
Soil Interpretation Record No.: NY0450