LOCATION GREENBELT NY+NJ
Established Series
JMG-LAH-JTI
04/2017
GREENBELT SERIES
The Greenbelt series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in a mantle of loamy human-transported materials more than 100 centimeters thick. This soil occurs in fill areas on anthopogenic landforms in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. Slope ranges from 0 to 60 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C and mean annual precipitation is about 1195 mm.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, spolic, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Anthropic Udorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Greenbelt loam in an open field on a 2 percent slope. (Colors are for moist soil unless noted differently.)
^A-- 0 to 13 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) loam; weak fine subangular blocky and weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine to coarse roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (6.9); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 20 cm thick.)
^Bw1-- 13 to 41 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) loam; few coarse distinct gray (10YR 5/1) and few coarse distinct red (2.5YR 4/6) lithochromic mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; very few distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; neutral (7.3); clear wavy boundary.
^Bw2-- 41 to 76 cm; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/3) loam; few, coarse distinct gray (10YR 5/1) and few coarse distinct red (2.5YR 4/6) lithochromic mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine, fine, and coarse roots throughout; very few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; neutral (7.3); clear wavy boundary.(Combined thickness of the ^Bw horizon is 20 to 250 cm.)
^C1-- 76 to 107 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) sandy loam; few, coarse distinct gray (10YR 5/1) lithochromic mottles; massive; friable; common very fine roots throughout; 2 percent gravel, 5 percent cobble, and 1 percent stones; moderately alkaline (8.2); clear wavy boundary.
^C2-- 107 to 200 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) loam; few coarse prominent gray (10YR 5/1) and few coarse distinct red (2.5YR 4/6) lithochromatic mottles; massive; firm; common very fine roots throughout; 10 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; slightly alkaline (7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the ^C horizons is 20 to 112 cm.)
TYPE LOCATION: Richmond County, New York; in an open field adjacent to Arthur Kill River, south of the Outerbridge Crossing; USGS Arthur Kill, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 40 degrees, 31 minutes, 19.23 seconds N. and Longitude 74 degrees, 14 minutes, 29.47 seconds W. (Rockwell GPS receiver); WGS 84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the fill materials is 100 cm or more. Total coarse fragments range from 1 to 34 percent with less than 10 percent (absolute) human artifacts. Surface and subsurface textures include sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, and silt loam. Thin layers of coarser textured materials may be present.
The ^A or ^Ap horizon have hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 to 4. Consistence is very friable, friable, or firm. Pieces of B horizon material are commonly mixed in. Structure is granular or subangular blocky, but may be fine platy in reclaimed areas where the surface has been compacted. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately alkaline.
The ^Bw horizons, if present, have hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Structure is subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable or friable. Pieces of other B or A horizons are commonly mixed in. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly alkaline.
Some pedons have ^BC horizons that are massive with plate-like divisions that inhibit roots from penetrating ped interiors, but allow roots to grow between the plates. Consistence is friable or firm. The other properties are similar to the Bw horizons.
The ^C horizons have hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. They are massive and may have plate-like divisions. Consistence is friable to firm. Reaction ranges from strongly alkaline to strongly acid.
The 2Ab and 2Bwb horizons, if present, have properties similar to the corresponding horizons in nearby undisturbed soils.
COMPETING SERIES:
Olinville series are in the same family. Olinville soils formed in a moderately deep mantle of loamy human-transported materials over alluvium.
Flatbush and
North Meadow series are in closely-related families. Flatbush soils formed in a moderately deep mantle of loamy human-transported materials over glaciofluvial deposits. North Meadow soils formed in a moderately deep mantle of loamy human-transported materials over till.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Greenbelt soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping anthropogenic landforms. These landforms may have been constructed over a variety of natural landforms including tidal marsh, inland wetlands, or various upland landforms. These soils formed in human-transported material 1 meter or more thick. Some pedons occur as backfilled excavations in cemeteries. The mantle of human-transported material contains less than 10 percent artifacts (e.g., plastic, glass, bricks, concrete, and metal). The human-transported material is dominantly from locally-excavated upland materials (e.g., alluvium, till, glaciofluvial deposits, or eolian deposits). Rock fragments are derived mainly from sedimentary and metamorphic rock types. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Higher slopes may occur when the soil is formed in unleveled mounds or where fill is used to create rolling topography on golf courses. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1020 to 1325 mm. Mean annual temperature ranges from 8 to 17 degrees C.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Associated human-altered and human-transported soils are
Canarsie,
Centralpark,
Ebbets,
Flatbush,
Laguardia,
Ladyliberty,
North Meadow,
Olinville, and
Secaucus soils. Canarsie, Flatbush, North Meadow, and Olinville soils have less than 100 centimeters of human-transported material. Centralpark soils average more than 35 percent rock fragments within the control section. Ebbets soils average greater than 10 percent human artifacts in the control section. Laguardia and Secaucus soils have greater than 35 percent combined rock fragments and artifacts in the control section. Associated naturally-deposited soils are
Boonton,
Charlton,
Cheshire, and
Paxton soils. All of these soils contain less than 50 centimeters of human-transported material at the surface. These soils often serve as the source of fill materials that form Greenbelt soils.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to medium on vegetated slopes less than 8 percent, and high to very high on vegetated slopes 8 percent and greater. The potential for surface runoff is one class higher where the soil is unvegetated or the surface is poorly protected from erosion. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high, but may be moderately low if the soil has been compacted.
USE AND VEGETATION: Depending on management, these soils may be vegetated primarily with herbaceous plants including raspberry, common reed, and mugwort or by turfgrass if part of a recreation area. Less managed areas are typically vegetated with native and non-native forest vegetation. The more compacted areas support sparse populations of various grasses, annuals, and perennials that invade disturbed/stressed areas. Recreational use is unlikely in park areas where the surface is unsmoothed, or where the surface stones and boulders have not been removed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils occur on modified landscapes in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. MLRA 144A and 149B. The soils of this series are moderately extensive.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hudson County, New Jersey; 2012.
REMARKS: Prior to the 12th edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Greenbelt soils were previously classified as Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Dystric Eutrudepts.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Anthropic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 75 cm (^A, ^Bw1, and ^Bw2 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Complete characterization data collected as pedon S1998NY085001. Pedon analyzed by the KSSL, Lincoln, NE, 1998.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.