LOCATION KERT               WI
Established Series
Rev. DTS-HFG
05/2001

KERT SERIES


The Kert series consists of somewhat poorly drained soils which are moderately deep to a paralithic contact with interbedded sandstone and shale. They formed in loess or silty alluvium and in loamy residuum on low hills and pediments. Permeability is moderate in the silty mantle; moderately slow or moderate in the residuum; and very slow to moderately slow in the sandstone and shale. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 30 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquic Glossudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Kert silt loam - on a plane, east-facing 1 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 1105 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)

B/E--9 to 22 inches; about 70 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam (Bt); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films are on faces of peds; few fine distinct pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) masses of iron depletion and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; penetrated by tongues of brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam (E), very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions and common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Glossic horizon - 2 to 30 inches thick)

2Bt1--22 to 26 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine and fine roots; common faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 5/2) iron depletions and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

2Bt2--26 to 34 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silty clay loam; strong medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine and fine roots; few faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) clay films on faces of some peds; few fine prominent dark gray (N 4/0) and common fine prominent gray (5Y 6/1) iron depletions; few medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; about 5 percent sandstone channers; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon ranges from 3 to 25 inches)

2Cr--34 to 60 inches; interbedded pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandstone and gray (5Y 6/1) shale.

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Wisconsin; about 3 miles south and 4.5 miles E of Lynn; about 200 feet south and 500 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 25, T. 24 N., R. 1 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the argillic horizonand depth to the paralithic contact with interbedded sandstone and shale range from 20 to 40 inches. Thickness of the silty mantle and depth to loamy residuum range from 12 to 30 inches. Base saturation (by sum of cations) is less than 35 percent in the residuum. Coarse fragments are mostly sandstone channers, but in many places, these soils occur near higher lying glacial soils and igneous pebbles are in the upper part of some pedons. Volume of gravel or sandstone channers ranges from 0 to 15 percent in the silty mantle. Volume of sandstone channers ranges from 3 to 35 percent in the residuum. Reaction typically ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid in the silty mantle, but ranges to neutral in the Ap horizon where the soil is limed. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid in the residuum. Redox concentrations are throughout the soil below the A horizon. Redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less and aquic conditions are in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon.

The Ap horizon has value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 or 3. Uncultivated pedons have an A horizon with value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2.

Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. Colors of 4/3 or 5/3 have value dry of 7 or more. The E horizon is silt loam or silt.

Kert soils have a glossic horizon. Horizonation has a wide range depending on the thickness of the silty mantle and the extent to which eluviation has occurred. Therefore, Kert soils can have E/B, B/E, 2E/B, or 2B/E horizons singly or in combination.

The E part of the E/B or B/E horizon, has color and texture like the E horizon described above. The Bt part has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 3 to 6. Value and chroma of 3 do not occur together.

Some pedons have a Bt horizon with color and texture like the Bt part described above.

The 2E part of the 2E/B or 2B/E horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 2 or 3. Colors of 4/3 or 5/3 have value dry of 7 or more. The 2E part is loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or the channery analogs.

The 2Bt part of the 2E/B or 2B/E horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 3 to 7; and chroma of 4 to 8. It has texture like the 2E part described above.

The 2Bt horizon has hue and value like the 2Bt part described above. It has chroma of 2 to 8. It has texture like the 2Bt part described above. Thin subhorizons of coarser or finere texture are in some pedons.

The 2Cr horizon has color like the 2Bt horizon described above. It is interbedded sandstone and shale.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Meadland, Milladore, Peshtigo(T), Point, Rietbrock, Sprinkler, and Withee series. Related soils are Hiles and Merrillan series. Meadland, Milladore, Peshtigo, Point, Sprinkler, and Withee soils do not have a paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches. Rietbrock soils have a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches. Hiles soils do not have redox depletions in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon. Merrillan soils have a spodic horizon, do not have a silty mantle, and are coarse-loamy.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on low hills and pediments underlain by interbedded sandstone and shale (Eau Claire and Mt. Simon formations of the Elk Mound group). Slope gradients range from 0 to 6 percent. Kert soils formed in 12 to 30 inches of loess or silty alluvium and in loamy residuum from the underlying interbedded sandstone and shale. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 33 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost free period ranges from about 120 to 135 days. Elevation ranges from 700 to 1400 feet.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hiles, Humbird, Merrillan, and Veedum soils. The moderately well drained Hiles soils and the poorly drained Veedum soils form a drainage sequence with Kert soils. The moderately well drained Humbird soils and the somewhat poorly drained Merrillan soils form a drainage sequence in nearby areas where the silty mantle is absent.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow or medium. Permeability is moderate in the silty mantle, moderately slow or moderate in the residuum, and very slow to moderately slow in the sandstone and shale. These soils have a perched seasonal water table at a depth of 1 to 2.5 feet at some time during the period from October to May in most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas are cleared and used for cropland. Common crops are corn, small grain, and hay. Some areas are in woodland. The native vegetation is mixed deciduous and coniferous forests with eastern white pine, white spruce, eastern hemlock, red maple, American elm, and sugar maple predominating. Some areas are used for pastureland.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West central Wisconsin. These soils are moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wood County, Wisconsin, 1971.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - 0 to 9 inches (Ap); glossic horizon - 9 to 22 inches (B/E); argillic horizon - 9 to 34 inches (B/E, 2Bt1, 2Bt2); aquic feature - Fe depletions and saturation within the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon; paralithic contact at 34 inches (2Cr).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record - WI0237.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.