LOCATION KLANELNEECHENA AK
Established Series
Rev. MHC/JPM
05/2022
KLANELNEECHENA SERIES
The Klanelneechena series consists of very poorly or poorly drained soils formed in a thick organic mat over a thin loess mantle underlain by sandy alluvium or friable glacial outwash. Permafrost occurs at a depth of 15 to 34 inches below the mineral soil surface. Klanelneechena soils are on glacial till plains and broad lacustrine terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 25 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is about 12 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, subgelic Typic Historthels
TYPICAL PEDON: Klanelneechena peat - on a 1 percent slope under black spruce forest at 1500 feet elevation. When described the soil was wet.
Oi--12 to 9 inches; black (10YR 2/1) peat; slightly decomposed moss, roots and twigs; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Oe1--9 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) mucky peat; partially decomposed roots, twigs, and moss fibers; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Oe2--4 to 0 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 2.5/2) mucky peat; partially decomposed roots, twigs and moss fibers; abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
A--0 to 1 inch; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) mucky silt loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many roots of all sizes; slightly acid (pH 6.4); diffuse irregular boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
2C--1 to 15 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 31 inches thick)
2Cf--15 to 25 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) coarse sand; slightly acid (pH 6.4); frozen on August 28, 1984.
TYPE LOCATION: Copper River Area, Alaska; 4 miles west of Glenallen, 100 feet north and 2200 feet east of the southwest corner of section 30, T.4N., R.2W., Copper River Meridian.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is less than 32 degrees F. The mat of organic material consists of fibrous overpartially decomposed moss, twigs, and root fibers 8 to 15 inches thick. The loess cap ranges from less than 1 inch to three inches thick. Depth to the permafrost ranges from 15 to 34 inches below the mineral soil surface 2 months after the summer solstice. Texture of the control section includes coarse sand, sand, fine sand or loamy fine sand. Coarse fragment content ranges from 0 to 20 percent with 0 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobble. Reaction is medium or slightly acid in the organic layers and slightly acid or neutral in the mineral soil.
The A horizon has moist hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; moist value of 2 or 3; and moist chroma from 1 to 3. Texture is silt loam or mucky silt loam.
The 2C horizon has moist hue from 10YR to 2.5Y; moist value of 2 or 3; and moist chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is coarse sand, sand, fine sand or loamy fine sand.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Klanelneechena soils formed in a thick organic mat overlying a thin loess mantle underlain by sandy alluvium and friable glacial outwash on broad lacustrine terraces and till plains. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent and are typically plane to convex.
The climate is subarctic continental with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 17 inches and the mean annual snowfall is 39 to 68 inches. Mean January temperature is minus 10 degrees F., mean July temperature is 56 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature varies from 23 to 27 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Stuck soils on the same landforms. Stuck soils are the thawed counterpart to Klanelneechena soils and occur where the organic mat is disturbed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly to poorly drained. Permeability is moderately rapid in the organic mat, moderate in the loess cap, rapid in the sandy material above the permafrost, and impermeable within the permafrost. Runoff is very slow. Altered drainage occurs where the insulating organic mat is destroyed by fire or clearing. Loss of the organic mat results in lowering of the permafrost level with subsequent lowering of the water table. Textural variability in the thawed substratums results in variability in permeability rates.
USE AND VEGETATION: Klanelneechena soils have native vegetation of black spruce, white spruce and quaking aspen. The successional stage of the vegetation in a given area is closely related to the fire history. The soil is used primarily for wildlife habitat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Copper River Basin, Alaska. The series is of minor extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Copper River Area, Alaska. 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: a.histic epipedon from 12 to 0 inches; mollic epipedon from 0 to 25 inches; permafrost at 15 inches and saturated conditions above the permafrost; sandy particle size from 1 to 25 inches.
The Stuck series is recognized for pedons where the organic mat has been burned or mechanically cleared. In these pedons, the permafrost and water table have dropped below the series control section. This series reflects the nature of the thawed substratum material.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.