LOCATION KULIK                   AK

Tentative Series
SAS/MPS
10/2024

KULIK SERIES

Depth class: moderately deep to lithic bedrock
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: gravelly loamy colluvium over residuum weathered from calcareous sandstone
Landscape: mountains
Landform: mountains slopes
Slopes: 20 to 70 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 500 mm (19.7 in)
Mean annual air temperature: about -4 degrees C. (25 degrees F.)
Frost-free period: 70 to 90 days

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, nonacid, subgelic Typic Haplogelolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Kulik very channery silt loam in a dryas lichen alpine scrubland community on a southwest facing convex, linear backslope on a slope of 24 percent at an elevation of 514m (1686 ft)

Oa--0 to 7 cm (0 to 3 in); highly decomposed plant material; black (10YR 2/1) moist, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; many very fine roots, common fine roots and few medium roots throughout; 5 percent channers, 5 percent flagstones; noneffervescent by HCL; moderately acid (pH 5.7); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 cm, 2 to 5 in thick)

AB--7 to 28 cm (3 to 11 in); very channery silt loam; dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent flagstones, 35 percent channers; noneffervescent by HCL; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 39 cm, 7 to 15 in thick)

Bw--28 to 58 cm (11.0 to 23 in); extremely flaggy silt loam; brown (10YR 4/3) moist, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; weakly smeary; few very fine roots and common fine roots throughout; many very fine tubular and common fine tubular pores; 1 percent distinct pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 30 percent channers, 50 percent flagstones; noneffervescent in the soil matrix and violently effervescent on the bottom of rock fragments, by HCH; moderately acid (pH 6.0); very abrupt irregular boundary. (15 to 50 cm, 6 to 20 in thick)

2R--58 to 83 cm (23 to 33 in); strongly coherent to indurated calcareous sandstone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Nulato Hills - Continental Divide and Blackburn Hills Soil Survey Area, Alaska; latitude 65.0180870, longitude -159.5180240, datum WGS84, UTM north 7210570.38 and UTM east 475588.45, zone 4, datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: udic
Soil temperature regime: gelic
Mean annual soil temperature: -1 to 0 degrees C. (30 to 32 degrees F.)
Thickness of organic material: 5 to 12 cm (2 to 5 in)
Thickness of mollic epipedon: 18 to 39 cm (7 to 15 in)
Thickness of cambic horizon: 15 to 50 cm (6 to 20 in)
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in)

Oa horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: highly decomposed material or its channery analogues
Rock fragments:0 to 25 percent
Channers: 0 to 25 percent
Flagstones: 0 to 8 percent
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: very strongly acid to slightly acid (pH 4.5 to 6.5)

AB horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: sandy loam, silt loam or their channery analogues
Sand: 20 to 75 percent
Silt: 13 to 77 percent
Clay: 3 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 59 percent
Channers: 10 to 45 percent
Flagstones: 5 to 30 percent
Organic matter: 2 to 8 percent
Reaction class: moderately acid to neutral (pH 5.6 to 7.3)

Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam, silt loam or their channery and flaggy analogues
Sand: 25 to 75 percent
Silt: 13 to 72 percent
Clay: 3 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent
Channers: 10 to 60 percent
Flagstones: 15 to 60 percent
Organic matter: 1 to 5 percent
Reaction class: moderately acid to neutral (pH 5.6 to 7.3)

2R horizon
Strongly coherent to indurated calcareous sandstone bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 375 to 775 meters (1230 to 2545 feet)
Parent material: gravelly loamy colluvium over residuum weathered from calcareous sandstone
Landform: mountains slopes
Slopes: 20 to 70 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 400 to 600 mm (16 to 24 in)
Mean annual air temperature: -6 to -1 degrees C. (21 to 30 degrees F.)
Frost free period: 70 to 90 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aklak, Atkaktuk, Continentaldivide, Ingik, Kanik, Kikku, Managaarak, Nautchiak, Tui, and Tumi soils.
Aklak soils have lithic contacts at depths between 100 to 150 cm (40 to 60 in), have a fragmental layer starting at depths between 22 to 78 cm (9 to 31 in), lack a cambic horizon, have a fragmental particle size class, and occur on similar landforms on mountainflanks, upper and center thirds
Atkaktuk soils have a fragmental layer starting at depths between 35 to 60 cm (14 to 24 in), have an umbric epipedon, lack a cambic horizon, have an acid reaction class, have a loamy-skeletal over fragmental particle size class, and occur on mountainflanks, upper third
Continentaldivide soils have lithic contacts at depths between 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 in), lack a cambic horizon, and occur on ridges
Ingik soils have paralithic contacts at depths between 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in), have an ochric epipedon, have a cryic soil temperature regime, and occur on mountainflanks, upper third
Kanik soils have lithic contacts at depths between 100 to 150 cm (40 to 60 in), have a fragmental layer starting at depths between 66 to 100 cm (26 to 40 in), have an ochric epipedon, lack a cambic horizon, and occur on similar landforms on mountainflanks, upper and center thirds
Kikku soils have aquic conditions at or above the soil surface, have ponding, lack lithic contact within 200 cm (79 in), have a histic epipedon, have free carbonates below 40 cm (16 in), have a fine-loamy particle size class, and occur on shoulders and mountainflanks, upper third
Managaarak soils have lithic contacts at depths between 100 to 150 cm (40 to 60 in), have a fragmental layer starting at depths between 41 to 93 cm (16 to 37 in), have an ochric epipedon, lack a cambic horizon, have an acid reaction class, and occur on mountainflanks, upper third
Nautchiak soils lack lithic contact within 200 cm (79 in), have an ochric epipedon, have an isotic mineralogy class, have a cryic soil temperature regime, and occur on swales and drainageways
Tui soils lack lithic contact within 200 cm (79 in), have an ochric epipedon, have a cryic soil temperature regime, and occur on nose slopes and mountainflanks
Tumi soils have a fragmental layer starting at depths between 33 to 141 cm (13 to 56 in), have an ochric epipedon, have a loamy-skeletal particle size class, and occur on valley sides and mountainflanks, upper and center thirds

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: very high in the Oa horizon and moderately high to high in the AB and Bw horizons
Permeability: rapid to very rapid in the Oa horizon and moderate to rapid in the AB and Bw horizons
Runoff: high

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: wildlife habitat, recreation, and subsistence
Native vegetation: eightpetal mountain-avens, crustose lichen, moss, snow lichen, whiteworm lichen, cup lichen, Flavocetraria cucullate, Flavocetraria nivalis, arctic lupine, locoweed, juniper polytrichum moss, globe ball lichen, foliose lichen

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 240, Nulato Hills-Southern Seward Peninsula Highlands. The series is of moderate extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nulato Hills - Continental Divide and Blackburn Hills Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:

Particle-size control section: 32 to 58 cm (13 to 23 in)

Mollic epipedon: 7 to 28 cm (3 to 11 in) (AB horizon)

Cambic horizon: 28 to 58 cm (11 to 23 in) (Bw horizon)

Lithologic discontinuity: 58 to 83 cm (23 to 33 in) (2R horizon)

Lithic contact: 58 to 83 cm (23 to 33 in) (2R horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon ID: 2022AK290547

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.