LOCATION KUSLINAD AK
Established Series
Rev. MHC/JPM
05/2022
KUSLINAD SERIES
The Kuslinad series consists of very poorly or poorly drained soils formed in a thick organic mat overlying stratified loamy alluvium. Kuslinad soils are on stream terraces. Permafrost occurs at a depth of 7 to 37 inches below the surface of the mineral soil. Slopes range from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS:
TYPICAL PEDON: Kuslinad peat--on a level slope under dwarf black spruce forest at 1900 feet elevation. (When described, the soil was wet throughout)
Oi--8 to 4 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) peat; raw fibrous moss, twigs, and root fibers; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
Oe--4 inches to 0; dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) mucky peat; partially decomposed moss, twigs, and root fibers; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Cg1--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist very fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many large prominent dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Cg2--9 to 12 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist stratified fine sand, fine sandy loam and silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium distinct dark gray (5Y 4/1) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary.
Cf--12 to 22 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist stratified fine sand, fine sandy loam and silt loam; frozen on August 2, 1992. sandy loam with thin strata of loamy fine sand and sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 18 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Gulkana River Area, Alaska; 3 miles northwest of Sourdough; the NW1/4 of the NE1/4 of section 16, T.9N., 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 moss over partially decomposed moss, twigs, and roots 8 to 16 inches thick. Depth to permafrost ranges from 4 to 35 inches below the mineral soil surface two months after the summer solstice. Composite texture of the stratified particle size control section is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. There is less than 18 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser in the control section. The organic mat is strongly acid or moderately acid and the mineral soil is moderately acid to neutral.
The A or ACg horizon (when present) has moist value of 1 or 2; and moist chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is commonly silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam. Color stratification is common in this horizon due to variable organic matter content within the loess strata, however, organic matter content does not exceed 12 percent.
The Cg horizons have moist hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; moist value of 3 or 4; and moist chroma of 1 or 2. Textures are stratified and include very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, silt loam, sand and loamy fine sand. Redoximorphic features include redox concentrations with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; moist chroma of 4 through 6; redox depletions have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y or 5GY; chroma of 0 through 2. Coarse fragment content is less than 5 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Copper River, Deborah (T),
Kuslina,
Mendeltna,
Saulich,
Tolsona, and
Umiat (T) series. Copper River, Deborah, and Saulich soils have silty textures with less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Kuslina soils have a thin loess mantle over alluvium. Mendeltna soils have more than 18 percent clay. Tolsona soils are not stratified. Umiat soils have weathered bedrock within the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kuslinad soils formed in a thick organic mat over stratified loamy alluvium on stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 6 percent.
The climate is subarctic continental with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 21 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 23 to 27 degrees F.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly or poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderately rapid in the organic mat, moderate in the mineral soil above the permafrost. 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 and subsequent lowering of the water table.
USE AND VEGETATION: Dominant native vegetation on Kuslinad soils is black spruce and white spruce forest. The successional state of the vegetation in a given area is closely related to the fire history. This soil is used primarily for wildlife habitat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Copper River Basin, Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gulkana River Area, Alaska. 1999
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon: a histic epipedon from 8 to 0 inches; permafrost at 12 inches, and saturated conditions above the permafrost; coarse-loamy particle size from 0 to 14 inches; pH >5.5 (1:1,H20) in the control section. Cryic temperature regime. Formerly clasified as Histic Pergelic Cryaquepts/
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.