LOCATION LAONA WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Alfic Fragiorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Laona sandy loam, very stony (from an area of Laona-Sarona sandy loams, 6 to 15 percent slopes, very stony) on a south facing convex 14 percent slope in a mixed hardwood stand at an elevation of about 1460 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oa--0 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) muck (sapric material which is a mat of partially decomposed forest litter); about 35 percent fiber and 10 percent rubbed; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--2 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) sandy loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; 4 percent gravel; strongly acid; abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bsl--3 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; 3 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bs2--7 to 21 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; 4 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bs horizons ranges from 7 to 20 inches)
E/Bx--21 to 35 inches; 60 percent brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam (E), pink (7.5YR 7/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; brittle; extends as tongues into or surrounds remnants of brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam (Bt); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; brittle; few faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; common vesicular pores; 15 percent gravel and about 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
B/Ex--35 to 51 inches; 60 percent brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam (Bt); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; brittle; common faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; penetrated by tongues of brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam (E), pink (7.5YR 7/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; brittle; common vesicular pores; 18 percent gravel and about 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Glossic horizon - 4 to 30 inches thick)
Btx--51 to 70 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; brittle; tends to part along horizontal cleavage planes inherited from the parent material; common vesicular pores; few faint brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds 17 percent gravel and about 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 24 inches thick)
C--70 to 80 inches; dark yellowish brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam; massive; friable; 16 percent gravel and about 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Forest County, Wisconsin; about 7 miles south of Armstrong Creek; 500 feet south and 2400 feet east of the northwest corner sec. 1, T. 35 N., R. 16 E.; USGS Goodman SW, WI quad.; lat. 45 degrees, 32', 51" N., long. 88 degrees, 26', 23" W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Unless otherwise stated, depth is measured from the top of the mineral soil.) Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. Depth to the fragipan ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments are dominantly of igneous origin and are of mixed lithology. Total volume of rock fragments averages less than 35 percent throughout the soil. Volume of gravel ranges from 0 to 20 percent in the upper part of the solum and from 5 to 35 percent in the lower part and in the substratum. Volume of cobbles ranges from 0 to 10 percent in the upper part of the solum and from 0 to 20 percent in the lower part and in the substratum. Stones are on the surface in most pedons. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid in the upper part of the solum and from strongly acid to slightly acid in the lower part of the solum and in the substratum.
The O horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR or is neutral in hue. Value is 2 or 3 and chroma is 0 to 3. The O horizon is a mat of partially decomposed forest litter.
Some pedons have an A horizon with hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 2 to 3; and chroma of 1 or 2. Cultivated pedons have an Ap horizon with hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 3 or 4; and chroma of 2 or 3.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 4 to 7; and chroma of 2 or 3. Colors of 4/3 or 5/3 have value dry of 7 or more. Typically, it is sandy loam but, in some pedons, it is fine sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 6 or hue of 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 4. Typically, it is sandy loam but, in some pedons, it is fine sandy loam or loam or the gravelly analogs.
Some pedons have an E' horizon with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 or 3. Colors of 4/3 or 5/3 have value dry of 7 or more. Typically, it is gravelly sandy loam or sandy loam but, in some pedons, it is fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or the gravelly or cobbly analogs.
Laona soils have a glossic horizon (E/B or B/E horizons, or both). Horizonation below the spodic horizon has a wide range depending on the extent to which eluviation has occurred and the depth to the fragipan. Therefore, there can be E/B, E/Bx, B/E, or B/Ex horizons singly or in combination, with or without Bt, Btx,, BC, or BCx horizons.
The E' part of the E/B, E/Bx, B/E, or B/Ex horizons has color and texture like the E' horizon described above.
The Bt part of the E/B, E/Bx, B/E, or B/Ex horizons has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value of 3 or 4; and chroma of 3 to 6. Value and chroma of 3 do not occur together. It is sandy loam or the gravelly or cobbly analogs. In some pedons, thin subhorizons are loamy sand or the gravelly or cobbly analogs.
The Btx or Bt horizon has color and texture like the Bt part described above.
Some pedons with B/E horizons do not have a Btx or Bt horizon.
Some pedons have a BC or BCx horizon with color and texture like the Bt part described above. Stratification is a common feature (glacial mud-flow sediment) in some pedons. Individual strata are mostly sandy loam or loamy sand or the gravelly or cobbly analogs but in some pedons, some thin lenses are sand or the gravelly or cobbly analogs.
The C horizon has color, texture, and stratification like the BC horizon above.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the McBride, Soperton, and Steuben series and the well drained phases of the Gogebic and Graveraet series which will be new series. Related soils are the Argonne, Champion, Sarona, and Wabeno series. Gogebic soils have hue redder than 7.5YR throughout. Graveraet soils are less acid than slightly acid in the substratum. McBride soils are shallow to the fragipan. Steuben soils average more than 85 percent sand in the series control section within a depth of 40 inches. Soperton soils have a 12 to 36 inch thick mantle with more than 50 percent silt. Argonne and Wabeno soils have a water table and redox features. In addition, Wabeno soils have a 12 to 36 inch thick mantle with more than 50 percent silt. Champion soils do not have an argillic horizon. Sarona soils do not have a fragipan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Laona soils are on drumlins and moraines. Slope ranges from 5 to 35 percent. Laona soils formed in mostly loamy till or glacial mud-flow sediment. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 33 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 36 to 43 degrees F. The frost free period ranges from about 90 to 120 days. Elevation ranges from 1000 to 1900 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Argonne, Champion, Cable, Gay, Monico, Padus, Padwet, Sarona, and Sarwet soils. The moderately well drained Argonne soils are nearby on less sloping landscape positions than Laona soils. The well drained and moderately well drained Champion soils are on positions similar to those of Laona soils where the argillic horizon is absent. The poorly drained and very poorly drained Cable and Gay soils and the somewhat poorly drained Monico soils are associated in drainageways and depressions. The well drained Padus and the moderately well drained Padwet soils are nearby on associated outwash areas. The well drained Sarona soils are nearby on similar or more sloping landscape positions than those of Argonne soils, where the fragipan is absent. The moderately well drained Sarwet soils are in similar landscape positions where the fragipan is absent.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is medium to very rapid. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan, slow in the fragipan, and moderate or moderately rapid below the fragipan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Laona soils are used for woodland. Northern hardwoods are the major forest type with sugar maple, American basswood, yellow birch, white ash, and quaking aspen the principal species. Some small areas are cleared and used for cropland. Common crops are corn, small grains, and hay.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Wisconsin. Extent is moderate.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Forest County, Wisconsin, 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - 2 to 3 inches (E); albic horizon - 2 to 3 inches (E); spodic horizon - 3 to 21 inches (Bsl, Bs2); glossic horizon - 21 to 35 inches (E/Bx, B/Ex); argillic horizon - 35 to 70 inches (B/Ex, Btx); fragipan - 21 to 70 inches (E/Bx, B/Ex, Btx).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record - WI0501. Refer to soil survey sample number S93WI-041-002 for NSSL data on the typical pedon.