LOCATION LEVASSEUR MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid, shallow Aeric Endoaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Levasseur extremely flaggy sand, in an area of Burt-Levasseur complex, on a 1 percent slope, in a forested area, at an elevation of 187 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described on August 7, 2003, the soil was moist throughout).
Oi--0 to 2 centimeters; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) slightly decomposed organic matter; massive; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 centimeters thick)
Oa--2 to 8 centimeters; black (5YR 2.5/1) well decomposed organic matter; moderate very fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 centimeters thick)
E--8 to 20 centimeters; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) extremely flaggy sand, pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) dry; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine to coarse roots; extremely acid; about 45 percent sandstone flagstones and 25 percent channers; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 centimeters thick)
Bw--20 to 33 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) ; extremely flaggy sand; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulations; common very fine to medium roots and few coarse roots about 45 percent sandstone flagstones and 25 percent channers; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 38 centimeters thick)
2R--33 centimeters; red (2.5YR 4/6) and white (2.5YR 8/1) Jacobsville sandstone; common medium distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) masses of iron concentrations on the surface of the bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Alger County, Michigan; about 3 miles northeast of Deerton; 1,900 feet east and 800 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 35, T. 48 N., R. 22 W.; USGS Laughing Fish Point topographic quadrangle; lat. 46 degrees 31 minutes 11 seconds N. and long. 87 degrees 01 minute 28 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the sandy skeletal mantle and depth to sandstone bedrock ranges from 25 to 51 centimeters. The rock fragments consist mainly of angular sandstone fragments with some rounded igneous and metamorphic gravel and cobbles present in some pedons. Volume of rock fragments averages from 35 to 70 percent in the particle-size control section. The volume of channers and gravel ranges from 15 to 40 percent and the volume of flagstones and cobbles ranges from 15 to 50 percent throughout the pedon.
The Oa horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, or is neutral, value of 2 to 3, and chroma of 0 or 1. Reaction is very strongly acid or extremely acid.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is extremely flaggy sand or the very channery or very flaggy analogues of these textures. Reaction is very strongly acid or extremely acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4. It is extremely flaggy sand or very channery or very flaggy analogues of these textures. Reaction is strongly acid or extremely acid.
Some pedons have a C horizon that has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. It has textures similar to the Bw horizon. It is very strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Levasseur soils are on wave worked sandstone benches along Lake Superior. Slope ranges from 1 to 3 percent. Levasseur soils formed in sandy and flaggy waved worked glaciofluvial deposits mainly derived from Jacobsville sandstone. Elevation ranges from 185 to 253 meters. Mean annual precipitation ranges from about 790 to 860 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 4 to 6 degrees C. The frost-free period ranges from 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Burt, Chocolay, Sauxhead, and Skandia soils. The poorly drained Burt soils are in depressions and drainageways and occur in a complex with Levasseur soils. The moderately well drained Chocolay and Sauxhead soils are on adjacent higher landscape positions. The very poorly drained Skandia soils are in depressions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is very low. The soil has a perched wet soil moistures status that ranges from the surface to 30 centimeters below the surface during the months of October, November, December, February, March, April, and May. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is very high over moderately high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is forestland. Common tree species include eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, balsam fir, red maple and paper birch. Common ground plants include spinulose shield fern, wild lily of the valley, starflower, goldthread, shining clubmoss, bunchberry dogwood, and wood sorrel.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are located in MLRA 93B, in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Superior. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota; MLRA SSO 10-8 (Marquette, Michigan).
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alger County, Michigan, 2007. Source of name is a lake in Marquette County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Albic horizon - the zone from 8 to 20 centimeters (E horizon); Lithic contact - 33 centimeters (2R); Particle-size control section - the zone from 25 to 33 centimeters. (Bw horizon).
Only series status, responsibility, and scrivener's errors changed - 4/09.