LOCATION LIESNOI                 AK

Established Series
Rev: EJK/CSC/DLM
05/2022

LIESNOI SERIES

The Liesnoi series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in loess overlying residuum from graywacke, phyllite, or granodiorite. Liesnoi soils are on island and mainland hill and mountain sideslopes. Slopes range from 5 to 75 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is about 95 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive Lithic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Liesnoi silt loam -- on a northwest facing slope of 25 percent under forest vegetation. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oi--1 to 0 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) partially decomposed needles and mosses, many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; moderately acid (pH 6.0 Truog); abrupt wavy boundary.

A--0 to 3 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; strongly acid (pH 5.5 Truog); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Bw--3 to 10 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron manganese stains on some ped faces and in pores; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.5 Truog); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)

2Bw--10 to 12 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) coarse sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 5 percent gravel; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.5) Truog); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

R--12 inches; granodiorite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Stikine River delta area, Alaska. On Rynda Island, section 25, T.61S., R.82E., Copper River Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 38 to 42 degrees F. Thickness of the solum and depth to bedrock ranges from 7 to 14 inches. Thickness of the loess mantle ranges from 6 to 13 inches. The particle size control section contains less than 18 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Coarse fragments range from 0 to 5 percent in the upper part of the solum and from 0 to 20 percent in the 2B horizon. Reaction throughout the profile ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value moist of 2 or 3; and chroma moist of 1 or 2. Texture is silt loam, silt, or very fine sandy loam.

The Bw horizon has hue ranging from 10YR to 2.5YR; value moist from 3 to 5; and chroma moist from 1 to 4. Texture is commonly silt or silt loam but ranges to include loam and very fine sandy loam.

The 2Bw horizon has hue ranging from 10YR to 2.5Y; value moist of 4 or 5; and chroma moist from 2 to 4. Texture is sandy loam or coarse sandy loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Clinetop, Glugulch, Goodview, Noname, and Olathe series. Clinetop and Noname soils contain more than 18 percent clay in the control section. Glugulch soils lack silt loam textures in the upper part of the solum. Goodview soils have less than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the particle size control section. Olathe soils are coarser than very fine sandy loam in the upper part of the solum.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Liesnoi soils are on hill and mountain sideslopes on both the mainland and islands. They are adjacent to major river deltas. Liesnoi soils formed in a thin silty loess mantle overlying residuum from bedrock of various origins. The climate is humid maritime. Average annual precipitation ranges from 80 to 110 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F. Slopes range from 5 to 75 percent. Elevation ranges from sea level to 1500 feet.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the McGilvery, Mitkof(T), and Blaquirre(T) soils. McGilvery soils are well drained organic soils on steep sideslopes. Mitkof soils are deep, somewhat poorly drained soils on concave slopes and in depressional areas. Blaquirre soils are moderately deep soils on similar positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow to rapid runoff. Permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Liesnoi soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Natural vegetation is Sitka spruce with minor amounts of western hemlock and black cottonwood. Devils club (Oploponnox horridus) is the principle understory species.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Alaska. The series is of minor extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stikine Area, Tongass National Forest, Alaska, 1993.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile include: a cambic horizon from 3 to 12 inches; loamy particle size from 0 to 12 inches; a lithic contact at 12 inches; cryic temperature regime.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.