LOCATION MISERY MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Argic Fragiaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Misery very fine sandy loam - with a slope of 2 percent on a dissected ground moraine in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; black (5YR 2/1) very fine sandy loam, dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
E--4 to 7 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam; common medium faint reddish gray (5YR 5/2) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine to coarse roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bs--7 to 11 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very fine sandy loam; common medium distinct dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) and common fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
(B/E)x--11 to 22 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) loam (Bt); common prominent clay films on faces of peds; occupies about 60 percent of the horizon surrounded by light brown (7.5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam (E); many medium prominent reddish gray (5YR 5/2) and common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) mottles; weak thick platy structure; very firm; few fine roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches)
Btx--22 to 38 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) loam; common medium prominent reddish gray (5YR 5/2) and common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; weak medium platy structure; very firm; common prominent clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches)
C--38 to 60 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) loam; massive; friable; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Houghton County, Michigan; about 2,100 feet east and 160 feet south of the northwest corner, sec. 7, T. 52 N., R. 36W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 20 to 45 inches. The depth to fragipan ranges from 10 to 20 inches. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 10 percent in the solum and substratum. Cobble content ranges from 0 to 5 percent. The upper part of the solum ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid and the lower part is neutral or mildly alkaline. The substratum ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Cultivated areas have an Ap horizon.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. The A and E horizons are very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or fine sandy loam.
Some pedons have a Bhs horizon with hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value and chroma of 2 or 3. The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. The B horizons are loam, silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
The E part of the (B/E)x horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. The B part has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value and chroma of 3 or 4. It is fine sandy loam, silt loam, or loam. Some pedons have a (E/B)x horizon or separate Ex and Btx horizons.
The C horizon has a hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam, fine sandy loam, and silt loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Skanee series in the same family and the closely related Belding, Charlevoix, Coral, Gaastra, and Richter series. Skanee soils have coarser textured subsoils and have more acid substratums. The Belding, Charlevoix, Coral, Gaastra, and Richter soils do not have fragipans. In addition, Belding soils have more clay in the subsoil and substratum. Coral, Gaastra and Richter soils have less clay in their subsoils. Charlevoix soils are more acid.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Misery soils are in slightly depressional areas on ground and end moraines and old relict lake basins. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. The climate is continental, but affected by Lake Superior causing extra winter precipitation. Mean annual precipitation is from 26 to 33 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the poorly drained Gay soils and the moderately well drained Graveraet soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan, very slow in the fragipan and moderate or moderately slow below the fragipan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all areas of Misery soils are wooded. Main species include red and sugar maple, eastern hemlock, yellow birch, quaking aspen, eastern white pine, northern white cedar, balsam fir, American basswood, white spruce, and white ash. The forest understory consists of spinulose wood fern, red elderberry, lady fern, wild sarsaparilla, wild lily of the valley, rosy twisted stalk, hairy solomon`s seal, partridge berry, carex, yellow beadlily, gold thread, bunchberry, ground pine, starflower, wood sorrel, bracken fern, cinnamon fern, oak fern, sphagnum moss, horsetail, honey suckle, mint, shining clubmoss, American dog violet, dogwood, and fern moss. A small amount of acreage has been cleared for agriculture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Houghton County, Michigan, 1989.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 4 inches (A horizon); albic horizon - the zone from 4 to 7 inches (E horizon); spodic horizon - the zone from 7 to ll inches (Bs horizon); the fragipan - the zone from 11 to 38 inches (B/E)x and Btx horizons).