LOCATION MOSTON IN

Established Series
Rev. GLH-RAB-DAG
09/2012

MOSTON SERIES

The Moston series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils formed in herbaceous organic material over coprogenous material (sedimentary peat) and sand deposits on outwash plains, lake plains, lake terraces, flood plains, moraines, and till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 889 mm (35 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 10.0 degrees C (50 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coprogenous, euic, mesic Limnic Haplosaprists

TYPICAL PEDON: Moston muck, on a slope of less than 1 percent in a cultivated field at an elevation of 218 meters (714 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oap--0 to 20 cm (8 inches); black (N 2.5/) broken faced and rubbed muck (sapric material); a trace of fiber unrubbed and rubbed; moderate medium granular structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

Oa1--20 to 38 cm (8 to 15 inches); black (N 2.5/) broken faced and rubbed muck (sapric material); a trace of fiber unrubbed and rubbed; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Oa2--38 to 61 cm (15 to 24 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) broken faced and rubbed muck (sapric material); about 50 percent fiber, about 5 percent rubbed; moderate thick platy structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Oa horizon is 41 to 114 cm (16 to 45 inches).]

Lco1--61 to 76 cm (24 to 30 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) coprogenous silt loam; about 5 percent fiber, a trace rubbed; massive; friable; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Lco2--76 to 122 cm (30 to 48 inches); very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) coprogenous silt loam; about 15 percent fiber, a trace rubbed; massive; friable; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Lco horizon is 13 to 86 cm (5 to 34 inches).]

Cg--122 to 203 cm (48 to 80 inches); gray (2.5Y 5/1) sand; single grain; loose; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Pulaski County, Indiana; about 2 miles west of Monterey; 1,590 feet east and 1,750 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 9, T. 31 N., R. 1 W.; USGS Bass Lake, IN topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 9 minutes 7.9 seconds N. and long. 86 degrees 32 minutes 18.9 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 538716 easting and 4555757 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the herbaceous organic layers: 41 to 114 cm (16 to 45 inches)
Depth to coprogenous material (sedimentary peat): 41 to 114 cm (16 to 45 inches)
Organic fibers: derived primarily from herbaceous plants, although some pedons contain less than 15 percent by volume twigs and small wood fragments
Depth to the underlying sand: 53 to 130 cm (21 to 51 inches)

Oap horizon:
Hue: 10YR or N
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 0 to 2
Texture: muck (sapric material)
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

Oa horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR, or N
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 0 to 3
Texture: muck (sapric material), but some pedons have layers of mucky peat (hemic material) up to 25 cm (10 inches) thick
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

Lco horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: coprogenous silt loam or coprogenous silty clay loam
Consistence: slightly plastic and shrinks upon drying to form hard clods that are difficult to re-wet
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline; carbonates are present in some pedons

Cg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loamy sand, fine sand, sand, or coarse sand, or their gravelly analogues
Rock fragment content: 0 to 25 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Maxinkuckee, Muskego, Toto, and Wawayanda series. Maxinkuckee and Wawayanda soils have less than 70 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section. Muskego soils do not have sand within 130 cm (51 inches) of the surface. Toto soils have a layer of marly material below the coprogenous material.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moston soils are in shallow closed depressions primarily on outwash plains, lake plains, lake terraces, and flood plains, but can occur within moraines and till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Moston soils formed in herbaceous organic material over coprogenous material (sedimentary peat) and sand deposits. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 762 to 1067 mm (30 to 42 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 8.9 to 11.7 degrees C (48 to 53 degrees F). Frost-free period is 130 to 180 days. Elevation is 177 to 466 meters (580 to 1,530 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adrian, Antung, Edselton, Edwards, Houghton, Madaus, and Martisco soils and the competing Muskego and Toto soils. These very poorly drained soils are on similar landform positions as Moston soils. Adrian and Antung soils formed in herbaceous organic deposits over sandy material. Edselton soils have marly material underlying the herbaceous organic deposits. Edwards, Madaus, and Martisco soils formed in herbaceous organic deposits over marly material. Houghton soils formed in herbaceous organic deposits more than 130 cm (51 inches) thick. Muskego soils do not have sand within 130 cm (51 inches) of the soil surface. Toto soils formed in herbaceous organic deposits over coprogenous material, marly material, and sand.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Very poorly drained. Depth to the top of an apparent seasonal high water table ranges from 30 cm (1 foot) above the surface to 30 cm (1 foot) below the surface for some time in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is negligible. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the herbaceous organic material, moderately low in the coprogenous material (sedimentary peat), and high or very high in the underlying sand. Permeability is moderately slow to moderately rapid in the herbaceous organic material, slow in the coprogenous material (sedimentary peat), and rapid in the underlying sand.

USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas of this soil have been drained and are used for cropland. Principal crop is corn with small areas in soybeans and mint. Undrained areas are in natural vegetation consisting of grasses, reeds and sedges with scattered hardwood trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 98 and 111C in northern Indiana and southern Michigan. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pulaski County, Indiana, 2001.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Sapric materials: from the surface to a depth of 61 cm (24 inches) (Oap, Oa1, Oa2).
Limnic subgroup: coprogenous material from 61 to 122 cm (24 to 48 inches) (Lco1 and Lco2).
Sandy material: below a depth of 122 cm (48 inches).
Aquic conditions: from the surface to a depth of 203 cm (80 inches).

NASIS Data Mapunit ID 154144 represents the typical pedon.
NASIS Data Mapunit ID 154145 represents the undrained phase.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab characterization data is available for the pedon (S99IN-131-001) from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE and supports the series. The typical pedon site is about 225 feet east of this pedon. Transect data (T98IN-131-219) for the typical pedon is on file in the MLRA project office in Plymouth, Indiana. Transect shows 80 percent Moston soils and 20 percent Houghton soils.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.