LOCATION NEBISH MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Nebish loam with a southwest-facing convex slope of 3 percent on an end moraine under a mixed deciduous forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak very fine granular structure; friable; about 3 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
E--2 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; moderate thin platy structure; very friable; about 8 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 16 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; clean sand and silt coatings on faces of peds; about 3 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--16 to 26 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds; about 5 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 10 to 30 inches.)
C--26 to 60 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam; massive; friable; about 10 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Becker County, Minnesota; about 4 miles northeast of Richwood; 1,300 feet south and 300 feet east of the northwest corner, sec. 20, T. 141 N., R. 40 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to free carbonates typically is 20 to 36 inches, but ranges to greater than 60 inches. Volume of rock fragments of mixed lithology ranges from 2 to 10 percent in all horizons. The soil moisture control section is not dry in any part for as long as 90 cumulative days in most years.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. In cultivated pedons, the Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. The A and E horizons are sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. In some pedons the E horizon interfingers into the Bt horizon for as much as 4 inches. Pedons with an Ap horizon may lack an E horizon. Reaction in the E horizon is moderately acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR in the upper part and 10YR or 2.5Y in the lower part. Texture has value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 or 4. It typically has between 28 and 35 percent clay but ranges from 22 to 35 percent. Sand content is less than 45 percent. The Bt horizon is clay loam or loam. The Bt horizon typically is moderately acid to neutral, but in some pedons the lower part ranges to slightly alkaline with free carbonates.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y , value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam or clay loam. Sand content averages less than 45 percent, but subhorizons of sandy clay loam may contain up to 50 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alderon (T), Allens Park, Bayerton, Elbeth, Fairport, Gateson, Haugan, Lakoa, Lengby (T), Onaway, Plome, Rule (T), and Snellman series. Alderon (T), Allens Park, Bayerton, Fairport, Gateson and Rule (T) soils have a lithic or paralithic contact within a depth of 40 inches. Elbeth and Snellman soils average more than 45 percent sand in the series control section. Haugan and Lakoa soils are dry in some or all parts of the soil moisture control section for more than 90 cumulative days in most years. Lengby soils have stratified sandy and loamy material within the series control section. Onaway soils have Bs horizons above the argillic horizons and have hue of 7.5YR or redder in the Bt horizon. Plome soils have hue of 5YR or redder throughout the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Nebish soils have convex, commonly complex slopes on glacial moraines. Slope gradients range from 2 to 40 percent. They formed in loamy glacial till of late Wisconsinan Age. Mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 28 inches. Frost-free days range from 95 to 150 days. Elevation above sea level ranges from 600 to 1950 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beltrami , Bluffton, Gonvick, Shooker, and Waukon soils. Moderately well drained Beltrami soils, poorly drained Shooker soils, and very poorly drained Bluffton soils are in a drainage sequence with Nebish soils. The well drained Waukon soils have thicker dark colored surface layers." Moderately well drained Gonvick soils are on lower lying plane to concave areas. Organic soils also are common associates.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Surface runoff is medium or rapid. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is in forest. Some areas are used for pasture or are cultivated with corn, hay, and small grain being the principal crops. Native vegetation primarily is mixed deciduous and coniferous forest with quaking aspen, American basswood, balsam fir, northern red oak, white spruce, sugar maple, and eastern white pine being the dominant trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Minnesota. Extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hubbard County, Minnesota, 1930.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 7 inches (A and E horizons); argillic horizon - zone from 7 to 26 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to MAES Central File Code No. 3888 for results of some laboratory analysis of the typical pedon and to Nos. 1336, 2225, and 3290 for data on some additional pedons.