LOCATION NORTHSPIT AK
Established Series
SAS/NDP/MPR
05/2022
NORTHSPIT SERIES
Landscape--mountains
Landform--mountain slopes
Slope--20 to 40 percent
Parent material--volcanic ash over residuum
Mean annual precipitation--about 1500 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 0 degrees C
Depth class--shallow
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--udic
Soil temperature regime--cryic
Soil moisture subclass--typic
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, ferrihydritic Lithic Haplocryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Northspit medial sandy loam on a west-facing, linear, convex mountain backslope, on a slope of 32 percent at an elevation of 86 m (The soil was moist throughout when described on August 31, 2012.)
Oe--0 to 5 cm; moderately decomposed plant material; common very fine to medium roots; extremely acid (pH 3.8); clear smooth boundary
A--5 to 9 cm; medial sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to very coarse roots; extremely acid (pH 4.1); abrupt smooth boundary
E--9 to 13 cm; medial sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to medium roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt wavy boundary
Bhs--13 to 19 cm; medial sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) dry, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear wavy boundary
Bs--19 to 32 cm; medial sandy loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to coarse roots; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear irregular boundary
R--32 cm; bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: Dillingham Census Area, Alaska, about 95 km north-northwest of the city of Dillingham; latitude 59.6899702 degrees north, longitude 159.5440259 degrees west, datum WGS 84 (coordinates determined with a GPS)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--0 to 3 degrees C
Soil moisture control section--dry less than 45 consecutive days in June through October (udic moisture regime)
Lithology of rock fragments--sedimentary, volcanic
Depth to lithic contact--25 to 50 cm (shallow)
Layers influenced by volcanic ash
*Thickness--25 to 50 cm
*Phosphorous retention--85 to 100 percent
*Bulk density--0.45 to 0.9 g/cm3
*Ammonium oxalate Al plus 1/2 Fe--2.0 to 4.0 percent
*Volcanic glass content--10 to 60 percent
Particle-size control section
*Clay content--3 to 10 percent
*Sand content--35 to 65 percent
*Total rock fragment content--0 to 30 percent
*Ammonium oxalate Si--0.2 to 0.5 percent
*Ammonium oxalate Fe--0.9 to 2.1 percent
Oe horizon
Thickness--2 to 10 cm
A horizon
Hue--7.5YR, 10YR
Value--2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma--1 or 2 moist
Fine-earth texture--medial sandy loam, medial silt loam
Clay content--3 to 10 percent
Reaction--4.0 to 5.0
Gravel content--0 to 5 percent
Thickness--2 to 8 cm
Bulk density--0.60 to 0.80 g/cm3
Phosphorous retention--85 to 100 percent
Volcanic glass content--10 to 50 percent
E or E/A horizon
Value--4 to 6 moist, 6 to 8 dry
Chroma--1 or 2 moist
Fine-earth texture--medial sandy loam, medial silt loam
Clay content--3 to 10 percent
Reaction--4.0 to 5.0
Gravel content--0 to 5 percent
Thickness--2 to 6 cm
Bulk density--0.70 to 0.85 g/cm3
Phosphorous retention--85 to 100 percent
Volcanic glass content--10 to 50 percent
Bhs horizon
Hue--5YR, 7.5YR
Value--2.5 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma--2 or 3 moist
Fine-earth texture--medial sandy loam, medial silt loam
Clay content--3 to 10 percent
Reaction--4.5 to 5.5
Total rock fragment content--0 to 15 percent
Gravel content--0 to 15 percent
Cobble content--0 to 5 percent
Thickness--3 to 9 cm
Bulk density--0.50 to 0.60 g/cm3
Phosphorous retention--85 to 100 percent
Volcanic glass content--10 to 50 percent
Organic carbon content--6 to 15 percent
Bs horizon
Hue--5YR, 7.5YR
Value--3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma--4 to 6 moist
Clay content--3 to 10 percent
Reaction--5.0 to 5.9
Total rock fragment content--0 to 35 percent
Gravel content--0 to 30 percent
Cobble content--0 to 10 percent
Thickness--10 to 30 cm
Bulk density--0.75 to 0.80 g/cm3
Phosphorous retention--85 to 100 percent
Volcanic glass content--10 to 50 percent
Organic carbon content--less than 6 percent
COMPETING SERIES: None
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--65 to 350 m
Climate--warm, moist summers; cold, moist winters
Mean annual precipitation--1300 to 2000 mm
Mean annual air temperature-- -1.8 to 0.9 degrees C
Frost-free period--75 to 130 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Awayak--no spodic material; no andic soil properties; flood plains
Nagugun--more than 150 cm (very deep) to lithic bedrock; glaciated plains
Sundaycreek--more than 150 cm (very deep) to lithic bedrock; paralithic contact; alluvial fans on mountains
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--moderately high or high throughout
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--wildlife habitat, recreation, subsistence
Potential natural vegetation--Sitka alder, Kenai birch, bluejoint, spreading woodfern, western oakfern, splendid feather moss, Schreber's big red stem moss, Greene's mountain ash, beauverd spirea
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Ahklun Mountains, Alaska; MLRA 237; small extent
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Dillingham Census Area, Alaska; 2019
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features in this pedon
*Particle-size control section--zone from 5 to 32 cm
*Ochric epipedon
*Andic soil properties--A, E, Bhs, and Bs horizons
*Albic horizon--E horizon
*Spodic horizon--Bhs and Bs horizons
*Depth to lithic bedrock--32 cm
Laboratory pedon number 13N0048
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.