LOCATION PIERPONT OH+PA
Established Series
Rev. AR-DRM-ELM
04/2016
PIERPONT SERIES
The Pierpont series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in Wisconsinan age till that is strongly influenced by clayey shale and siltstone on till plains and moraines. It is moderately deep to a fragipan. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high above the fragipan, low to moderately low in the fragipan and moderately low to moderately high in the substratum. Slope ranges from 2 to 18 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1065 mm (42 in), and mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C (48 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Fragiudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Pierpont silt loam, on an east-facing, 8 percent slope in a cultivated area at an elevation of about 247 m (810 ft) above msl. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap -- 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 in); brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many fine roots; 3 percent rock fragments; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 25 cm [6 to 10 in] thick)
Bw1 -- 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; many fine roots; many faint brown (10YR 5/3) silt coats on faces of peds; 2 percent rock fragments; few fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix beginning at 25 cm (10 in); few fine faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix beginning at 25 cm (10 inches); very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2 -- 30 to 53 cm (12 to 21 in); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; firm; few fine roots; many distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt coats on faces of peds; 2 percent rock fragments; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few fine faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
Bw3 -- 53 to 61 cm (21 to 24 in); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; firm; few fine roots; many distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt coats on faces of peds; few fine dark iron and manganese oxide concretions; 5 percent rock fragments; few fine faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 20 to 61 cm [8 to 24 in].)
Btx1 -- 61 to 79 cm (24 to 31 in); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure; very firm; few fine roots on faces of prisms; many distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of prisms and common distinct clay films in pores; thin common fine dark iron and manganese oxide stains; 5 percent rock fragments; brittle; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) rind between the clay films and interior of peds; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btx2 -- 79 to 102 cm (31 to 40 in); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak thick platy; very firm; few fine roots on faces of prisms; many faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and common distinct clay films in pores; 5 percent rock fragments; brittle; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) rind between the clay films and interior of peds; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btx horizons is 38 to 76 cm [15 to 30 in].)
C1 -- 102 to 112 cm (40 to 44 in); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; massive in place parting to weak thick platy rock structure; firm; many faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coats; common distinct gray (10YR 5/1) carbonate coats on vertical fracture faces; 5 percent rock fragments; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C2 -- 112 to 183 cm (44 to 72 in); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; massive in place parting to weak thick platy along horizontal fractures; firm; common distinct gray (10YR 5/1) soft carbonate accumulations; 5 percent rock fragments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Ohio; about 4 miles east of Painesville, in Perry Township, 300 feet south of the intersection of River Road (County Road 100) and Blair Road (County Road 217) along Blair Road, then 300 feet west. T. 11 N., R. 7 W.; USGS Painesville, Ohio topographic quadrangle; Latitude 41 degrees, 43 minutes, 57 seconds N. and Longitude 81 degrees, 08 minutes, 39 seconds W., NAD 1983.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 86 to 152 cm (34 to 60 in). Depth to the fragipan ranges from 46 to 76 cm (18 to 30 in). Depth to carbonates commonly ranges from 89 to 152 cm (35 to 60 in), but is deeper in some pedons. Rock fragments typically are dominated by shale and siltstone.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 5 (6 or more dry), and chroma of 2 or 3. Structure is weak to strong, fine or medium granular. Rock fragments range from 0 to 5 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid. Areas that have been limed range to slightly acid or neutral. The A horizon ranges to 2 in thick in some pedons.
Some pedons have a BE or E horizon that has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Structure is weak, fine or medium subangular blocky. Rock fragments range from 0 to 3 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. Clay content ranges from 24 to 35 percent. Structure is weak to strong, fine to coarse subangular blocky or prismatic. Rock fragments range from 0 to 3 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
The Btx horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is silty clay loam or clay loam. Structure is weak or moderate, very coarse prismatic, sometimes parting to subangular blocky or platy. Rock fragments range from 2 to 15 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid in the upper part and slightly acid or neutral in the lower part.
The BC horizon, if present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is silt loam, loam, silty clay loam or clay loam. Structure is weak, medium to very coarse, subangular blocky, or weak, thin to thick, platy. Rock fragments range from 2 to 15 percent. Reaction is slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is silt loam, loam, silty clay loam or clay loam. Rock fragments range from 2 to 15 percent. Some pedons have cobbles or flagstones present. Thin strata of coarser textured material are present in some pedons. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Boston,
Chalfont,
Gudgel,
Haubstadt,
Nabb,
Plumfield,
Robbs,
Sciotoville and
Shakamak series. Boston soils have limestone fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Chalfont soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Gudgel soils are less than 46 cm (18 in) to a fragipan. Haubstadt and Plumfield soils have a solum thickness of greater than 60 inches. Nabb and Shakamak soils have a solum thickness of greater than 80 in. Robbs soils have less than 2 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Sciotoville contains sandstone and quartzite, also noticeable silt sized mica flakes.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pierpont soils formed in Wisconsinan age till that is strongly influenced by clayey shale and siltstone on till plains and moraines. Slope ranges from 2 to 18 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 830 to 1320 mm (33 to 52 in) and mean annual temperature ranges from 6 to 11 degrees C. (42 to 50 degrees F.)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Blakeslee,
Canadice,
Caneadea,
Chenango,
Darien,
Fitchville,
Glenford,
Mill,
Platea,
Red Hook and
Sebring soils on nearby landscapes. The somewhat poorly drained Platea and poorly drained Mill soils are in a drainage sequence with Pierpont soils. The poorly drained Canadice and Sebring, somewhat poorly drained Caneadea and Fitchville soils, and moderately well drained Glenford soils are on nearby lacustrine terraces. The somewhat excessively drained Chenango, moderately well drained Blakeslee and somewhat poorly drained Red Hook soils are on nearby outwash terraces. The somewhat poorly drained Darien soils do not have a fragipan.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high above the fragipan, low to moderately low in the fragipan and moderately low to moderately high in the substratum. The depth to an intermittent perched seasonal high water table ranges from about 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 in) from November to April in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal uses in approximately equal amounts are cropland, pasture and hayland, woodland, and abandoned cropland reverting to woodland. Crops include wheat, oats, timothy, clover, corn, buckwheat, birdsfoot trefoil, some alfalfa, and soybeans. Native vegetation was deciduous forest. Major tree species include sugar maple, beech, red oak, white oak, and associated species.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 139. Northeastern Ohio and possibly northwestern Pennsylvania. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ashtabula County, Ohio, 1967.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
1. Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches) (Ap horizon).
2. Argillic horizon and fragipan feature - from a depth of 61 to 102 cm (24 to 40 in) (Btx1 and Btx2 horizons).
3. Aquic conditions - begin at a depth of 25 cm (10 inches).
The May, 2000 revision included a change in taxonomic classification, due to updates contained in the 8th Edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The previous classification was Fine-silty, mixed, mesic Aqueptic Fragiudalfs.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data for the Pierpont series can be found at the NCSS Soil Characterization Database.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.