LOCATION PIPPOD AK
Established Series
Rev. MHC/JPM
02/2022
PIPPOD SERIES
The Pippod series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in a mantle of loess overlying loose, gravelly glacial outwash. Pippod soils occur on lacustrine terraces and glacial outwash plains. Slopes range from 0 to 14 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Typic Haplocryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Pippod silt loam on a west facing 2 percent slope under white spruce forest at 2500 feet elevation. (All colors are for moist soil)
Oi--2 inches to 0; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) peat; fibrous roots, twigs, and leaf litter; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
E/A--0 to 1 inch; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam; weak coarse granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium and few coarse roots; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Bs--1 to 5 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) and dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, fine, and medium roots; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
BC--5 to 8 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
2BC--8 to 14 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 40 percent rounded pebbles and 15 percent rounded cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual irregular boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
2C--14 to 60 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 45 percent rounded pebbles and 20 percent rounded cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: The Gulkana River Area, Alaska; about 13 miles north of Sourdough; the NE1/4 of the NE1/4 of section 22, T.11N, R.2W., Copper River Meridian.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The loess mantle ranges from 1 to 8 inches thick and has a coarse-silty particle size. The solum ranges in thickness from 3 to 9 inches and depth to sand and gravel ranges from 1 to 8 inches. The particle-size size control section is sandy-skeletal and averages 35 to 70 percent coarse fragments. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid in the solum and slightly acid or neutral in the substratum.
The A/E or E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; value moist of 2, 3, or 4; chroma moist of 1, 2, or 3. Texture is silt loam or fine sandy loam.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value moist of 3 or 4; chroma moist of 3 through 6. Texture is silt loam or fine sandy loam. Rock fragments include 0 to 25 percent rounded gravel and cobble.
The BC and 2BC horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y; value moist of 3 or 4; chroma moist of 4 through 6. Texture is coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, loamy sand, or fine sandy loam. Rock fragments range from 0 to 70 percent and include 30 to 70 percent rounded gravel and 0 to 25 percent rounded cobble.
The 2C horizons have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value moist of 3 or 4; chroma moist of 1 or 2. Texture is coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, or loamy sand. Rock fragments range from 35 to 70 percent and include 30 to 70 percent rounded gravel and 0 to 25 percent rounded cobble.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Altapeak (T),
Bernice,
Kichatna,
Line (T),
Lutak,
Nikishka, and
Skipeak (T) series in the same family. Altapeak soils have hard cinders in the control section and a paralithic contact at 40 to 60
inches.
Kichatna soils have a volcanic ash influenced loess mantle.
Line soils are 15 to 35 percent cinders in the upper part of the particle-size control section.
Lutak soils have massive, firm substrata.
Nikishka soils have gravelly silt loam textures in the upper part of the control section.
Skipeak soils have solums 15 to 30 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Pippod soils occur on broad lacustrine plains and glacial outwash plains. Slopes range from 0 to 14 percent. The soils formed in a loess mantle underlain by loose, gravelly glacial outwash material.
Climate is transitional subarctic - continental. Mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow to medium runoff. Moderate permeability in the loess mantle, rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: Primary use is as wildlife habitat. Vegetation is white spruce forest with an understory dominated by glandular birch and lichens.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral Alaska. The series is of minor extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gulkana River Area, Alaska, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include an albic horizon from 0 to 1 inch; a spodic horizon at 1 to 5 inches; a loess mantle with a
a coarse-silty particle size from 0 to 8 inches; sandy-skeletal particle size from 8 to 60 inches; cryic temperature regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.