LOCATION PORT LIONS              AK

Established Series
Rev. CAP
06/2025

PORT LIONS SERIES

Depth class: moderately deep to deep
Drainage class: well drained
Parent material: herbaceous organic material over sandy and loamy volcanic ash over medial silty volcanic ash over residuum weathered from graywacke
Landscape: Islands
Landform: mountains, hills, ridges, and plains
Slopes: 3 to 70 percent
Mean annual precipitation: about 2250 mm (88.5 in)
Mean annual temperature: about 4 degrees C. (39 degrees F.)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, ferrihydritic Andic Humicryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Port Lions - on a spruce forest hills at elevation of 155 meters (515 feet) elevation. (All colors are for moist soil)

Oa--0 to 4 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); black (7.5YR 2.5/1), dark gray (7.5YR 4/1), dry; highly decomposed plant material; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots throughout; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

C1--4 to 12 centimeters (2 to 5 inches); 75 percent light gray (10YR 7/1) and 25 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), white (10YR 8/1), dry; ashy very fine sandy loam; weak fine angular blocky structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary.

C2--12 to 18 centimeters (5 to 7 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) ashy loamy fine sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt smooth boundary.

2A1--18 to 23 centimeters (7 to 9 inches); black (5YR 2.5/1) medial silt loam; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium, coarse roots throughout; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary.

2A2--23 to 30 centimeters (9 to 12 inches); 75 percent very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and 25 percent dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) medial silt loam; moderate coarse granular structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots throughout; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary.

2Bhs1--30 to 42 centimeters (12 to 16 inches); 50 percent very dark gray (5YR 3/1) and 50 percent black (5YR 2.5/1) highly organic medial silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots throughout; strongly acid (pH 5.3); gradual wavy boundary.

2Bhs2--42 to 70 centimeters (16 to 28 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) medial highly organic silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; common medium roots throughout; 5 percent channers; strongly acid (pH 5.3); abrupt irregular boundary.

3R--70 to 95 centimeters (28 to 38 inches); indurated bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Kodiak Archipelago Soil Survey Area, Alaska; Latitude 58 degrees 9 minutes 2.00 seconds and Longitude 152 degrees 32 minutes 23.00 seconds west, UTM north 6445564.68 and UTM east 527092.24, zone 5, Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: Udic
Mean annual soil temperature: 0 to 4 degrees C (32 to 39 degrees F.)
Thickness of organic material: 2 to 13 cm (1 to 5 in)
Thickness of the 1912 Ash: 8 to 25 cm (3 to 10 in)
Depth to andic properties: 10 to 38 cm (4 to 15 in)
Depth to spodic horizon: 18 to 56 cm (7 to 22 in)
Depth to bedrock: 43 to 120 cm (16 to 47 in)

Oa, Oe, Oi horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10 YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: slightly, moderately, or highly decomposed plant material
Organic matter: 60 to 90 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

C horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10 YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: (ashy and glassy) sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or silt loam
Sand: 30 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 8 percent
Silt: 10 to 55 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

2A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 10 YR
Value: 2 to 5
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: medial silt loam, silt, loam, and very fine sandy loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent
Silt: 40 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 10 percent
Reaction class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)

2Bhs or 2Bs horizon:
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: (medial) silt loam, silt, loam, or very fine sandy loam, or their gravelly analogues
Silt: 40 to 90 percent
Clay: 2 to 12 percent
Rock Fragments: 0 to 30 percent
Reaction Class: extremely acid to moderately acid (pH 3.5 to 6.0)
Some pedons have a Bw with properties similar to the Bhs.

3R horizon: Strongly to indurated bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Kodiak (AK) and Kulshan (WA) series.
Kodiak soils lack a lithic contact within 100 cm (40 in), have loamy-skeletal till substratum, and occur on similar landform positions.
Kulshan soils lack the recent 1912 ashy and glassy surface horizons, and have lithic contact within 100cm (40 in), have mean annual air temperature less than 0 degrees C. (32 degrees F.), and have frost-free periods greater than 50 days.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation: 5 to 300 meters (15 to 1000 feet)
Parent material: herbaceous organic material over sandy and loamy volcanic ash over medial silty volcanic ash over residuum weathered from graywacke
Landform: hills and plains
Slopes: 3 to 70 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 1500 to 3000 mm (59 to 98 in)
Mean annual temperature: 0 to 6 degrees C. (32 to 43 degrees F.)
Frost free period: 20 to 50 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Afognak, Izhut, Kazakof, Kodiak, Marka, Missak, Narrow Cape, Olds, Pyramid, Sa, Shuyak, Spiridon, and Tonki soils.
Afognak soils have a lithic contact at depths less than 50 cm (20 in) and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Izhut soils have aquic conditions within depths of 41 to 100 cm (16 to 40 in) and occur on similar landforms on drainageways and swale.
Kazakof soils have lithic contacts at depths less than 100 cm (40 in), have skeletal particle-sized control sections, and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Kodiak lack lithic contacts at depths less than 100 cm (40 in) and occur on similar landform on backslope, footslope, toeslope positions.
Marka soils have lithic contacts at depths less than 100 cm (40 in) and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Missak soils have thick organic horizons, lack spodic horizons, have aquic conditions less than 25 cm (10 in), and occur on drainageways, swales, and depressions.
Narrow Cape soils lack spodic horizons and occur on similar landforms.
Olds soils lack spodic horizons, have aquic conditions within 25 cm (10 in), and occur on similar landforms on drainageways, swales, and depresions.
Pyramid soils have a lithic contact at depths less than 50 cm (20 in) and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Sa soils have thick organic horizons, lack spodic horizons, have aquic conditions less than 25 cm (10 in), and occur on drainageways, swales, and depressions.
Shuyak soils have a lithic contact at depths less than 50 cm (20 in), lack spodic horizons, and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Spiridon soils have lithic contacts at depths less than 100 cm (40 in), lack spodic horizons, and occur on similar landforms on summits, shoulders, and backslope positions.
Tonki soils have aquic conditions at depths less than 25 cm (10 in), lack spodic horizons, and occur on drainageways, swales, and depressions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage class: well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderately high to very high in the C horizon, moderately high to high in the 2A, 2Bhs, and 2Bw horizons, and high to very high in the 3C.
Permeability: moderate to very rapid in the C horizon and moderate to rapid in the 2A, 2Bhs, and 2Bw, and moderate to very rapid in the 3C horizons.
Runoff: low to very high.

USE AND VEGETATION:
Used for wildlife. Native vegetation is Sitka Spruce with Devils club understory.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 220 Alexander Archipelago-
Gulf of Alaska Coast
Extent: moderate.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Wasilla, Alaska

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kodiak Archipelago Soil Survey, Alaska, 2024.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include:

Organic material: 0 to 4 cm (0 to 2 in) (highly decomposed hemic plant material) (Oa horizon)

1912 volcanic glass (ashy) material: 4 to 18 cm (2 to 7 in) (C horizon)

Andic soil properties: 18 to 70 cm (7 to 28 in) (2A1, 2A2, 2Bhs1, 2Bhs2 horizons)

Spodic horizon: 30 to 70 cm (12 to 28 in) (2Bhs1, 2Bhs2 horizons)

Lithic contact: 70 to 95 cm (28 to 37) (3R horizon)

Source of the volcanic ash is the 1912 eruption of Mt. Novarupta and Mt. Katmai on the Alaska Peninsula.

ADDITIONAL DATA:

User pedon Id: 2007MM 01602

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.