LOCATION STAPLES MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Arenic Epiaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Staples loamy sand with a 1 percent plane slope on a glacial drumlin in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; many fine distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) and common fine faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions; weak fine granular structure; very friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Eg1--7 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; many medium distinct brown (10YR 4/4) iron concentrations and common medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Eg2--15 to 32 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sand; common medium distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron depletions and few fine distinct dark brown (10YR 4/3) iron concentrations; single grain; loose; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Eg3--32 to 36 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sand; common medium distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions and common dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) oxide staining; single grain; loose; common black (N 2/0) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) oxide concretions; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Eg horizons is 16 to 36 inches thick.)
2Btg--36 to 44 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) sandy loam; common medium distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions and common dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) oxide staining; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct and faint dark brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on the faces of peds and in pores; about 10 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 36 inches thick)
2Cd1--44 to 56 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) sandy loam; many coarse distinct greenish gray (5GY 5/1) iron depletions and few dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) oxide staining; massive; firm; about 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
2Cd2--56 to 60 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) sandy loam; common coarse distinct greenish gray (5GY 5/1) iron depletions; massive; very firm; common black (2.5Y 2/0) oxide concretions; about 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Wadena County, Minnesota, about 7 miles south and 1 mile west of the village of Nimrod; 550 feet south and 1875 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 18, T. 135 N., R. 33 W.; USGS Nimrod SW quadrangle, lat. 46 degrees 30 minutes 45 seconds N. and long. 94 degrees 53 minutes 49 seconds W.; NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The sandy mantle ranges from 20 to 40 inches thick. The depth to dense till (densic contact) ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Depth to free carbonates is 40 to 72 inches or more. These soils typically have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the upper part and 2 to 15 percent rock fragments in the glacial till. Content of rock fragments are higher in thin stone lines at or near the contact of the glacial till. Rock fragments are of mixed lithology and pebble to cobblestone in size.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loamy sand, sand, loamy fine sand, or fine sand. Reaction is strongly acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 2. Most pedons have redoximorphic features. The E horizon is loamy sand, sand, loamy fine sand, fine sand and their gravelly or cobbly analogues just above the 2B horizon. The reaction is strongly acid to neutral. Some pedons have EB or BE horizons.
The 2Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, or clay loam. The particle size control section averages 8 to 35 percent clay and 65 to 75 percent sand. It has few to many faint or distinct clay films on the faces of peds. It is strongly acid to neutral. Some pedons have 2BC horizons.
The 2Cd horizons have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 4. It typically is sandy loam but includes loamy sand in some pedons. The moist bulk density ranges from 1.8 to 2.0 gm/cc. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly alkaline. Some pedons have pockets or wedges of sandy or gravelly material in the 2B and 2Cd horizons. This horizon is considered as a densic contact.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blomford, Watab, and Wealthwood series. Blomford and Wealthwood soils have moist bulk density values less than 1.8 gm/cc in the lower third of the series control section. Watab soils have hues of 7.5YR or 5YR in the lower third of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Staples soils are on nearly level, slightly convex to concave positions on drumlins and ground moraines. They are formed in a sandy outwash and underlying dense glacial till. Slopes ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 37 to 45 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 20 to 33 inches. Frost-free days are about 90 to 172 days. The elevation is about 670 to 1600 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blowers, Friendship, Huntersville, Meehan, Redeye, and Roscommon soils. Blowers and Huntersville soils are moderately well drained and are upslope and adjacent to Staples soils. The Friendship and Meehan soils are on similar positions and are sandy to depths of 40 inches or more. Well drained Redeye soils are upslope and adjacent to areas of Staples soils. The poorly or very poorly drained Roscommon soils are in the depressions and interdrumlin areas. Organic soils, such as Cathro and Markey, in depressions and interdrumlins are also associated in many places.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is rapid in the upper part and very slow in the dense underlying till. These soils have a perched seasonal high water table as high as 0 to 1.0 foot at some time from November to July in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are forested. Quaking aspen, white oak, red oak, black ash, and elms are the main tree species. Some areas of this soil are cleared and used for growing cultivated crops or pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Minnesota. The area is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Todd County, Minnesota, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 7 inches (A horizon); albic horizon - the zone from 7 to 36 inches (Eg1, Eg2, and Eg3 horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 36 to 44 inches (2Btg horizon); densic contact - 44 to 60 inches (Cd horizon); aquic moisture regime based upon the chroma less than 2 immediately below the A horizon, the low chroma on the faces of peds in the argillic horizon, and perched water table of 0 to 1.0 foot; arenic subgroup - the layers in the upper 36 inches have textures of loamy fine sand or coarser.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record numbers are: MN0509, acid substratum - MN0615.