LOCATION SUMAN IN
Established Series
Rev. FF-RAB-FWS
09/2012
SUMAN SERIES
The Suman series consists of deep, very poorly drained soils that formed in recent alluvial material. They are moderately slowly permeable in the subsoil and rapidly permeable in the underlying material. These soils are on flood plains of major streams and along narrow stream bottoms and have slopes ranging from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 35 inches and mean annual temperature is about 54 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Suman silt loam - on a 0 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many medium roots; 1 percent fine shale fragments and fine gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A12--7 to 13 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; few medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; many medium roots; 1 percent fine shale fragments; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 20 inches.)
B21g--13 to 28 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam; many coarse prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/8) and common medium faint gray (10YR5/1) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; 1 percent fine shale fragments; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
B22g--28 to 35 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy clay loam with some sandy loam bands and thin strata of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy sand; many coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; 1percent fine shale fragments; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15inches thick)
IIC--35 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand and coarse sand; single grain; loose; 1percent fine shale fragments; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Porter County, Indiana; 960 feet north and 2,340 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 5, T. 32 N., R.5 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Coarse fragments range from 0 to 5 percent by volume in the solum and C horizon.
The Ap or Al horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2 or is black (N 2/0). It is silty clay loam, silt loam, clay loam or loam and ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2 or is dark gray (N4/0) or gray (N5/0) and has few to many distinct mottles. It is silty clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, sandy clay loam or loam and averages between 20 and 32 percent clay. It ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is sand or loamy sand and may be stratified. It ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils in the same family. Closely related soils are the
Cohoctah,
Gilford,
Shoals,
Sloan, and
Warners series. Cohoctah and Gilford soils are coarse-loamy, and in addition, Gilford does not have an irregular decrease of organic matter with depth. Shoals soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Sloan soils are fine-loamy. Warners soils have marl within the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Suman soils are on nearly level or depressed areas in the flood plains of major streams or along narrow stream bottoms. The slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. The soil formed in alluvium from Wisconsinan Age Drift. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 29 to 39 inches, and the mean annual temperature ranges from 48 to 56 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Cohoctah and
Gilford and the
Maumee and
Morocco soils. Maumee soils are sandy and do not have an irregular decrease in organic matter content. Morocco soils are sandy and on slightly higher areas.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Runoff is very slow or ponded. Permeability is moderately slow in the solum and rapid in the underlying material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas have been cleared, artifically drained and are cultivated. Corn and soybeans are the principal crops. Some areas, especially those on the flood plains of smaller streams, are used for permanent pasture or woodland. The native vegetation was deciduous forest, chiefly elm, beech, ash, sycamore and soft maple.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Suman soils are in northwestern Indiana, and possibly Illinois and southwestern Michigan. The acreage is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Porter County, Indiana, 1978.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.