LOCATION SVEA ND+MN MT SD
Established Series
Rev. CJH
03/2014
SVEA SERIES
The Svea series consists of very deep, well or moderately well drained soils that formed in calcareous till and local alluvium from the till. Permeability is moderate in the solum and moderate or moderately slow in the C horizon. These soils are on concave positions on till plains and have slopes ranging from 0 to 25 percent. Mean annual air temperature is 42 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation is 20 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Svea loam - on a concave slope of less than 2 percent under cropland. When described, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--7 to 10 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common fine pores; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined A horizons 7 to 20 inches thick)
Bw--10 to 21 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; faint patches of clay films on vertical faces of peds; common fine roots; common fine pores; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 24 inches thick)
Bk--21 to 36 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; few medium masses of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 26 inches thick)
C--36 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations and few fine faint gray (5Y 5/1) redoximorphic depletions increasing to common coarse distinct redoximorphic depletions at a depth of about 42 inches; massive, breaks with slight pressure into weak subangular blocky and platy fragments characteristic of till; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few masses of carbonates; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: LaMoure County, North Dakota; about 6 miles east and 15 miles north of LaMoure; 500 feet north and 10 feet east of the southwest corner, sec. 19, T. 136 N., R. 59 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The 10- to 40-inch control section averages between 18 and 28 percent clay and 14 to 45 percent fine sand or coarser. It typically contains 1 to 10 percent by volume of rock fragments throughout. The mollic epipedon ranges from 16 to more than 30 inches in thickness and may include part or all of the Bw horizon. Stony phases are recognized.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or neutral, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or less. It is loam, silt loam or clay loam. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 and 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It typically is loam, but some is silt loam or clay loam. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. It has weak or moderate grades of prismatic or blocky structure. The lower part of the Bw horizon contains a few mottles in some pedons.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y, less commonly 10YR or 5Y, value of 5 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is loam or clay loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It contains 15 to 25 percent calcium carbonate. The carbonates are disseminated through the Bk horizon and segregated into few to common threads and masses. Some pedons have BC or BCk horizons.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or clay loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It is friable or firm till. Some pedons contain a thin stone or pebble band or thin lenses of sandy, silty, or loamy material at the boundary of the solum and the C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Aastad,
Delette,
Lankin,
Lismore and
Walsh series. Aastad soils have Bt horizons containing 28 to 35 percent clay. Delette soils are more acid, do not have carbonates in the solum and have a thicker mollic epipedon. Lankin and Lismore soils do not have rock fragments in the upper part. They formed in lacustrine sediments over till. Walsh soils do not have Bk horizons and have coarse fragments that are primarily shale.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Svea soils are on level to moderately steep and slightly concave positions on till plains. Slope gradients commonly are less than 6 percent but range from 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in calcareous till and local alluvium from the till. The climate is cool subhumid. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 36 to 48 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation from 16 to 24 inches. Most of the moisture falls in the spring and summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Barnes,
Buse,
Hamerly,
Hamlet,
Langhei,
Parnell,
Quam and
Tonka soils. Barnes soils are on convex and plane, well drained nearby areas and Hamlet soils are on nearby similar positions as Svea. They have mollic epipedons less than 16 inches thick. Buse and Langhei soils are on convex crests of steeper hills. They do not have cambic horizons. Hamerly soils are on slightly convex and smooth lower slopes on nearby areas surrounding depressions. They have calcic horizons within depths of 16 inches. Parnell, Quam and Tonka soils are in depressions. They are poorly or very poorly drained. In addition, Parnell and Tonka soils are fine and Quam soils are fine-silty.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well or moderately well drained. Svea soils receive some runoff from higher parts of the landscape. Runoff is negligible to high depending on slope. Permeability is moderate in the solum and moderate or moderately slow in the C horizon. A seasonal high water table is at depths of 3 to 5 feet at some time during the period of April through June in the moderately well drained phase. It is at a depth of 4 to more than 6 feet for the same period in the well drained phase.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are cropped to small grains, flax, some row crops, hay, and pasture. Native vegetation was big bluestem, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, bearded wheatgrass, and a variety of forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and eastern North Dakota, northeastern South Dakota, and western Minnesota. The soils are extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sargent County, North Dakota, 1960.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 21 inches (Ap, A, and Bw horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: S53NDak-2-2, S53NDak-2-3, SU70NDak-2-3, and SU65NDak-37-4.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.