LOCATION SYRENE MNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Typic Calciaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Syrene sandy clay loam with a very slightly convex slope of less than 1 percent on an interbeach position on a glacial lake plain in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine granular; very friable; few inclusions of dark gray (10YR 4/1); slight effervescence; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons 7 to 16 inches thick)
Bkg1--9 to 17 inches; dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) sandy clay loam; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; few tongues of very dark gray (10YR 3/1); violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2Bkg2--17 to 27 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly fine sand; common fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) redoximorphic concentrations; massive; very friable; about 20 percent gravel; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
2Cg--27 to 60 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) gravelly fine sand; many fine and medium yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations throughout and common coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations in the lower part; single grain; loose; about 25 percent gravel; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Clay County, Minnesota; about 6.5 miles northwest of Ulen; about 700 feet east and 500 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 1, T. 142 N. R. 45 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 16 inches in thickness. The calcic horizon is 6 to 24 inches thick. Carbonates occur in all parts of the profile. The soil is slightly or moderately alkaline throughout. The loamy upper sediment ranges from 12 to 24 inches in thickness. The upper sediment has less than 10 percent rock fragments. The lower sediment averages 10 to 35 percent rock fragments above 60 inches. It may have layers that have less than 10 percent rock fragments. It may have subhorizons below 60 inches that have more than 35 percent rock fragments. The fine-earth fraction of the particle-size control section has texture of loamy fine sand or coarser. The upper sediment averages less than 18 percent noncarbonate clay.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1, or is N 2/0 or N 3/0. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam or silt loam. These textures may have a mucky modifier in the depressional phase.
The Bkg horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 5Y or is neutral, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 or less. It has distinct or prominent redoximorphic features or a matrix with chroma of 1 or less, or both. Texture is similar to that of the A horizon and calcium carbonate content ranges from 15 to 35 percent.
The 2Bkg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. It commonly has redox features in all parts. Subhorizons with redder hue or higher chroma are in some pedons below depths of 30 inches. The fine-earth fraction is coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Stratification of these textures occurs in some pedons.
The 2Cg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It commonly has few to many and faint to prominent redoximorphic features. It is fine sand, sand, coarse sand, or the gravelly analogues of these textures.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Rosewood series. Rosewood soils have less than 10 percent rock fragments throughout the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils have slightly convex to slightly concave slopes with gradient of less than two percent. They are on lake plains mostly adjacent to beach ridges. They formed in 12 to 24 inches of loamy sediments over sandy sediments. These sediments are of Lake Agassiz origin. Mean annual precipitation is 19 to 24 inches. Mean annual air temperature is 36 to 45 degrees F. Frost-free period ranges from 90 to 150 days. Elevation above sea level ranges from 650 to 2000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Rosewood soils and the Arveson, Hangaard, Foxhome, Mavie, Radium, Sandberg and Sioux soils. The Arveson, Hangaard, Mavie and Rosewood soils are poorly drained and are on landscape positions similar to the Syrene soils. Arveson and Rosewood soils contain less than 10 percent gravel in the particle-size control section. Hangaard soils lack calcic horizons. Mavie soils have a loamy 3C horizon beginning between 20 and 40 inches. The Foxhome and Radium soils are moderately well drained and are on higher lying areas. Sandberg and Sioux soils are excessively drained and are on beach ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained and very poorly drained. Permeability is rapid. Runoff is negligible or ponded. Depth to an apparent seasonal high water table is at 0.5 to 1.5 feet at some time during the period of April through July most years. It is at plus 1.0 to 0.5 feet at some time during the period of January through December in most years for the very poorly drained (depressional) phase.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are used for hay and pasture. Some areas are cultivated and small grains are the principal crops. Some areas are also idle. Original vegetation was a wet-site plant community of the tall grass prairie.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Minnesota, primarily in the eastern part of the glacial Lake Agassiz plain. It is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Norman County, Minnesota, 1970.
REMARKS: The typical pedon appears to classify as a fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, however, the sandy clay loam, Bkg1 horizon has a large amount of carbonate clay (considered silt in the loamy particle-size classes). The Bkg1 horizon has more than 50 percent fine or coarser sand and consequently it and the 2Bkg2 and 2C horizons were averaged.
Diagnostic horizons and features are: mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 9 inches (Ap horizon); calcic horizon - the zone from 9 to 27 inches (Bkg1 and 2Bkg2 horizons); aquic soil moisture regime
ADDITIONAL DATA: Refer to Minnesota Agr. Exp. Sta. Central File Code Nos. 748 and 808 for results of some laboratory analyses on two pedons of this series.