LOCATION TARAL AK
Established Series
Rev. JPM
02/2022
TARAL SERIES
The Taral series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in silty loess over loamy glacial till. Taral soils are on hills. Slopes range from 20 to 45 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 26 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is about 12 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Taral mucky silt loam - on a 22 percent slope under aspen forest at 1400 feet elevation.
Oi--2 inches to 0; black (10YR 2/1) peat consisting of fibrous roots, moss and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
A1--0 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) mucky silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak thin platy; many roots of all sizes; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--2 to 8 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) mucky silt loam with streaks and patches of black (10YR 2/1); weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium platy; many roots of all sizes; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
A/C--8 to 22 inches; frost churned very dark brown (10YR 2/2), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), and dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium platy; common very fine, fine and medium roots; neutral (pH 6.6); diffuse wavy boundary. (10 to 28 inches thick)
2C1--22 to 31 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) cobbly sandy loam; weak medium platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); 15 percent subrounded gravel and 10 percent subrounded cobble; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
2C2--31 to 52 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) gravelly sandy loam; weak medium platy structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); 15 percent subrounded gravel and 5 percent subrounded cobble; gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 25 inches thick)
2C3--52 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) gravelly sandy loam; massive; very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); 20 percent subrounded gravel and 10 percent subrounded cobble.
TYPE LOCATION: Copper River Area, Alaska; 10 miles northwest of the village of Chitina; about 2500 feet south and 1500 feet east of the NE corner of section 19, T.2S., R.5E., Copper River Meridian.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 32 to 35 degrees F. Thickness of the loess mantle ranges from 15 to 38 inches. The weighted average particle size of the control section has less than 18 percent clay, less than 35 percent rock fragments, and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR; moist value of 2 or 3; moist chroma of 1, 2, or 3. Colors occur in horizontal or convoluted streaks and patches due to frost churning. Texture is silt, mucky silt loam, silt loam, or very fine sandy loam. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The 2C horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 5Y; moist value of 3, 4, or 5; and moist chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 25 percent subangular gravel and 0 to 15 percent subangular cobble. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Aycab (NV),
Coutis (WY),
Earcree (ID),
Foxvire (NV),
Gardners Fork (UT),
Hailman (UT),
Moonlight (ID),
Naz (ID),
Razorba (Co),
Shook (Mt),
Skyway (Co), and
Tosp (NV) series. Aycab soils have a paralithic contact within 20 to 40 inches. Coutis, Earcree, Hailman, Naz, and Tosp soils have MAST greater than 35 degrees F. Foxvire and Moonlight soils have cambic horizons. Gardners Fork soils have 20 to 35 percent shale fragments in the control section. Razorba soils are calcareous throughout. Shook and Skyway soils have a lithic contact within 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Taral soils formed in a silty loess mantle overlying loamy glacial till on hills. Slopes range from 20 to 45 percent.
The climate is subarctic continental with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 17 inches and the mean annual snowfall is 39 to 68 inches. Mean January temperature is minus 10 degrees F., mean July temperature is 56 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature ranges from 23 to 27 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the
Strelna and Nerelna series on the same landforms. Strelna soils are the permafrost counterpart of the Taral series. The organic mat of the Strelna soils is undisturbed, resulting in better insulation, lower soil temperature, and permafrost within the control section. Nerelna soils are silty throughout the profile.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is medium to rapid; permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Taral soils have native vegetation of white spruce, quaking aspen, paper birch, and willows. Most areas have been burned, resulting in the transition from Strelna to Taral soils. The successional state of vegetation in a given area is closely related to the fire history.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Copper River Basin. The series is of minor extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES PROPOSED: Copper River Area, Alaska, 1990.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include: a mollic epipedon from 0 to 22 inches; cryic temperature regime; weighted average particle size of coarse-loamy from 10 to 40 inches.
The Taral series is a thawed counterpart of the permafrost Strelna series.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available for this soil: NSSL numbers S81AK-612-22.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.