LOCATION TOLSTOI                 AK

Established Series
Rev. RWG/WDL/JPM
02/2022

TOLSTOI SERIES


The Tolstoi series consists of shallow to bedrock, well and moderately well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum on gently sloping to extremely steep shoulders and backslopes of mountains and valleysides. Slopes range from 5 to 120 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 100 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 45 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Lithic Humicryods

TYPICAL PEDON: Tolstoi very fine sandy loam - on a SE facing broken slope of 10 percent at 300 feet elevation under conifer forest vegetation. (All colors are for moist soil).

0i--4 to 2 inches; undecomposed forest litter.

0e--2 to 0 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) mucky peat; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common coarse, many medium, fine, and very fine roots; extremely acid (pH 4.2); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)

E--0 to 1 inch; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common coarse, many medium, fine, and very fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (1/2 to 3 inches thick)

Bhs--1 to 3 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) very fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear irregular boundary. (2 to 19 inches thick)

Bs1--3 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) gravelly fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; 15 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear broken boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)

Bs2--6 to 15 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly fine sandy loam; massive; 55 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary.

R--15 inches; sandstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Ketchikan Area, Alaska; 1,800 feet north and 2,000 feet west of the SE corner of S12, T76S, R80E, Copper River Meridian.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges from 7 to 20 inches thick. Depth to bedrock ranges from 14 to 20 inches. The upper 4 inches of the spodic horizon has more than 6 percent organic carbon. Gravel content in the particle size control section ranges from 35 to 80 percent, with 30 to 65 percent gravel and 5 to 40 percent cobble. Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 38 to 42 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature is about 46 degrees F. Reaction of the profile ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid.

An A horizon may be present in some pedons.

The E horizon has hue from 5YR to 5Y, value from 3 to 6, and chroma from 1 to 2. Texture is commonly very fine sandy loam, but ranges to include silt loam, loam, fine sandy loam, and sandy loam. Coarse fragment content ranges from 0 to 30 percent.

The Bhs horizons have hue from 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma from 0 to 4. Texture of the fine earth fraction ranges to include very fine sandy loam, silt loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, and loam.

The Bs horizons have hue from 5YR to 10YR, value from 2 to 5, and chroma from 2 to 6. Texture of the fine earth fraction ranges to include fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, and silt loam.

A C horizon is present in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hannegan(WA), Peril (AK), Mosman (AK) and Naukati (AK) series. Hannegan soils have volcanic ash throughout the profile. Peril and Naukati soils do not have mottles within the control section. Naukati soils are not mottled and are shallower than 14 inches to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Tolstoi soils occur on mountainslopes and valleysides. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum. The climate is humid maritime with annual precipitation ranging from 65 to 200 inches. The annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F. Slopes range from 5 to 120 percent. Elevation ranges from sea-level to 3000 feet.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hydaburg, Karta, McGilvery, St. Nicholas, Sunnyhay, Tonowek, Tuxekan, and Wadleigh soils. Hydaburg and Sunnyhay are shallow organic soils occupying alpine landscapes. Karta and Wadleigh soils are developed in till. McGilvery soils consist of forest litter over bedrock. St. Nicholas soils are poorly drained. Tonowek and Tuxekan soils are deep, formed from alluvium, and occur on river and stream terraces.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well or well drained. Moderate over moderately rapid permeability. Medium to rapid runoff.

USE AND VEGETATION: The Tolstoi soils are used for timber production, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The overstory vegetation is dominantly western hemlock and Sitka spruce with lesser amounts of western redcedar and Alaska-cedar. The understory vegetation is blueberry, red huckleberry, rusty menziesia, ferns, and mosses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Alaska. The series is extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hollis Area, Alaska. 1969.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are: an albic horizon from 0 to 1 inch; a spodic horizon from 1 to 15 inches; an organic carbon content greater than 6 percent in the upper four inches of the spodic horizon; loamy-skeletal material from 10 inches to bedrock.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Limited laboratory data from Oregon State University is available for this soil. NSSL laboratory data from similar soils in the area (82P 3236-3241) show greater than 6 percent organic carbon in the upper spodic horizons with moist chromas as high as 4.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.