LOCATION TSADAKA AK
Established Series
Rev. MHC/JPM
02/2022
TSADAKA SERIES
The Tsadaka series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in a thin mantle of volcanic ash-influenced loess overlying friable to firm glacial till. Tsadaka soils are on hummocks on the backslopes of mountains. Slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 35 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 33 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, ortstein Humic Duricryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Tsadaka silt loam - on a hummocky southwest facing slope of 6 percent at 2300 feet elevation under crowberry and bog blueberry shrub vegetation (all textures are apparent field textures);
Oi--8 inches to 3; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) peat; fibrous, undecomposed organic mat; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Oe--3 inches to 0; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) mucky peat; partially decomposed organic mat; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A--0 to 2 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many roots of all sizes; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--2 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt broken boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bhs--5 to 9 inches; very dusky red (2.5YR 2.5/2) loam; strong very fine granular structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); abrupt broken boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bs--9 to 15 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2Bsm--15 to 26 inches; dusky red (10R 3/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very cobbly sandy loam; massive; very firm, cemented, nonsticky and nonplastic; 20 percent angular and subrounded gravel and 20 percent subangular and angular cobble; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear irregular boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
2C--26 to 60 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly sandy loam; massive; firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; 20 percent angular and subrounded gravel and 20 percent subangular and angular cobble moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska; about 14 miles north of Wasilla; SE 1/4, SW 1/4, Section 14, T.20N., R.2W., Seward Meridian.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 32 to 35 degrees F. Depth to very gravelly and very cobbly till material ranges from 14 to 26 inches. Horizons are broken and discontinuous. A buried sequa occurs in some pedons. The upper 4 inches of the combined spodic horizons have more than 6 percent organic carbon. The upper part of the control section formed in loess dominated by amorphous material. The lower part of the spodic horizon is firm or very firm and weakly to strongly cemented.
The A horizon has hue from 5YR to 10YR, value moist of 2 or 3, and chroma moist from 1 through 3. This horizon is absent in some pedons.
The Bhs horizon has hue from 10R to 5YR, value moist of 2 or 3, and chroma moist of 2 or 3. Texture is silt loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam.
The Bs horizon has hue from 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value moist of 2 through 4, and chroma moist of 4 through 6. Texture is silt loam, loam or fine sandy loam.
The 2Bsm or 2Bhsm horizon has hue from 10R through 5YR, value moist from 2 through 4, and moist chroma from 2 through 6. These horizons are weakly to strongly cemented. Coarse fragment content ranges from 25 to 50 percent gravel and 10 to 20 percent cobble. Texture is loam or sandy loam.
The 2C horizon has hue from 10YR through 5Y, moist value from 3 through 5, and moist chroma from 1 through 3. Coarse fragment content ranges from 30 to 50 percent gravel and 5 to 20 percent cobble. Texture is loam or sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These is the
Talkeetna series. Talkeetna soils are not cemented with sesquioxides in the lower spodic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Tsadaka soils occur on hummocks on mountain backslopes above treeline. Slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. The soil formed in loess, mixed with volcanic ash over friable or firm glacial till. Mean annual temperature is about 33 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 50 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Moderate to rapid runoff. Moderate permeability in the upper part and moderately slow to slow in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Wildlife habitat and recreation. Native vegetation is dominated by crowberry and bog blueberry shrub.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral Alaska. The series is of moderate extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Matanuska-Susitna Area, 1996.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this profile include: spodic horizon from 5 to 26 inches; more than 6 percent organic carbon in the upper 4 inches of the spodic; amorphous material dominant from 0 to 15 inches; fractured and churned horizon topography in the solum; cemented spodic horizon from 15 to 26 inches; loamy-skeletal material from 15 to 40 inches.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.