LOCATION VES                     MN

Established Series
Rev. HLH-HRF-TWN
05/2016

VES SERIES

The Ves series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in loamy, calcareous, friable till. These soils are on convex knolls and side slopes on ground moraines and till plains. Slope ranges from 3 to 25 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 685 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Hapludolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ves loam, on a convex, side slope of 9 percent, on a till plain, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 centimeters; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

Bw1--20 to 33 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--33 to 56 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bk--56 to 84 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common soft light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) accumulations of lime; few yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron masses; about 3 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Ck--84 to 152 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam; massive; friable; few soft light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) lime masses; few yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron masses; about 3 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 103-Central Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies, Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota subset; about 14 miles south of Madison; located about 2,300 feet east and 800 feet north of the southwest corner of section 31, T. 116 N., R. 44 W.; USGS Dawson SW topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 48 minutes 28 seconds N. and long. 96 degrees 12 minutes 24 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness--15 to 49 centimeters
Depth to carbonates--35 to 100 centimeters
Clay content in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--18 to 32 percent
Sand content in particle-size control section (weighted average)--25 to 45 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 8 percent, mixed lithology, shale fragments 2 to 10 millimeters in size, are common

Some areas have stones and boulders covering about 0.01 to 0.1 percent of the surface (Class 1, stony phase)

Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--clay loam or loam
Clay content--18 to 32 percent
Sand content--25 to 45 percent
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.3
Moist bulk density--1.35 to 1.45 g/cc
Thickness--15 to 49 centimeters

Some pedons have an AB or BA horizon less than 15 centimeters thick

Bw horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--clay loam or loam
Clay content--18 to 32 percent
Sand content--25 to 45 percent
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.3
Moist bulk density--1.30 to 1.45 g/cc
Thickness--15 to 60 centimeters

Bk horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--clay loam or loam
Clay content--18 to 32 percent
Sand content--25 to 45 percent
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 8.4
Calcium carbonate equivalent--5 to 30 percent; 5 percent or more higher than the underlying horizon(s)
Moist bulk density--1.35 to 1.55 g/cc
Thickness--30 to 150 centimeters

Redoximorphic features are considered relict in these horizons

BCk, Ck, BC or C horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--clay loam or loam
Clay content--18 to 32 percent
Sand content--25 to 45 percent
Reaction--pH 7.4 to 8.4
Calcium carbonate equivalent--0 to 25 percent
Moist bulk density--1.35 to 1.55 g/cc

Redoximorphic features are considered relict in these horizons

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amiret and Annton series.
Amiret--have a frequently saturated zone between depths of 1.0 and 1.8 meters during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Annton--have a clay content of 24 to 35 percent and a moist bulk density range of 1.45 to 1.65 g/cc in the lower third of the series control section

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--loamy, calcareous, friable till
Landform--convex knolls and side slopes on ground moraines and till plains
Slope--3 to 25 percent
Elevation--300 to 410 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--4 to 10 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--485 to 890 millimeters
Frost-free period--140 to 200 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Amiret, Canisteo, Glencoe, Normania, Seaforth, Storden, and Webster soils.
Amiret--are on slightly lower landscape positions and have a frequently saturated zone within the series control section during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Canisteo--are on lower landscape positions and are frequently saturated from the surface to a depth of 0.3 meter during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Glencoe--are on lower landscape positions in depressions and have a mollic epipedon 60 to more than 200 centimeters thick
Normania--are on slightly lower landscape positions and have a frequently saturated zone between depths of 0.45 and 0.75 meters during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Seaforth--are on slightly lower landscape positions and have carbonates in all parts of the series control section
Storden-- are on higher landscape positions on convex side slopes and have carbonates in all parts of the series control section
Webster--are on lower landscape positions and are frequently saturated from the surface to a depth of 0.3 meter during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained--a frequently saturated zone does not occur within a depth of 1.8 meters during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Saturated hydraulic conductivity1.00 to 10.00 micrometers per second

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, small grains and soybeans. The native vegetation is big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, and other grasses of the tall grass prairie.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic Section--Western lake section
MLRAs--Rolling Till Prairie (102A) and Central Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (103)
LRR--M; south-central and southwestern Minnesota
Extent--large

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lyon County, Minnesota, 1976.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters; series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 20 centimeters (Ap horizon);
cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of 20 to 56 centimeters (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons);
calcic horizon--the zone from a depth of 56 to 84 centimeters (Bk horizon);
udic moisture regime.

Cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, tenth edition, 2006.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.