LOCATION VIXEN AK
Established Series
Rev.RAF/RWG/JPM
02/2022
VIXEN SERIES
The Vixen soil series consists of deep, moderately well and well drained soils formed in residuum and colluvium from phyllite and schist on backslopes of mountainsides and footslopes of hills. Slopes range from 5 to 100 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 180 inches and mean annual temperature is about 46 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Typic Humicryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Vixen fine sandy loam--on a SSW facing lower backslope of 90 percent, at about 1200 feet elevation under forest vegetation. When described, the soil was moist throughout. (All colors are for moist soil).
Oi--3 to 1 inches; peat consisting of fibric material; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 9 inches thick)
Oa--1 to 0 inches; black (5YR 2.5/1) muck; common very fine and fine, many medium and coarse roots; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E--0 to 1 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Bhs1--1 to 3 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bhs2--3 to 8 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
C--8 to 41 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly silt loam (20 percent gravel); weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary.
R--41 inches; schist bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Ketchikan Area, Alaska. NW1/4, SE1/4, S35, T71S, R93E, Copper River Meridian.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 8 to 16 inches and the depth to bedrock is greater than 40 inches. There is more than 6 percent organic carbon in the upper 4 inches of the spodic horizon. The mean summer soil temperature is about 46 degrees.
The E horizon hue is neutral, 7.5YR, or 10YR. Value moist ranges from 3 to 4; chroma moist from 0 to 2. The texture is fine sandy loam or silt loam.
Hue of the B horizons ranges from 5YR to 10YR; with value moist of 2 or 3. The texture is silt loam or fine sandy loam.
The hue of the C horizon ranges from 5YR to 10YR; value moist ranges from 3 to 5, and chroma moist is 3 or 4. Texture in the C horizon is gravelly silt loam, gravelly sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ulloa series in the same family, and the
Tokeen series in the same subgroup. Ulloa soils have a pH >5.5 in the lower control section. Tokeen soils have noncalcareous bedrock within 40 inches of the mineral surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Vixen soils occur on hillslopes and valleysides. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from phyllite and schist rocks, and are underlain by phyllite or schist. The climate is humid maritime with mean annual precipitation of 180 inches. The mean annual temperature is 46 degrees F. Slopes range from 5 to 100 percent. Elevation ranges from 200 to 2000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Sarkar,
Tokeen,
Tonowek,
Tuxekan, and
Ulloa series. Sarkar soils are shallow to bedrock. The Tonowek and Tuxekan soils are formed in alluvium and are found in valleybottoms. Tokeen soils are formed from granitic colluvium. Ulloa soils are formed from residuum and colluvium from calcareous parent rocks.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well and well drained. Moderate permeability. Runoff is medium on gentle slopes and rapid on steeper slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: The Vixen soils are used for timber production, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The climax forest vegetation is usually 75 percent western hemlock and 25 percent Sitka spruce with a greater percentage of Sitka spruce in some areas. The understory vegetation is blueberry, bunchberry dogwood, fernleaf gold thread, fiveleaf bramble, rusty menziesia, and woodfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Alaska. The series is extensive.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: WASILLA, ALASKA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ketchikan Area, Alaska. 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are: an albic horizon from 0 to 1 inch; a spodic horizon from 1 to 8 inches; coarse-loamy material from 10 to 40 inches. A cryic temperature regime is assumed. That part of the spodic horizon that meets amorphous requirements does not extend more than 4 inches into the 10 to 40 inch control section. The particle size of the control section has a significant relation to the physical and chemical properties of the soil. The Vixen series is proposed as a benchmark soil series.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available on this soil: NSSL number 82AK-130-000.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.