LOCATION VLASATY MN+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Vlasaty silt loam, on a southeast facing, linear slope of 2 percent, in a cultivated field, at an elevation of about 400 meters (about 1,300 feet) above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; very friable; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. [15 to 23 centimeters (6 to 9 inches) thick]
E--18 to 28 centimeters (7 to 11 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; moderate thin platy structure; friable; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. [2 to 20 centimeters (1 to 8 inches) thick]
B/E--28 to 41 centimeters (11 to 16 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam (Bt); moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; penetrated by tongues of grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam (E); moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulations; strongly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. [The glossic horizon ranges from 13 to 25 centimeters (5 to 12 inches) thick]
2Bt1--41 to 56 centimeters (16 to 22 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; about 3 percent gravel; few fine distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) masses of iron depletions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2--56 to 71 centimeters (22 to 28 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; few prominent light gray (10YR 7/1) sand and silt coats on faces of peds; about 3 percent gravel; common medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) masses of iron depletions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt3--71 to 86 centimeters (28 to 34 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; few prominent light gray (10YR 7/1) sand and silt coats on faces of peds; about 3 percent gravel; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; many medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) masses of iron depletions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt4--86 to 127 centimeters (34 to 50 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure; firm; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; about 3 percent gravel; few medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; many coarse distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) masses of iron depletions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of 2Bt horizons is 50 to 127 centimeters (20 to 50 inches).]
2BC--127 to 152 centimeters (42 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure; firm; about 3 percent gravel; common coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulatiosn; many coarse distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) masses of iron depletions; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 104 Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies; Mower County, Minnesota subset; about 1/4 mile southwest of Le Roy; about 683 meters (2,240 feet) north and 137 meters (450 feet) west of the southeast corner of section 33, T. 101 N., R. 14 W.; USGS Le Roy quadrangle; lat. 43 degrees 30 minutes 23 seconds N. and long. 92 degrees 30 minutes 39 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to glacial till--30 to 66 centimeters (12 to 26 inches)
Depth to carbonates--102 to more than 203 centimeters (40 to more than 80 inches)
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--20 to 28 percent
Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--25 to 45 percent
Special feature--some pedons have a stone line or thin layer, 2 to 13 centimeters (1 to 5 inches) thick of gravelly and sandy materials at the base of the silty or loamy sediments
Ap or A (when present) horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--silt loam or loam
Clay content--15 to 27 percent
Sand content--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
Uncultivated areas have an A horizon from 1 to 5 inches in thickness.
E and E part of E/B (when present) or B/E horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--silt loam or loam
Clay content--15 to 25 percent
Sand content--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--moderately acid or slightly acid
In some cultivated areas the E horizon is mixed into the Ap horizon
Bt (when present) and Bt part of E/B (when present) or B/E horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--silt loam, silty clay loam, or loam
Clay content--22 to 32 percent
Sand content--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
2Bt horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 to 6
Texture--loam or clay loam
Clay content--20 to 28 percent
Sand content--25 to 45 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
Rock fragment content--2 to 15 percent
2BC horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--4 to 8
Texture--loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content--18 to 28 percent, mean of 22 percent
Sand content--35 to 50 percent, mean of 44 percent
Reaction--slightly acid to moderately alkaline
Rock fragment content--2 to 12 percent
Moist bulk density--1.75 to 1.90 g/cc
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Sargeant series.
Sargeant--have a frequently saturated zone within a depth of 0.5 meter (1.5 feet) in normal years
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--30 to 66 centimeters (12 to 26 inches) of loess or loamy sediments and the underlying glacial till
Landform--interfluves and side slopes on dissected till plains
Slopes--1 to 12 percent
Elevation--305 to 427 meters (1,000 to 1,400 feet) above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--7 to 10 degrees C (45 to 50 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation--710 to 870 millimeters (28 to 34 inches)
Frost-free period--150 to 180 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Renova,
Sargeant, and
Skyberg soils. Renova-- are on higher elevations on side slopes and shoulder slopes and do not have a frequently saturated zone within a depth of 1.8 meters (6 feet) in normal years
Sargeant--are at lower elevations on interfluves and have a frequently saturated zone within a depth of 0.5 meter (1.5 feet) in normal years
Skyberg--are at lower elevations in flat to concave drainageways and have a frequently saturated zone within a depth of 0.3 meter (1 foot) in normal years
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--moderately well drained--frequent saturation occurs within depths of 0.75 to 1 meters (2.5 to 3.5 feet) during April to June in normal years and both perched and apparent saturation can occur on this soil based on the season and intensity of rainfall during a given period of time
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--moderately high in the silty or loamy sediments and low or moderately low in the glacial till
Surface runoff potential--negligible to medium
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, small grains, soybeans, and hay. Native vegetation was deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic section--Dissected till plains
MLRA--Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (104)
LRR M; southeast Minnesota and west central Wisconsin
Extent--moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dodge County, Minnesota, 1959.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 28 to 79 centimeters (11 to 31 inches) (B/E, 2Bt1, 2Bt2, and 2Bt3 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters (0 to 59 inches) (Ap, E, B/E, 2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3, 2Bt4, and 2BC horizons).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 28 centimeters (0 to 11 inches) (Ap and E horizons);
glossic horizon--the zone from a depth of 28 to 41 centimeters (11 to 16 inches) (B/E horizon) argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 28 to 127 centimeters (11 to 50 inches) (B/E, 2Bt1,2Bt2, 2Bt3, and 2Bt4 horizons);
udic moisture regime.
Some pedons have vertical seams or wedges of sand or loamy sand about 5 to 30 centimeters (2 to 12 inches) wide and about 0.9 to 1.2 meters (3 to 4 feet) deep extending downward from the stone line into the glacial till.
Cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, ninth edition, 2003.
The change to bulk density of 1.75 to 1.90 g/cc and low to moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity was based on field and lab data and supported by the MLRA-104 steering committee.
The need for this in the western part of the MLRA-104 is questioned. Further field investigations are needed to see if the series concept is valid in the eastern part of the MLRA in the future. The glossic horizon is in question as to the extent in the MLRA. If the glossic horizon is not typical, this series competes with the Oran series. This series may become inactive in the future.