LOCATION ZIEGENFUSS MI

Established Series
Rev. KFH-MBM-JKC
11/2016

ZIEGENFUSS SERIES

The Ziegenfuss series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils that are deep to dense till. These soils formed in clayey ablation till overlying dense basal till. They are on till plains, wave-worked till plains, till-floored lake plains, end moraines, and ground moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 832 mm, and mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, nonacid, mesic Mollic Epiaquepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Ziegenfuss clay, on a nearly level area in a cultivated field at an elevation of 210 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 18 cm; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; moderate medium granular and strong coarse angular blocky structure; firm; about 1 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 23 cm thick)

Bg1--18 to 46 cm; gray (2.5Y 5/1) clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure; very firm; many fine roots between peds; many distinct very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) organic stains on surfaces along root channels; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8 and 10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries throughout; about 2 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bg2--46 to 76 cm; gray (2.5Y 5/1) clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure; very firm; few fine roots between peds; many distinct olive gray (5Y 5/2) pressure faces on vertical faces of peds; common coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries throughout; about 1 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bg3--76 to 97 cm; gray (2.5Y 5/1) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very firm; many distinct olive gray (5Y 5/2) pressure faces on vertical faces of peds; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries throughout; common medium prominent greenish gray (5GY 5/1) iron depletions with clear boundaries throughout; about 1 percent medium and 2 percent coarse gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bg horizon is 20 to 81 cm.)

BC--97 to 147 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) silty clay; massive; very firm; many distinct olive gray (5Y 5/2) pressure faces on vertical faces of peds; many medium prominent greenish gray (10BG 5/1) vertical partings throughout; common medium prominent olive gray (5Y 5/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries throughout; common medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries throughout; about 3 percent fine gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 41 cm thick)

Cd1--147 to 178 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay; strong medium platy structure inherited from deposition; extremely firm; many medium prominent greenish gray (10BG 5/1) vertical partings throughout; prominent light gray (10YR 7/1) carbonate coatings on faces of vertical fractures; few fine prominent olive gray (5Y 5/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries; about 1 percent fine gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary.

2Cd2--178 to 203 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam; strong medium platy structure inherited from deposition; extremely firm; many medium prominent greenish gray (10BG 5/1) vertical partings throughout; prominent light gray (10YR 7/1) carbonate coatings on faces of vertical fractures and on horizontal faces on top of peds; few fine distinct olive gray (5Y 5/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries; about 2 percent medium gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Gratiot County, Michigan; about .5 mile south of Ola; 2620 feet east and 56 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 9, T. 9 N., R. 2 W., Washington Township; USGS Pompeii topographic quadrangle; UTM Zone 16, 698861e and 4783282n, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of soil development: 81 to 163 cm
Depth to carbonates: 41 to 102 cm
Content of rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent throughout the control section
Depth to densic contact: average depth is 122 to 147 cm, but ranges from
102 to 152 cm
Particle-size control section: averages 35 to 55 percent clay

Ap horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or clay
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Bg horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, clay, or silty clay
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

BC horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: clay, silty clay, silty clay loam, or clay loam
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Some pedons have a C horizon with textures and colors similar to the Cd horizon.

Cd or 2Cd horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: clay, silty clay, silty clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 30 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Lenawee series. Lenawee soils have stratification within the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ziegenfuss soils are on nearly level or depressional areas on till plains, wave-worked till plains, till-floored lake plains, end moraines, and ground moraines. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in clayey ablation till overlying dense basal till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 711 to 960 mm. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 8 to 11 degrees C. Frost-free period is 110 to 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The moderately well drained Perrinton soils and the somewhat poorly drained Ithaca soils are in a drainage sequence with the Ziegenfuss soils. They are the common associates in MLRA 98. The somewhat poorly drained Blount and Arkona soils are common associates in MLRA 99. The Blount soils are on higher positions on the landscape. Arkona soils have 51 to 102 cm of sandy glaciofluvial deposits overlying clayey till or lacustrine deposits and are on higher positions on the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained. Depth to the top of an intermittent perched high water table ranges from 15 cm above the surface to 15 cm below the surface between October and May in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is negligible or very low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low in the solum and low or very low in the dense till substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Principal crops are corn, small grains, beans, and hay. A small part is in permanent pasture or in woodland of ash, red maple, shagbark hickory, basswood, and swamp white oak.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 98 and 99 in the southern half of lower Michigan. The type location is in MLRA 99. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kent County, Michigan, 1982.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon (mollic intergrade): from the surface to a depth of 18 cm (Ap horizon).
Cambic horizon: from a depth of 18 to 97 cm (Bg1, Bg2, Bg3 horizons).
Densic contact: at 147 cm (top of Cd1 horizon).
Aquic conditions: redoximorphic features present in all horizons between the surface layer and the densic contact.

A phase with a surface layer of human transported material has been correlated. This layer is less than 50 cm thick and of variable texture.

ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory Pedon ID: S07MI057013.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.