LOCATION ALTMAR NY+MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Aquic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Altmar gravelly fine sandy loam, on a 3 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly fine sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many roots; 20 percent rock fragments; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 12inches thick)
Bw--10 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy fine sand; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) mottles; single grain; loose; common fine roots; 5 percent rock fragments; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)
C1--16 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sand; mixed white (10YR 8/1) and black (10YR 2/1) uncoated sand grains; single grain; loose; common fine roots; 25 percent rock fragments; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C2--24 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) stratified loamy fine sand, sand, and gravelly sand; many medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mottles; single grain; loose; few thin verticle streaks of clean sand grains; few roots in upper part; 10 percent rock fragments; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
C3--36 to 72 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sand; many medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; single grain; loose; 20 percent rock fragments; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Niagara County, New York; Town of Wilson, 300 feet south of New Road, 100 feet west of Daniels Road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to carbonates is 20 to 80 inches or more. Bedrock is deeper than 60 inches. Content of rock fragments range from 0 to 35 percent, by volume, in individual subhorizons above a depth of 40 inches and 0 to 70 percent below 40 inches. The weighted average is more than 10 percent in the 10 to 40 inch section.
The Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 1 through 3. Texture ranges from sandy loam to loamy fine sand and loamy sand with or without gravelly analogues. It has weak or moderate, fine or medium granular structure and friable or very friable consistence. It ranges from strongly acid to neutral.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR through 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of3 through 6. Texture ranges from loamy fine sand to sand with or without gravelly analogues. It has very weak granular structure or it is single grain, and has very friable or loose consistence. The B horizon ranges from strongly acid to mildly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 5YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 through 4. It is stratified loamy fine sand to sand in the fine earth fraction. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: The Algansee, Brems, Deerfield, Elnora, Morocco, Ottokee, Partridge, Tedrow and Zaborosky series are members of the same family. The Algansee, Brems, Deerfield, Elnora, Morocco, Tedrow and Zaborosky soils have less than 10 percent rock fragments as a weighted average in the 10 to 40 inch control section. In addition the Deerfield soils have rock fragments dominated by granite, gneiss and quartizite. The Ottokee soils have lamellae within 50 inches of the soil surface. The Partridge soils have bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
The Bonaparte, Duane, Fahey, Junius, Otisville, Plymouth, and Stafford series are similar soils in related families. Bonaparte, Otisville, and Plymouth soils lack mottles with chroma of 2 or less within a depth of 40 inches. Duane and Fahey soils have spodic horizons. Junius and Stafford soils have dominant chroma of 2 or less and mottles within a depth of 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Altmar soils are nearly level to gently sloping soils in slightly depressions and on moderately low outwash plains, valley terraces, remnant deltas and along the margins of glacial beach ridges. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The soils developed in sand and gravel that is dominated by sandstone, with variable but minor amounts of limestone, granite, and shale. Mean annual temperature ranges from 46 to 51 degrees F.; mean annual precipitation ranges from 24 to 45 inches; and the frost-free season ranges from 120 to 180 days. The elevation ranges from 250 to 700 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Elnora, Junius, Otisville and Stafford soils, and the Alton, Arkport, Claverack, Collamer, Colonie, Madrid, Ontario, Sodus and Wareham soils. Alton, Arkport and Colonie soils are well drained associates on gravelly and sandy ridges and knolls. Claverack and Collamer soils are in nearby glacio-lacustrine deposits. Madrid, Sodus, Ontario and their wetter associates are on nearby glacial till plains. Wareham soils are poorly drained associates in depressions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well to somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderately rapid in the surface layer and rapid in the subsoil and substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly cleared and used for production of vegetables and fruit crops. Some areas are reverting to the northern hardwoods, such as red maple, which is the climax cover.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Erie and Ontario Lake Plains, and Mohawk and Hudson Valleys of New York, and the west-central lower peninsula of Michigan. The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Oswego County, New York, 1950.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 10 inches (Ap horizon).
2. Aquic subgroup - as evidenced by low chroma mottles within a depth of 40 inches (C2 horizon).
Soil Interpretation Records: NY0015, NY0422