LOCATION AU GRES MI+MA ME NH NY VT WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Typic Endoaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Au Gres loamy sand - on a 2 percent slope in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loamy sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
E--2 to 13 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) sand; single grain; loose; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) iron accumulations throughout; moderately acid; abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bhs--13 to 19 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; a few 1/2 to 2 inch diameter weakly cemented chunks of ortstein and iron concretions; common coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron accumulations throughout; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bs--19 to 30 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sand; single grain; loose; common medium faint brown (7.5YR 5/4) and common medium distinct brown (10YR 5/3) iron accumulations throughout; moderately acid; clear irregular boundary. (4 to 26 inches thick)
BC--30 to 42 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sand; single grain; loose; medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron accumulations throughout; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 21 inches thick)
C--42 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sand; single grain; loose; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron accumulations throughout; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Emmet County, Michigan, about 3 miles north of Levering; 1,840 feet west and 300 feet north of the southeast corner, sec. 15, T. 38 N., R. 4 W.; Carp Lake Township, USGS Levering, MI. 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; lat. 45 degrees 40 minutes 51 seconds N, long. 84 degrees 46 minutes 45 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 48 inches. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 10 percent throughout. The particle-size control section averages less than 50 percent fine sand. Mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, or is neutral; value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 0 to 2. Texture is sand or loamy sand. Some pedons have an Ap horizon. Reaction of the A or Ap horizon ranges from extremely acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is sand, coarse sand, or loamy sand or loamy coarse sand. In some pedons the A and E horizons are mixed. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to neutral.
The Bhs horizon when present has hue of 5YR to 10YR, and value and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is sand, coarse sand, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The amount of chunks of ortstein within the Bhs and Bs horizons commonly ranges from 0 to 30 percent, but pedons containing as much as 50 percent ortstein are considered within the range of the series. The ortstein is as random tongues, or as pieces of tongues up to 8 inches in diameter.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 6. Pedons without a Bhs horizon have Bs or Bs1 horizons with hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 4. Texture is sand, coarse sand, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid in the upper part and very strongly acid to neutral in the lower part.
The BC horizon has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 2 to 8. Texture is sand, coarse sand, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to neutral.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 8. Texture is sand or coarse sand. Reaction is very strongly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Battlefield, Kinross, Wainola, and Wormet series. Battlefield soils have gravelly sand in the lower part of the control section, and have free carbonates within 40 inches. Kinross soils are saturated for a period of 90 to 120 days when the soil temperature is above 5 degrees C. Wainola soils have a 10 to 40 inch particle-size control section that averages more than 50 percent fine sand. Wormet soils have a finer texture cap 10 to 20 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Au Gres soils are on stream terraces, outwash plains, lake plains, lake terraces and ground moraines. Au Gres soils formed in drift of Wisconsinan Age. Slope gradients are predominantly 0 to 3 percent and range from 0 to 6 percent. Elevations are 600 to 1,800 feet. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 27 to 34 inches, and the annual temperature is about 40 to 47 degrees F. The frost free period is 90 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Croswell, Kalkaska, Kinross, Roscommon, and Rubicon soils. The excessively drained Rubicon; somewhat excessively drained and well drained Kalkaska; the moderately well drained Croswell and the poorly drained or very poorly drained Roscommon and Kinross soils are in the same drainage sequence.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Depth to the seasonal high water table ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 feet below the surface at some time from October to June. The soil is saturated for a period of 70 to 90 days when the soil temperature is above 5 degrees C. Potential surface runoff is negligible or very low. Permeability is rapid or very rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Only a small part is cultivated. Some areas are in permanent pasture and others are used for growing special crops such as blueberries and cucumbers. Many areas are in various stages of reforestation. Natural forests are northern white-cedar, balsam fir, hemlock, yellow birch, paper birch, aspen, and red maple.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. The series is of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, New York, 1955.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from the surface to 13 inches (A and E horizons). Albic horizon - from 2 to l3 inches (E horizon).
Spodic horizon - from 13 to 30 inches (Bhs and Bs horizon).
Aquic conditions (endosaturation) - inferred form redox accumulations in the zone from 13 to 60 inches (Bhs, Bs, BC, and C horizons).
The loamy or clayey substratum phases of this soil are no longer within the series concept.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record No.: MI0109