LOCATION HERMON ME+NH NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Typic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Hermon sandy loam, on a 20 percent south-facing slope in a very stony wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Oa-- 0 to 2 inches; black (5YR 2/1) sapric material; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine and fine roots; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
E-- 2 to 3 inches; pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; 10 percent rock fragments; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bhs-- 3 to 9 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) sandy loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common very fine and coarse roots; 10 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bs1-- 9 to 16 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very gravelly sandy loam; moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable; common very fine, fine and medium roots; 35 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bs2-- 16 to 32 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) extremely gravelly loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few very fine and fine roots; 60 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bs horizon is 7 to 26 inches.)
C-- 32 to 65 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) very gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 45 percent rock fragments; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Oxford County, Maine; Town of Bethel; 1 mile north-northeast of Northwest Bethel and 1 mile east of the intersection of Chapman Brook and the Newry-Bethel town line; USGS Bethel topographic quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 26 minutes 22 seconds N. and long. 70 degrees 50 minutes 18 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 14 to 35 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Rock fragment content in individual horizons of the particle-size control section ranges from 15 to 70 percent, but the weighted average ranges from 35 to 65 percent. The rock fragments are about 1/3 cobbles and stones and 2/3 gravel. The rock fragment content of the upper 10 inches of the mineral soil ranges from 5 to 50 percent. Stones and boulders cover from 0 to 15 percent of the surface. The surface and subsurface horizons range from extremely acid to strongly acid, the subsoil from extremely acid to moderately acid, and the substratum is strongly acid or moderately acid.
The O horizon is neutral or has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 3 and chroma of 0 to 2. It has weak very fine or fine granular structure. Consistence is very friable or friable. It is slightly to highly decomposed plant material (sapric, hemic, or fibric).
The Ap horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 or 3. Some pedons have an A horizon that is up to 5 inches thick with hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 to 3. The A horizon is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or coarse sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction. It has weak very fine to medium granular structure. Consistence is very friable or friable.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand in the fine-earth fraction. It has weak very fine to medium granular or subangular blocky structure, or it is weak thin or medium platy. Consistence is very friable or friable.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 2 to 3 and chroma of 1 to 3. The Bh horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 2 to 5 and chroma of 2 to 6. The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. They are fine sandy loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, or coarse sand in the fine-earth fraction. The B horizons have weak to moderate, very fine to medium granular or subangular blocky structure or are single grain or massive where cemented. Consistence ranges from loose to friable but some pedons have discontinuous cementation.
The BC horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, or coarse sand in the fine-earth fraction. It has weak very fine to medium granular or platy structure or is single grain or massive. Consistence is loose to firm but some pedons have discontinuous cementation.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7 and chroma of 1 to 4. It is loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, or coarse sand in the fine-earth fraction. It has weak thin or medium platy structure, or it is single grain or massive. Consistence is loose to firm.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Colton, Masardis, and Stetson series in the same family. Colton, Masardis, and Stetson soils have stratification in the lower part of the pedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hermon soils are on glaciated upland plains, hills, and ridges. Slope is dominantly 3 to 25 percent, but ranges from 0 to 60 percent. The soils formed in glacial till derived mainly from granite and gneiss. The climate is humid and cool temperate. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 34 to 50 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 38 to 46 degrees F. The frost-free season ranges from 90 to 160 days. Elevation ranges from 5 to 2800 feet above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adams, Becket, Berkshire, Canaan, Colton, Monadnock, Stetson, Sunapee, and Waumbek soils. Adams soils are on sandy plains and have fine and medium sand throughout and have less rock fragments. Becket and Berkshire soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments and are in similar landscape positions. Canaan soils formed in similar material and are in higher landscape positions, but depth to bedrock is less than 20 inches. Colton and Stetson soils have stratification in the lower part of the pedon, and are in similar positions on the landscape. Monadnock soils have finer textured surface layers and are in similar positions on the landscape. Sunapee and Waumbek soils are moderately well drained and are in lower positions on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high throughout the mineral soil.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for forestry. Common tree species include beech, sugar maple, yellow birch, paper birch, gray birch, hemlock, white pine, red spruce, white spruce, and balsam fir. Some cleared areas have had stones removed and are used for pasture, hay, lowbush blueberries, and row crops. Other areas have been cleared of trees, but not stones, and are used for lowbush blueberries.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Maine, New Hampshire, and northern New York (MLRAs 142, 143, and 144B). The series is of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, 1923.
REMARKS: 1. This soil was previously classified in a loamy-skeletal family.
2. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Albic horizon - the zone from 2 to 3 inches (E horizon).
b. Spodic horizon - the zone from 3 to 9 inches (Bhs, and Bs1 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Source of data used in establishing taxonomic class and range in characteristics is Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, Technical Bulletin 46, 1971.
Soil Interpretation Record Numbers for the Hermon series are: Hermon, ME001; Hermon, bouldery, ME0091; Hermon, stony, ME0002.