LOCATION ROUSSEAU MI+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Entic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Rousseau fine sand - on a 6 percent slope in a forested area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 1 inch; black (N 2/0) fine sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
E--1 to 8 inches; pinkish gray (5YR 6/2) fine sand, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) dry; very weak medium granular structure; very friable; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 13 inches thick)
Bs1--8 to 11 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) fine sand; very weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; strongly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bs2--11 to 17 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) fine sand; single grain; loose; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 16 inches thick)
BC--17 to 25 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) fine sand; single grain loose; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
C--25 to 60 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) fine sand; single grain; loose; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Delta County, Michigan; about 2.5 miles northeast of the village of Brampton, 500 feet south and 200 feet east of the center of sec. 14, T. 41 N., R. 22 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 45 inches. The series control section averages 50 percent or more fine sand throughout. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 2 percent throughout the profile. Horizons with loamy fine sand texture occur only in the upper part of the solum, and the combined thickness of horizons with loamy fine sand texture is less than 15 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, 5YR or is neutral, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 0 to 2. It is dominantly fine sand, but includes loamy fine sand. Reaction of the A horizon ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid. Some pedons have Ap horizons with similar colors and textures. Some pedons have a thin layer of forest litter (Oa, Oe or Oi horizon) with colors and reaction similar to that of the A horizon.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is dominantly fine sand, but includes loamy fine sand. Reaction of the E horizon ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid, but may range to neutral where cultivated.
The Bs1 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, and value and chroma of 3 or 4, however value and chroma of 3 do not occur together. It is dominantly fine sand, but includes loamy fine sand. Reaction of the Bs1 horizon ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The Bs2 horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is dominantly fine sand, but includes loamy fine sand. Reaction of the Bs2 horizon ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid.
The BC horizon has hue of 5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is fine sand. Reaction of the BC horizon ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is dominantly fine sand but includes medium sand. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Duel, East Lake, Hartwick, Ishpeming, Karlin, Kiva, Rubicon, Sayner, Sultz and Vilas soils and the closely related Fernlake and Missiquoi soils. All of these soils average less than 50 percent fine sand in the series control section. In addition, the Fernlake and Missiquoi soils have isotic mineralogy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rousseau soils are on old lake border dunes, lake plains and outwash materials of Wisconsinan Age. Slopes range from 0 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 27 to 34 inches and the mean annual temperature ranges from 41 to 47 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the well drained Kalkaska, Vilas, Rubicon, Bohemian, Keweenaw, and Karlin soils on similar landscape positions. The moderately well drained Neconish soils and the somewhat poorly drained Wainola soils are in slightly lower landscape positions, and the poorly drained Deford soils are in depressions and drainageways. The Neconish, Wainola and Deford soils form a drainage sequence with the Rousseau soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Potential surface runoff is negligible to low depending on the slope. Permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Only a small acreage has been cleared and is used for hay or pasture. Most areas are in second growth timber or brush. Original timber included sugar maple, red maple, balsam fir, white birch, quaking aspen and American beech.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The northern portion of the Lower Peninsula, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montcalm County, Michigan, 1956.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 8 inches (A and E horizon); albic horizon - the zone from 1 to 8 inches (E horizon); spodic horizon - the zone from 8 to 17 inches (Bs1 and Bs2 horizons).
The moderately well drained phase is no longer within the series concept and has been replaced by the Neconish series.
The dark subsoil phase of this soil is no longer within the concept of the series and has been replaced by the Liminga series.
ADDITIONAL DATA: