LOCATION SCHOOLCRAFT MI+INEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Schoolcraft loam, on a southwest-facing, 1 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 896 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; few fine roots; 5 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
BE--10 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) loam; 10 percent black (10YR 2/1) loam A material filling root channels; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay films in pores and on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--19 to 29 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay films in pores and on faces of peds; 14 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--29 to 39 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) gravelly sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on rock fragments; 20 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 14 to 40 inches.)
2Bt4--39 to 42 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) loamy sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few faint clay bridging between sand grains; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
2BC1--42 to 59 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2BC2--59 to 77 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2BC horizon is 0 to 40 inches.)
2C1--77 to 83 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand; single grain; loose; 14 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
2C2--83 to 95 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Kalamazoo County, Michigan; about 1 1/2 miles north and 1 1/2 miles west of Schoolcraft; 1,200 feet east and 50 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 11, T. 4 S., R. 12 W.; U.S.G.S. Schoolcraft Northwest topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 7 minutes 41.2 seconds N. and long. 85 degrees 40 minutes 54.3 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 608956 easting and 4664846 northing, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 25 to 50 inches. Depth to the sandy outwash ranges from 25 to 40 inches. Rock fragments are dominantly gravel.
The Ap or A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2, 2.5, or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is loam, silt loam, or sandy loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 10 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The BE horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 4. It is loam, silt loam, or sandy loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 10 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam in the upper part and sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam in the lower part. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 25 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral.
Some pedons have a BC horizon. It has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sand or loamy sand or their gravelly analogs. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 25 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral.
The 2BC horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sand or loamy sand, or their gravelly analogs. Sand content of the fine-earth fraction averages more than 80 percent. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 25 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral. Some pedons do not have a 2BC horizon.
The 2C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is dominantly sand, gravelly sand, or gravelly coarse sand. Bands of loamy sand are present in some pedons. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 34 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Atkinson, Burchard, Calmar, Cokato, Cresco, Cresent, Durand, Friesland, Griswold, Hitt, Hochheim, Jasper, Joslin, Keosauqua, Kishwaukee, Marbletown, Markesan, Moingona, Morrill, Nuxmaruhanixete (T), Pana, Parmod, Penfield, Reedslake, Ringwood, Rockton, Rotamer, Shelby, Sibleyville, Velma, and Winnebago series. Atkinson, Calmar, Hitt, and Rockton soils have a lithic contact within a depth of 60 inches. Burchard, Cokato, Cresco, Durand, Friesland, Griswold, Hochheim, Jasper, Joslin, Markesan, Moingona, Morrill, Parmod, Penfield, Reedslake, Ringwood, Rotamer, Shelby, Velma, and Winnebago soils average less than 80 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section. Cresent, Keosauqua, Kishwaukee, Nuxmaruhanixete (T), and Pana soils are deeper than 40 inches to sand or gravelly sand textures. Marbletown and Sibleyville soils have a paralithic contact within 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Schoolcraft soils formed in loamy material over sand or gravelly sand and are on outwash plains, terraces, and valley trains of Wisconsinan Age. Slope gradients typically are 0 to 4 percent but range to 6 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from 46 to 53 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from 29 to 40 inches, frost-free period ranges from 130 to 170 days, and elevation ranges from 580 to 1,020 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Boyer, Brady, Dowagiac, Gilford, Kalamazoo, Matherton, Oshtemo, and Sebewa soils. The well drained Dowagiac and Kalamazoo soils, the somewhat poorly drained Brady and Matherton soils, and the poorly drained or very poorly drained Gilford and Sebewa soils are the most common associates. Boyer and Oshtemo soils are well drained associates on some outwash plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to low depending on the slope. Permeability is moderate in the loamy material and rapid in the underlying sandy material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are cultivated. Corn and soybeans are the principal crops with smaller portions in small grains and legume-grass hay. A very small acreage is in pasture. Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses with a few burr oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 111, 98, and 97 in southern Michigan and northern Indiana, and possibly northern Illinois. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - from the surface to 10 inches (Ap horizon); argillic horizon - from 14 to 42 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, 2Bt4 horizons). Udic moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab characterization data for the typical pedon (S01MI-077-001) is available from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE. Transect data (T01MI-077-001) is on file in the MLRA project office, Plymouth, Indiana. Transect shows 90 percent Schoolcraft soils and 10 percent Volinia soils. Some pedons in the transect have lamellae or iron oxide bands in the 2B horizons.