LOCATION MASHPEE            MA

MASHPEE SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, isotic, mesic Typic Endoaquods

TYPICAL PEDON: Mashpee fine sand on a 1 percent southeast facing slope, in a wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).

Oe1--0 to 5 cm; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) mucky peat; clear smooth boundary.

Oe2--5 to 10 cm; black (7.5YR 2.5/1) mucky peat; clear smooth boundary.

Oa--10 to 13 cm; black (10YR 2/1) muck; 5 percent fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) dendritic masses of oxidized iron lining root channels; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the O horizon is 0 to 18 cm.)

AE--13 to 19 cm; 75 percent very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and 25 percent gray (2.5Y 5/1) fine sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine to medium roots throughout and few coarse roots throughout; 5 percent fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) dendritic masses of oxidized iron lining root channels; 1 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4 chlorophenol red); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 cm thick)

Eg--19 to 28 cm; light gray (10YR 7/1) fine sand; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common very fine to medium roots throughout and few coarse roots throughout; 25 percent coarse and very coarse distinct irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) organic streaks throughout, clear; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6 chlorophenol red); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 43 cm thick)

Bh1--28 to 34 cm; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) fine sand; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine to medium roots throughout and few coarse roots throughout; common very fine low-continuity vesicular pores; 15 percent fine distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) threadlike manganese coatings lining pores, extremely weakly cemented, clear; 3 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6 chlorophenol red); clear wavy boundary.

Bh2--34 to 43 cm; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) fine sand; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine to medium roots throughout and few coarse roots throughout; few very fine low-continuity vesicular pores; 15 percent fine faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) threadlike manganese coatings lining pores; extremely weakly cemented, clear; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6, chlorophenol red); clear broken boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bh horizons is 0 to 18 cm.)

Bs--43 to 60 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) fine sand; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine and fine roots throughout; 5 percent fine and medium prominent irregular dark reddish brown (2.5YR 2.5/4) iron-manganese masses throughout, extremely weakly cemented, sharp, 8 percent medium and coarse prominent irregular light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) iron depletions throughout, clear, and, 10 percent medium and coarse distinct irregular yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron-manganese masses throughout, clear; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6, chlorophenol red); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 43 cm thick)

C1--60 to 99 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) fine sand; massive; very friable; few very fine and fine roots throughout; 10 percent medium and coarse prominent spherical strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron-manganese nodules throughout, moderately cemented, clear, and 5 percent medium and coarse prominent spherical dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) iron-manganese nodules throughout, moderately cemented, clear; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8 chlorophenol red); clear wavy boundary.

C2--99 to 165 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) fine sand; massive; very friable; 5 percent medium and coarse prominent platy yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron-manganese nodules throughout, extremely weakly cemented, diffuse, and 2 percent medium and coarse prominent platy strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron-manganese nodules throughout, extremely weakly cemented, clear; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8 chlorophenol red).

TYPE LOCATION: Plymouth County, Massachusetts; Town of Wareham, 1380 feet due west of Squirrel Island Road, 573 feet due north of Cohackett Brook, USGS Marion 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle, lat. 41 degrees 44 minutes 57.4 seconds N and long. 70 degrees 46 minutes 20.9 seconds W, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is greater than 165 cm. Solum thickness ranges from 30 to 107 cm. Rock fragments range from 0 to 20 percent in the solum and up to 50 percent in the substratum and typically consist of sub-rounded granite, gneiss and/or schist gravel. Cobble fragments are in some pedons and range up to 5 percent. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid throughout.

The O horizon is neutral or has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value 2 to 3, and chroma 0 to 2. The O horizons typically have increased decomposition with depth and range from fibric to sapric material.

The AE horizon where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value 3 to 5, and chroma 1. Texture is fine sand. Structure is subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable.

The A horizon, where present, is neutral or has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value 2 to 5, and chroma 0 to 3. Texture in the fine earth fraction is fine sand, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sand or their mucky analogs. In some pedons texture is very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Structure is granular or subangular blocky or the horizon is single grain or massive. Consistence is friable, very friable, or loose. Thickness of the A is 3 to 23 cm.

Some pedons have an Ap horizon with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value 2 to 3, and chroma 1. Texture in the fine earth fraction is very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, fine sand, sand or their mucky analogs. Structure is granular or subangular blocky. Consistence is friable. Thickness of the Ap horizon is 18 to 25 cm.

The E horizon is neutral or has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value 3 to 7, and chroma 0 or 3. It may have redoximorphic features and/or organic streaks. Texture in the fine earth fraction is fine sand, sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, or loamy fine sand. Some pedons have texture of fine sandy loam. Structure is subangular blocky, granular or platy, or the horizon is single grain or massive. Consistence is friable, very friable, or loose.

The Bh horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value 2 to 3, and chroma 1 to 3. It commonly has redoximorphic features that include cemented iron-manganese nodules. Some pedons have cementation the volume of which is less than 50 percent of the horizon. Texture in the fine earth fraction is fine sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, or their mucky analogues. Some pedons have texture of very fine sandy loam. Structure is subangular blocky or granular, or the horizon is single grain or massive. Consistence is firm, friable, very friable, or loose.

Some pedons have Bhs horizons the range in characteristics of which is like the Bh horizon. The thickness of the Bhs horizon is 0 to 48 cm.

The Bs horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value 2 to 6, and chroma 2 to 8. Texture in the fine earth fraction is fine sand, coarse sand, loamy fine sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, or sand. Structure is subangular blocky or granular, or the horizon is single grain or massive. Consistence is firm, friable, very friable, or loose.

Some pedons have Bw or BC horizons. Hue is 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value 4 or 5, and chroma 3 to 6. Texture is coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand. The horizon is massive or single grain. Consistence is friable, very friable, or loose. Thickness is 0 to 41 cm.

The B and BC horizons commonly have redoximorphic features including iron and manganese nodules. Up to 20 percent of the volume of some B horizons is cemented.

The C layer has hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value 5 to 7, and chroma 3 to 6. It commonly has redoximorphic features. Texture in the fine earth fraction is very coarse sand, coarse sand, sand, fine sand, very fine sand, or loamy fine sand. The layer is massive or single grain. Consistence is friable, very friable, or loose.

Some pedons have a Cg layer with hue of 10YR to 5Y, value 3 to 6, and chroma 1 or 2. Texture, structure and consistence are like that of the C layer.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in the same family. The Kinsman, Naskeag, and Naumburg series are in related families and have a mean annual soil temperature of less than 8 degrees C. Naskeag soils are moderately deep to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mashpee soils occur in depressions, drainageways, and adjacent to swamps and bogs on glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine landforms. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. They formed in sandy glaciofluvial deposits of late Wisconsin age derived mainly from granite, gneiss, and/or schist. Elevation ranges from about sea level to 250 m. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1016 to 1270 mm; mean annual temperature ranges from 7 to 11 degrees C; mean growing season ranges from 100 to 195 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Mashpee soils are part of a topo-sequence that includes excessively drained Carver and Windsor soils, moderately well drained Deerfield soils, and very poorly drained Berryland, Freetown, Scarboro, and Swansea soils. Mashpee soils are associated on similar landscape positions with Massasoit (T) soils which have an ortstein layer and Wareham soils which lack a spodic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Mashpee soils are poorly drained. Potential for runoff is high or very high except in closed depressions where it is negligible. Estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high. Permeability is rapid or moderately rapid in the surface horizon and rapid in the substratum. Some areas are occasionally ponded during the winter months.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Some are used for hay or pastureland, and some areas are used for cranberry or blueberry production. Common trees include American holly, dogwood, eastern hemlock, gray birch, pitch pine, red maple, tupelo, white pine, and white oak. The sapling and shrub layer commonly consists of speckled alders, sweet pepperbush, high bush blueberry, green briar, and swamp azalea. The herbaceous layer typically consists of cinnamon fern, sphagnum moss, teaberry, and starflower.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Massachusetts and New Hampshire (MLRAs 144A and 149B). The series is of small extent. About 2600 acres will be recognized as the result of currently ongoing soil survey updates.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.

SERIES PROPOSED: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 2007

REMARKS:
1. The Mashpee series is proposed to recognize poorly drained, sandy Endoaquods in mesic soil areas of the glaciated northeast. These soils were historically mapped as the Pipestone series which originates outside region R, receives less annual precipitation and is somewhat poorly drained. The series name originates from the Mashpee Pitted Plain of Barnstable County Massachusetts.
2. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 28 cm (O, AE, and E horizons)
b. Albic horizon - the zone from 19 to 28 cm (E horizon)
c. Spodic horizon - the zone from 28 to 43 cm (Bh1 and Bh2 horizons the Bs horizon may be part of the spodic horizon but characterization data is required to determine this.)
d. Aquic conditions and Aquods suborder - redox features in the albic and spodic horizons within 50 cm of the mineral soil surface.