LOCATION MASSASOIT MATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, isotic, mesic, shallow, ortstein Typic Duraquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Massasoit mucky loamy sandy on a 2 percent southeast facing concave slope in a wooded area (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Oe--0 to 1 inch; black (5YR 2.5/1) moderately decomposed organic material; many very fine, fine and medium roots; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
Oa--1 to 3 inches; black (7.5YR 2.5/1) highly decomposed organic material; weak fine and medium granular structure; very friable; many very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the O horizons is 0 to 6 inches)
A--3 to 5 inches; black (2.5Y 2.5/1) mucky loamy sand; massive; very friable; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
Eg1--5 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy fine sand; massive; very friable; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many medium and coarse, faint, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic streaks; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Eg2--11 to 13 inches; dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) loamy fine sand; massive; very friable; common very fine and fine roots and few medium and coarse roots; many medium and coarse distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic streaks; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of E horizons is 3 to 9 inches)
Bhs--13 to 17 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) loamy fine sand; weak coarse platy structure; firm; common very fine and fine roots and few medium roots; common fine and medium prominent black (7.5YR 2.5/1) iron depletions; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
Bsm--17 to 23 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) fine sand; massive; 90 percent of horizon occupied by strongly cemented ortstein; many coarse strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation and few fine and medium distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) iron depletions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bs--23 to 26 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sand; massive; friable; 5 percent gravel; many medium and coarse prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6), and common fine and medium distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4), and reddish brown (5YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
BC--26 to 43 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) fine sand; massive; loose; common fine and medium distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the B horizons is 9 to 31 inches)
C--43 to 80 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) loamy very fine sand; single grain; loose; common fine and medium distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulations; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Plymouth County, Massachusetts; Town of Wareham, 2300 feet east of county road, 1 mile north of the intersection of point and county road. USGS Marion 7.5 minute Topographic Quadrangle, Latitude 41 degrees 44 minutes 58 seconds North, Longitude 70 degrees 46 minutes 23 seconds West, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is greater than 65 inches. Depth to continuous ortstein ranges from 7 to 20 inches. Continuous ortstein is 4 to 12 inches thick and greater than 90 percent cemented. Rock fragments range from 0 to 20 percent throughout and typically consist of sub-rounded granite, gneiss, and schist gravel. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The O horizon is neutral or has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 2.5, and chroma of 0 to 2. The O horizons commonly show increased decomposition with depth, ranging from a fibric leaf litter to sapric material.
The A horizon is neutral or has a hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 2, 2.5, or 3, and chroma of 0 or 1. Texture is sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy coarse sand or their mucky analogs. Structure is massive or weak granular and consistence is very friable or friable.
The Eg horizons have a hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. The E horizon typically has organic streaking and commonly has redoximorphic features. Texture is coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Structure is massive or single grain and consistence is very friable or loose.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 2, 2.5 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. Bsm and Bs horizons have hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 8. The Bsm horizon is firm or very firm continuous ortstein. The B horizons typically have redoximorphic features that often include iron and manganese concretions. Texture of the B horizon is sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand. Some pedons have a Bhsm horizon with value and chroma of 3 or less. The BC horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6. It is sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand. The B horizons are massive or have weak platy or subangular blocky structure.
The C horizon has a hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6 and typically has redoximorphic features. Textures range from coarse sand to loamy very fine sand or their gravelly analogs. The horizon is single grain and consistence is friable to loose. Some pedons have loamy textures below a depth of 60 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in the same family. The Jebavy, Saugatuck, Pipestone, and Mashpee(T) soils are in related families. Mashpee soils lack a continuous ortstein layer. Jebavy, Saugatuck and Pipestone soils are from outside of region R. Jebavy soils have do not have isotic mineralogy and have ortstein layers below a depth of 20 inches. Saugatuck soils do not have isotic mineralogy and are somewhat poorly drained. Pipestone soils do not have isotic mineralogy, lack continuous ortstein layers, and are somewhat poorly drained.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Massasoit soils are on outwash plains and deltas, along drainageways and adjacent to swamps and bogs. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. They formed in sandy glaciofluvial deposits of late Wisconsin age derived mainly from granite, gneiss and schist. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 50 inches; mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 52 degrees F.; frost free period ranges from 100 to 195 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the excessively drained Carver soils, moderately well drained Deerfield soils, poorly drained Mashpee(T), Mattapoisett and Wareham soils, and very poorly drained Berryland soils. Berryland and Mashpee soils lack continuous ortstein layers. Carver and Deerfield soils lack spodic horizons. Mattapoisett soils are on nearby till landscapes and have loamy dense till substrata. Wareham soils lack spodic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Massasoit soils are poorly drained. Potential for runoff is negligible or very low. Permeability is rapid or moderately rapid in the surface horizon, slow or very slow in the cemented (ortstein) horizon, and rapid in the substratum. An apparent, fluctuating water table is at or near the surface for 7 to 9 months in most years. A perched watertable may also occur above the ortstein layer during periods of heavy precipitation. Some areas are occasionally ponded for brief periods during the winter months.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Some areas are used for hay or pasture-land, and some areas are used for cranberry or blueberry production. Common trees include red maple, pitch pine, white pine, gray birch, tupelo, American holly, and white oak. The sapling and shrub layer commonly consists of 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: New England, New York and New Jersey (MLRA 144A and 149B).
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES PROPOSED: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 1999.
REMARKS: 1. Massasoit soils were formerly mapped as Saugatuck. Saugatuck soils are from outside of region R. They do not have isotic mineralogy, receive less annual rainfall than Massasoit soils, and are somewhat poorly drained.
2. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 5 inches (O and A horizons).
b. Albic horizon - the zone from 5 to 13 inches (Eg1 and Eg2 horizons).
c. Spodic horizon - the zone from 13 to 26 inches (Bhs, Bsm and Bs horizons).
d. Ortstein layer - the zone from 17 to 23 inches (Bsm horizons).
e. Aquic conditions and Aquods suborder - redox features in the albic and spodic horizons within 50 cm of the mineral soil surface.
Two pedons have been sampled by the NSSL (Additional pedons have been sampled by the University of Massachusetts)
S91MA-023-004 (sampled as Pipestone)
S92NH-011-001 (sampled as Saugatuck)