LOCATION BERVILLE MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Berville loam with a slope of 1 percent on a till plain in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; black (10YR 2/1) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; about 6 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
A--8 to 11 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate coarse granular structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; about 10 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Btg1--11 to 16 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many fine roots; few faint clay films; coatings of very dark brown (10YR 2/2) on most peds; about 18 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Btg2--16 to 30 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly clay loam; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct clay films on surface of peds; many fine roots; about 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
Btg3--30 to 36 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly clay loam; common coarse distinct dark brown (10YR 4/3) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct clay films on surface of peds; few fine roots; about 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2Cg--36 to 60 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; about 2 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lapeer County, Michigan; 650 feet east and 250 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 21, T. 6 N., R. 12 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 50 inches. Cobbles range from 0 to 3 percent throughout.
The A horizons have hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. They are loam or sandy loam. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral.
The Btg horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. They are gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam, gravelly sandy clay loam, sandy loam, or loam. Clay content of the upper argillic horizon ranges from 15 to 25 percent and the clay content of the lower argillic horizon ranges from 27 to 35 percent. A 2Btg horizon is in some pedons. Gravel content in the Btg horizons ranges from 5 to 35 percent in any one subhorizon, but averages 15 to 35 percent. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The 2Cg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 5 or 6; and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam, clay loam or silty clay loam. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Barry, Brookston, Buntingville, Clackamas, Cordova, Hamel, Jameston, Marengo, Millgrove, Navan, Rensselaer, and Westland series. Barry soils contain less than 27 percent clay in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Brookston and Cordova soils contain less than 10 percent gravel in the argillic horizon. Buntingville soils secondary carbonate accumulations (Bca or Cca horizons). Clackamas soils do not contain free carbonates within 60 inches. Marengo soils average less than 15 percent rock fragments in the argillic horizon. Hamel soils have mollic epipedons more than 24 inches thick. Jameston soils have very firm Btg horizons, a thick zone (ranges 10 to 30 inches) of distinct grayish coats on the faces of prisms, and averages more than 30 percent clay throughout the argillic horizon. Millgrove and Rensselear soils are stratified within a depth of 15 to 40 inches. Navan soils contain less than 15 percent rock fragments in the argillic horizon. Westland soils have gravel and sand C horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Berville soils are on nearly level areas and depressions of ground moraines and lake plains of Wisconsinan Age. Slope gradients range from 0 to about 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 36 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 48 to 50 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The well drained Kendallville, moderately well drained Cadmus and somewhat poorly drained Macomb soils are in a drainage sequence with Berville soils. Other associates are the Brookston soils where the outwash is thin, and Matherton and Sebewa soils where the gravelly outwash is thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. The soil has a perched seasonal high water table that ranges from 1 foot above the surface to 1 foot below the surface at some time during the period from November to May. Surface runoff is very slow to ponded. Permeability is moderate in the outwash sediments and moderately slow in the glacial till.
USE AND VEGETATION: The greater part is drained and is under cultivation. The principal crops are corn, small grains, soybeans, navy beans, and hay. A small part is in permanent pasture or forest. The native forest vegetation was American elm, white ash, red maple, and swamp white oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Michigan. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lenawee County, Michigan, 1957.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 11 inches (Ap and A horizons); argillic horizon - the zone from 11 to 36 inches (Btg1, Btg2 and Btg3 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record No.: MI0128