LOCATION BRANCH MI+INEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquic Arenic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Branch loamy sand - on a 2 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loamy sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
E1--9 to 15 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) loamy sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
E2--15 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons is 7 to 30 inches.)
2Bt1--28 to 37 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) sandy loam; few fine faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2Bt2--37 to 49 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay films; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2Bt3--49 to 57 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam; many medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and dark gray (10YR 4/1) and many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt sub-horizons ranges from 8 to 36 inches).
3C--57 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sand; single grain; loose; about 20 percent gravel; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Branch County, Michigan; about 3 miles southwest of Bronson; 1,900 feet east and 1,580 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 28, T. 7 S., R. 8 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 80 inches. Volume of rock fragments ranges from 0 to 5 percent in the A horizon, 10 to 40 percent in the Bt horizon and 10 to 55 percent in the 2C horizon.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR of 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. The A and E horizons are loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand or sand. They range from very strongly acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue or 10YR or 7.5YR, value or 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 8. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam or the gravelly or very gravelly analogues of these textures. It averages between 10 and 25 percent clay. It is neutral to very strongly acid. Some pedons have a loamy sand or gravelly loamy sand layer in the upper part of the Bt horizon. Some pedons have a 2Bt horizon.
The 3C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is sand, coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, gravelly sand, gravelly coarse sand, gravelly loamy coarse sand, or very gravelly loamy coarse sand. Some pedons have thick strata of sand or coarse sand. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline and contains free carbonates. A loamy substratum phase is recognized. It is clay loam or silty clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bixler, Leola, Markton, Rimer, Riverdale, and Selfridge series. A similar soil is the Ormas series. All of the competing series have low chroma mottles at depths less than 20 inches. Bixler soils have stratified loamy materials in the lower part of the solum and in the 2C horizon. Leola soils have more than 70 percent sand and less than 18 percent clay in the lower part of the solum and the C horizon contains less than 10 percent gravel. Markton soils have between 25 and 30 percent clay in the lower part of the solum and 2C horizon. Rimer soils have more than 35 percent clay in the lower part of the solum and in the 2C horizon. Riverdale soils have between 5 and 15 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Selfridge soils have gray mottles in the E horizon. Ormas soils do not have mottles with chroma of 2 or less in the lower part of the B horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Branch soils are on outwash plains, beach ridges and stream terraces. Slope gradients range from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 27 to 37 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 48 to 52 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The well drained Ormas, somewhat poorly drained Brady, and very poorly drained Gilford soils form a drainage sequence with Branch soils. The well drained Boyer, Fox, and Oshtemo soils are also associated in some places. Boyer and Oshtemo soils do not have gray mottles and do not have sandy surface layers more than 20 inches thick. Fox soils have loamy surface layers, average more clay in the argillic horizons, are browner and have thinner sola.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the Branch soils are cultivated. Corn and soybeans are the principal crops. A few areas are used for pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fulton County, Indiana, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - zone from surface of soil to a depth of 9 inches; argillic horizon - 28 to 57 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3); aquic features - mottles with chroma of 2 or less above 30 inches; arenic features - no texture above 20 inches finer than loamy fine sand.