LOCATION CASSOPOLIS MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Oxyaquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Cassopolis fine sandy loam - on a 4 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium granular structure; friable; many fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
E/B--8 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry (E); weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; occupies about 70 percent of the horizon as tongues extending into or completely surrounding isolated remnants of dark brown (10YR 4/3) loam (Bt); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots; about 2 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 17 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam; strong medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on vertical faces of peds; about 2 percent gravel; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--17 to 31 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; few distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on vertical faces of peds; about 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--31 to 61 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy clay loam; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and brown medium faint (10YR 5/3) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; thin discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; about 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 25 to 54 inches.)
BC--61 to 65 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam; few fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent gravel; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Cass County, Michigan; about 2-1/2 miles west of the village of Kessington; 1,100 feet north and 1,420 feet west of the center of sec. 16, T. 8 S., R. 14 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 40 to 80 inches. Depth to free carbonates ranges from 50 to greater than 60 inches. Coarse fragments throughout the solum range from 1 to 8 percent. Reaction of the solum ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is dominantly fine sandy loam, but the range includes sandy loam and loam.
The E part of the E/B horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 or 4 and comprises from 50 to 75 percent of the horizon. It is fine sandy loam or loam. Some pedons have separate E horizons 3 or 4 inches thick above the E/B horizon.
The Bt part of the E/B horizon has colors and textures similar to that of the Bt horizon. The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is dominantly clay loam or sandy clay loam, but in some pedons it has subhorizons of silty clay loam. The argillic horizon averages 18 to 28 percent.
The BC horizon has hue of 10YR, and value and chroma of 4 or 5. It is dominantly loam, but also includes sandy loam.
Some pedons have C horizons with hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is dominantly loam or sandy loam but in some areas has pockets or thin strata of sand, loamy sand or gravelly analogues of these textures. It is mildly or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Guelph, Marlette, Remus and Waymor series. Guelph soils have free carbonates at depths of less than 25 inches. Marlette soils contain free carbonates at depths from 25 to 50 inches. Remus soils do not have mottles in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Waymor soils are developed in loess and typically do not have rock fragments in the upper 10 to 25 inches of the soil.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cassopolis soils are on ground moraines of Wisconsin Age. They formed in loamy deposits. Slopes typically are 3 to 6 percent, but range from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 29 to 35 inches and the mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 48 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The well drained Riddles soil, the somewhat poorly drained Teasdale soil and the poorly drained Barry soil are in a drainage sequence with the Cassopolis soil.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. The depth to the seasonal high water table ranges from 2.5 to 6.0 feet below the surface from January to April. Surface runoff is medium. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: The greater proportion is cultivated. Corn, wheat, soybeans and bromegrass-alfalfa hay are the principle crops. The native vegetation was hardwoods, chiefly American elm, white ash, American basswood and hickory.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The southwestern corner of lower Michigan. The series is of moderate extent, with about 12,000 acres mapped to date.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cass County, Michigan, 1987.
REMARKS: Classification was adjusted to agree with ST Issue #17 on 6 Sept 94 by CLG. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 11 inches (Ap and E/B); argillic horizon - the zone from 11 to 61 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3 horizons); glossic horizon - the zone from 8 to 11 inches (E/B horizon); tongues of albic material that extend into the argillic horizon less than 20 inches - haplic feature. The classification of the soil was changed from fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Glossoboric Hapludalfs to fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Haplic Glossudalfs.