LOCATION DIXBORO MI+OHEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aquollic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Dixboro fine sandy loam - on a southwest-facing concave slope of 2 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; many fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
E--9 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron accumulations; moderate thin and medium platy structure; very friable; few very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) worm casts; few very fine roots; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 5/8), few medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron accumulations and common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--18 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions, many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 5/8) and few medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron accumulations; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; common thin clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 7 to 20 inches.)
BC--23 to 28 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy fine sand; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 5/8), few medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) iron accumulations and few medium prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; few very fine roots; slight effervescence in lower part; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Ck--28 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) stratified silt loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam and fine sand; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6-5/8) iron accumulations and common coarse distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; massive; friable and very friable; common light gray (10YR 6/1) secondary calcium carbonate segregations in silt loam strata; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Washtenaw County, Michigan, about 5 miles northeast of the village of Milan; 660 feet south and 85 feet east, the northwest corner of sec. 14, T. 4 S., R. 7 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 24 to 44 inches. The depth to free carbonates ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The solum is moderately acid to neutral in the upper part and slightly acid to slightly alkaline in the lower part. The Ck horizon is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 3 percent throughout.
The Ap horizon has value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 to 3. Uncultivated areas have a 2 to 4 inch A horizon. The E horizon has value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. The A and E horizons are fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand or loamy very fine sand.
Some pedons have AB horizons. The Bt horizon has a hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, and value and chroma of 3 to 6. Mottles with chroma of 2 or less range from few to many. It is fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, very fine sandy loam or loamy very fine sand. The control section averages 6 to 17 percent clay. The BC horizon has colors similar to the Bt horizon. It is fine sandy loam, silt loam, loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand or very fine sandy loam. Thin strata of sand, silty clay loam or silty clay are in some pedons. Some pedons have a Bk horizon with colors and textures similar to the BC which contain soft accumulations of calcium carbonate.
The Ck horizon has 10YR or 7.5YR hue, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 1 to 4. Redoximorphic features range from few to many. It is stratified with layers of silt loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, fine sand, or very fine sand or is dominated by one of these textures. Some pedons have thin strata of sand, silty clay loam, or silty clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brady, Budd, Oakton and Wasepi series. These soils do not have stratified material within a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dixboro soils are on lake plains, outwash plains, and deltas. They formed in stratified glaciofluvial calcareous deposits. Slope gradients range from 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 36 inches, and the mean annual temperature ranges from 47 to 50 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Dixboro soils are on lake plains with the somewhat poorly drained competing Kibbie, Lamson, and Sisson soils and the poorly drained, Colwood and Pella soils and the somewhat poorly drained Thetford, and Tedrow soils. Colwood soils are fine-loamy. Thetford and Tedrow soils have more than 15 sand in the upper subsoil. Pella soils are fine-silty.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The depth to the seasonal high water table ranges from 1 to 2 feet below the surface from November to April. Permeability is moderate and runoff is slow or very slow. Potential surface runoff is negligible to high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the Dixboro soils are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, small grains, and legume-grass hay are the principal crops. In some areas, these soils are used for permanent pasture or forest. The native vegetation was hardwood forest, principally American elm, Northern red oak, hickory, American basswood, and red maple.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern and central Michigan and northwestern Ohio. The Dixboro series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washtenaw County, Michigan, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 9 inches, (Ap horizon); albic horizon - the zone from 9 to 11 inches (E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from 11 to 23 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizon).