LOCATION HONGA MDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, euic, mesic Terric Sulfihemists
TYPICAL PEDON: Honga peat, on a smooth 0 percent slope, in a submerged upland tidal marsh. (Colors are for a moist soil).
Oi--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) peat (fibric soil material); fiber content is three-fourths of the soil volume after rubbing; 30 percent, by weight mineral soil material; many fine, medium, and coarse live roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
Oe--7 to 13 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) mucky peat (hemic soil material); fiber content is one-half of the soil volume after rubbing; 30 percent, by weight mineral soil material; common fine and medium live roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)
Oa--13 to 22 inches; black (10YR 2/1) muck (sapric soil material); fiber content is one-tenth of the soil volume after rubbing; 60 percent, by weight mineral soil material; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
Ag--22 to 24 inches; very dark gray (5Y 2.5/1) silt loam; massive; friable; slightly sticky, sightly plastic; n-value less than 0.7, material does not flow between the fingers when squeezed; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Eg--24 to 36 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silt loam; massive; firm; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; n-value less than 0.7, material does not flow between the fingers when squeezed; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Btg1--36 to 48 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silty clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure; very firm; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium faint olive (5Y 5/3) iron accumulations; n-value less than 0.7, material does not flow between the fingers when squeezed; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg2--48 to 65 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam: moderate coarse prismatic structure; very firm; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) iron accumulations; n-value less than 0.7, material does not flow between the fingers when squeezed; neutral; (Combined thickness of Btg horizon is 12 to 47 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: Dorchester County, Maryland; about 0.75 mile southeast of Hoopersville on middle Hooper Island; 500 feet south- southwest of old dirt lane, 30 feet west of main ditch in marsh; lat. 38 degrees 15 minutes 06 seconds N. and long. 76 degrees 10 minutes 27 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the Underlying Material: Greater than 60 inches
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 60 inches
Depth to the Mineral Soil Material: 16 to 51 inches
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 0 to 12 inches, January to December
Rock Fragments: 0 to 5 percent, by volume throughout the profile, mostly rounded quartz pebbles
Electrical Conductivity: Greater than 16 mmhos/cm in organic layers and 4 to more than 16 mmhos/cm in mineral layers
Soil Reaction: Slightly acid to neutral in the natural state and extremely acid to strongly acid upon drying
Sulfur Content: 0.75 percent to 3.0 percent in organic layers and 0.05 to 0.50 percent in mineral layers
Other Features: Mineral horizons have n-value less than 1.0, typically less than 0.7
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
Surface tier, 0 to 12 inches (Oi or Oe horizon):
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 to 4, chroma of 1 to 3
Texture--peat (fibric soil material) or mucky peat (hemic soil material)
Mineral Material Content: 20 to 70 percent, by weight
Subsurface tier, 12 to 36 inches (Oe or Oa horizon):
Color--hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 5, chroma of 1 to 4, or is neutral with value of 1 to 4
Texture--mucky peat (hemic soil material) or muck (sapric soil material). Some pedons have thin layers of mineral soil material.
Mineral Material Content: 20 to 60 percent, by weight
Bottom tier, 36 to 51 inches (Oe or Oa horizon):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 or 2.5, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 2 to 3.
Texture--typically muck (sapric material) but includes mucky peat (hemic soil material). Some pedons have thin layers of mineral soil material.
Mineral Material Content: 20 to 75 percent, by weight
Ag horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 to 5, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam, loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam
Eg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture--silt loam, loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam
Btg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5GY, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 3 to 6
Texture--silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, or clay loam
Redoximorphic Features--iron depletions in shades of olive or gray and iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, yellow, or olive
BCg or Cg horizon (if they occur):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5GY, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 3 to 6
Texture--clay loam, sandy loam, or loamy sand
Redoximorphic Features--iron depletions in shades of olive or gray and iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, yellow, or olive
COMPETING SERIES:
Westbrook soils--do not have an underlying argillic horizon and have n-value of less than 0.7 in the mineral soil layers, on similar landforms
Mispillion soils--do not have an underlying argillic horizon and have n-value of more than 0.7 in the mineral soil layers, on similar landforms
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Coastal Plain
Landform: Brackish submerged upland marshes along tidally influenced bays and rivers
Elevation: 0 to 1 foot
Parent Material: Organic deposits of intermediate decomposition, derived from salt tolerant herbaceous plants, underlain by loamy mineral sediments that have low n-value
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 54 to 58 degrees F.
Mean Annual Precipitation: 42 to 48 inches
Frost Free Period: 190 to 210 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bestpitch soils--formed in fine-textured mineral deposits, do not have an underlying argillic horizon, and have typically have n-value of more than 0.7 in the mineral soil layers, on similar landforms
Transquaking soils--have organic layers more than 51 inches thick, on similar landforms
Elkton soils--poorly drained mineral soils with a fine-silty particle-size control section that has 27 to 35 percent clay, on higher landforms
Othello soils--poorly drained mineral soils with a fine-silty particle-size control section that has 18 to 27 percent clay, on higher landforms
Sunken soils--very poorly drained mineral soils with a fine-silty particle-size control section that has 0.05 to 0.50 percent sulfur and an electrical conductivity of 2 to 8 mmhos/cm, on slightly higher landforms
USE: Mainly as wetland wildlife habitat
VEGETATION: Dominant vegetation is black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus), saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens), saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), marsh-elder (Iva frutescens), and groundsel-tree (Baccharis halimifolia).
DISTRIBUTION: Coastal Plain of Maryland and Delaware
EXTENT: Large
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dorchester County, Maryland, 1992
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the tidal marsh miscellaneous area. They are flooded by tidal waters and become extremely acidic when drained.
Diagnostic horizons and other diagnostic soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Fibric material--the zone from 0 to 7 inches has a fiber content after rubbing that is three-fourths or more of the soil volume (Oi horizon)
Hemic material--the zone from 7 to 13 inches has a fiber content after rubbing that is between one-sixth and three-fourths of the soil volume (Oe horizon)
Sapric material--the zone from 13 to 22 inches has a fiber content after rubbing that is less than one-sixth of the soil volume (Oa horizon)
Sulfidic materials--more than 0.75 percent sulfur, with less than three times as much carbonate (CaCO3 equivalent) as sulfur, within a depth of 40 inches
High n-value--the zone from 22 to 60 inches has an n-value less than 0.7, the material does not flow easily between the fingers
Argillic horizon--the zone from 36 to 60 inches (Btg horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data for the typical pedon is available from NSSL, Pedon number S86MD-019-008(1-7). Refer to publication "Tidal Marsh Soils of Maryland", Darmody, R.G. and Foss, J.E., Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station Publication MP 930, October 1978.
SERIES INTERPRETATION RECORD(S): MD0133
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation MD0133 HONGA 0- 1 54- 58 190-210 42- 48 0- 1SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness MD0133 FREQ 0- 0 APPARENT JAN-DEC >60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- MD0133 0- 7 PEAT MPT 0- 0 - 0- 0 30- 70 MD0133 7-13 MPT MUCK 0- 0 - 0- 0 30- 70 MD0133 13-22 MUCK MPT 0- 0 - 0- 0 40- 80 MD0133 22-36 SIL SICL 0- 0 100-100 15-35 5- 15 MD0133 36-65 SICL CL 0- 0 100-100 28-40 5- 15
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll MD0133 0- 7 6.1- 7.3 30-80 16-32 2.0- 20 LOW MD0133 7-13 6.1- 7.3 40-80 16-32 2.0- 20 LOW MD0133 13-22 6.1- 7.3 25-80 16-32 2.0- 20 LOW MD0133 22-36 6.1- 7.3 0.-.5 4-32 0.06- 0.6 LOW MD0133 36-65 6.1- 7.3 0.-.5 4-32 0.06- 0.2 LOW