LOCATION MATTAPOISETT MATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic, ortstein Typic Epiaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Mattapoisett loamy sandy - on a east-facing, concave, 3 percent toe slope of a drumlin in a wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil).
Oe--0 to 1 inch; black (5YR 2.5/1) hemic material; many very fine, fine and medium roots; extremely acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
Oa--1 to 3 inches; black (N 2.5/0) sapric material; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the O horizons is 1 to 8 inches.)
A--3 to 7 inches; black (N 2.5/0) loamy sand; massive; very friable; common very fine and fine roots and few medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); 5 percent pebbles; 1 percent cobbles; 2 percent stones; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
E1--7 to 10 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loamy sand; massive; friable; few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions and few prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; common dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) organic streaks; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); 5 percent pebbles; 2 percent cobbles; 1 percent stones; abrupt wavy boundary.
E2--10 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy coarse sand; massive; friable; few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium faint grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron depletions and few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); 5 percent pebbles; 2 percent cobbles; 1 percent stones; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of E horizons is 2 to 11 inches.)
Bh--14 to 18 inches; black (5YR 2/1) loamy coarse sand; massive; friable; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); 5 percent pebbles; 2 percent cobbles; 1 percent stones; abrupt wavy boundary.
Bhsm--18 to 23 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) loamy coarse sand; massive; very firm; strongly cemented by iron; common medium faint reddish brown (5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation and common fine and medium prominent brown (10YR 4/3) iron depletions; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); 5 percent pebbles; 2 percent cobbles; 1 percent stones; clear wavy boundary.
Bsm--23 to 31 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy coarse sand; massive; very firm; weakly cemented by iron; common fine and medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) iron depletions and many prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid (pH 5.2); 5 percent pebbles; 2 percent cobbles; 1 percent stones; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of B horizons is 7 to 25 inches.)
2Cd--31 to 65 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) sandy loam; massive; firm; common fine and medium faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions and prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid (pH 5.2); 10 percent pebbles; 2 percent cobbles; 1 percent stones; 1 to 2 millimeter thick silt coat on the top surfaces of rock fragments.
TYPE LOCATION: Plymouth County, Massachusetts; Town of Mattapoisett, 0.7 miles due south of interstate 195 and 0.6 miles east of the North Street/Interstate 195 clover leaf. USGS Marion 7.5 minute Topographic Quadrangle, Latitude 41 degrees 40 minutes 26.40 seconds North, Longitude 70 degrees 48 minutes 30.50 seconds West, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is greater than 65 inches. Thickness of the solum and depth to dense till ranges from 25 to 50 inches. Rock fragments range from 5 to 35 percent throughout and typically consist of granite, gneiss, and schist. A concentration of rock fragments often occurs at the contact with the dense till. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The O horizons are neutral or has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 2.5, and chroma of 0 to 2. They commonly consist of a thin layer of hemic material over sapric material. Some pedons have a thin layer of fibric material at the surface.
The A horizon is neutral or has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 2, 2.5, or 3, and chroma of 0 or 1. Texture is sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy coarse sand or their mucky analogs. Structure is massive or weak granular and consistence is very friable or friable.
The E horizons has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. The E horizon typically has common redoximorphic features and organic streaking. Texture is coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
Structure is massive or weak granular and consistence is very friable or friable.
The Bh, Bhsm, and Bsm horizons have hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 8. The B horizons have common redoximorphic features that often include iron and manganese concretions. Textures of the B horizon is sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, and loamy fine sand. The Bsm horizon is firm or very firm ortstein. Some pedons have a Bs horizon, with colors and textures the same as the Bsm horizon. Structure is massive or weak granular or subangular blocky.
Some pedons have a C horizon above the Cd horizon. Where present, the C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. The C horizon typically has common redoximorphic features. Textures range from sand to loamy fine sand. The C horizon is friable to loose.
The 2Cd horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It has common or many, distinct or prominent redoximorphic features that include iron and manganese concretions. Redox features generally become less abundant with depth. Texture is coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or their gravelly analogs. Lenses or pockets of loose, coarser material is common in many pedons. Consistence is firm or very firm and brittle. Structure is massive or weak platy.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in the same family. The Saugatuck, Pipestone, and Norwell soils are in related families. Saugatuck and Pipestone soils are from outside of region R. They are both somewhat poorly drained, do not have firm substrata and have endosaturation. In addition, Pipestone soils lack a continuous ortstein layer. Norwell soils do not have spodic horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mattapoisett soils are on toeslopes, in depressions, and adjacent to drainage-ways on ground moraines and on side slopes of drumlins and till ridges. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. They formed in sandy glaciofluvial and/or eolian material underlain by loamy till of Wisconsin age derived mainly from granite, gneiss and schist Most areas have very stony to extremely bouldery surfaces. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 50 inches; mean annual air temperature ranges from 45 to 52 degrees F.; mean growing season ranges from 100 to 195 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Birchwood, Brockton, Leicester, Ridgebury, Scarboro, Swansea, and Wareham soils. None of these soils have spodic horizons. Birchwood soils are moderately well drained. Brockton soils are very poorly drained. Leicester and Ridgebury soils are loamy and Leicester soils do not have firm substrata. Scarboro and Wareham soils formed in sandy outwash deposits and Scarboro soils are very poorly drained. Swansea soils are very poorly drained organic soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Mattapoisett soils are poorly drained. Runoff is slow to medium. Permeability is moderately rapid or rapid in the solum and slow or very slow in the substratum. A perched, fluctuating water table is at or near the surface for 7 to 9 months in most years. Some areas are occasionally ponded during the winter months.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. Some areas are used for hay or pasture-land, and some areas are used for cranberry or blueberry production. Common trees include red maple, pitch pine, white pine, gray birch, tupelo, American holly, and white oak. The sapling and shrub layer commonly consists of sweet pepperbush, high bush blueberry, green briar, and swamp azalea. The herbaceous layer typically consists of cinnamon fern, sphagnum moss, teaberry, and starflower.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and possibly Connecticut (MLRA 144A and 149B). The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES PROPOSED: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 1995. Series named for the town of Mattapoisett.
REMARKS: 1. Mattapoisett soils were formerly included in Norwell soil map units. 2. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 3 to 7 inches ( A horizon).
b. Albic horizon - the zone from 7 to 14 inches (E1 and E2 horizons).
c. Ortstein layer - the zone from 18 to 31 inches (Bhsm and Bsm horizons).
d. Aquic conditions and Aquods suborder - redox features in the albic and spodic horizons within 50 cm of the mineral soil surface.
Watertable and temperature data is available.
Three pedons have been sampled by the NSSL.
S91MA-23-003 (S91MA-23-003A)
S93MA-023-001
95NL030005