LOCATION NAPOLEON MI+IN NYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Dysic, mesic Typic Haplohemists
TYPICAL PEDON: Napoleon muck - on a nearly level area of 1 percent in a wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oa1--0 to 5 inches; black (N 2/0) muck; about 5 percent fiber, 2 percent rubbed; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; herbaceous fibers; extremely acid (pH 4.0 in calcium chloride); clear smooth boundary.
Oa2--5 to 10 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), very dark brown (10YR 2/2) rubbed muck; about 40 percent fiber, 10 percent rubbed; weak medium platy structure; very friable; many fine roots; herbaceous fibers; extremely acid (pH 4.0 in calcium chloride); clear smooth boundary.
Oe1--10 to 26 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4), very dark brown (10YR 2/2) rubbed mucky peat; about 80 percent fiber, 25 percent rubbed; weak thick platy structure; friable; herbaceous fibers; extremely acid (pH 4.2 in calcium chloride); gradual smooth boundary.
Oe2--26 to 60 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3), very dark brown (10YR 2/2) rubbed mucky peat; about 60 percent fiber, 20 percent rubbed; massive; friable; herbaceous fibers; extremely acid (pH 4.4 in calcium chloride).
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Michigan; about 4 miles west of Napoleon; 1310 feet south of the northeast corner, sec. 8, T. 4 S., R. 1 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The organic layers are more than 51 inches thick. The organic material is primarily herbaceous in origin. Some pedons contain up to 10 percent woody fragments that cannot be crushed between the fingers. Layers within the control section have a pH of less than 4.5 in calcium chloride. Mean January soil temperature is 26 degrees F., mean July temperature is 71 degrees F., and mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 47 to 59 degrees F.
Some pedons have sphagnum moss up to 6 inches thick on the surface. The surface tier ranges from muck (sapric material) to peat (fibric material). It has hue of 5YR to 10YR or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 0 to 3. Some peat layers have rubbed values up to 6. Layers within the subsurface and bottom tiers have hue of 10R to 10YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 4. These colors darken on exposure to air and rubbing. Ponded phases are recognized. Some pedons have layers of mineral material below 60 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Mukilteo series. Mukilteo soils have a mean January temperature of about 32 degrees F., and a mean July temperature of about 59 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Napoleon soils are in bogs on till plains, outwash plains, lake plains, and moraines of Wisconsinan Age. Bogs range from small enclosed depressions to about 100 acres in size. Slope gradients are less than 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 24 to 42 inches, and the mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 50 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Boots and Houghton soils. Poorly drained and very poorly drained mineral soils are associated at the margins of bogs in some places.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. The depth to the seasonal high water table ranges from 1 foot above the surface to 1 foot below the surface from September to June. The ponded phase has a seasonal high water table from 2 feet above the surface to .5 foot below the surface throughout the year. Potential surface runoff is negligible or very low. Permeability is moderate or moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are primarily in woodland and pasture. Principal vegetation is red maple, silver maple, swamp white oak, poison sumac, alder, buttonbush, wild blueberry, dogwood, and Michigan holly in the native state. Pastured soils have reed canarygrass, sedges and some trees. Some of these soils are used for growing domestic blueberries.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan, Vermont, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ingham County, Michigan, 1977.