LOCATION ORMAS IN+MIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, mesic Arenic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Ormas loamy sand, on a less than 1 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 795 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (9 to 14 inches thick)
E--10 to 18 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; 1 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 31 inches thick)
Bt1--18 to 23 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; very few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and on surfaces of gravel; 3 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bt2--23 to 32 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy sand; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and on surfaces of gravel; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
2Bt3--32 to 44 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; many faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and on surface of gravel; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt4--44 to 50 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loamy sand; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; few faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay bridging between sand grains; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 8 to 21 inches.)
2C1--50 to 62 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sand; single grain; loose; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
2C2--62 to 80 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly coarse sand; single grain; loose; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Wabash County, Indiana; about 1 1/4 miles southeast of Liberty Mills; 1,320 feet north and 2,750 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 26, T. 30 N., R 7 E.; U.S.G.S. South Whitley West topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees 1 minute 9.12 seconds N. and long. 85 degrees 42 minutes 42.55 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 608308 easting and 4541693 northing, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to calcareous sand and gravel: 45 to 75 inches
Clay content: averages 10 to 25 percent in the argillic horizon
Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or sand
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
E horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or sand
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Bw horizon: (where present)
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or sand
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Rock fragment content: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Thickness: 0 to 9 inches
Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 8
Texture: coarse sandy loam, loam, loamy sand, or sandy clay loam
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid
Rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent gravel
2Bt horizon:
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 8
Texture: gravelly coarse sandy loam, gravelly loam, gravelly loamy sand, or gravelly sandy clay loam
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid above 40 inches and moderately acid to slightly alkaline below 40 inches
Rock fragment content: 15 to 30 percent gravel
2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: gravelly coarse sand, gravelly sand, gravelly loamy sand, or very gravelly coarse sand
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Rock fragment content: 15 to 59 percent gravel
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Delton, Metea, Okee, Prissel, and Puchyan series. Delton soils have subhorizons with more than 25 percent clay in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Metea, Okee, and Prissel soils have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Puchyan soils have cobbles in the lower part of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ormas soils formed in wind reworked sandy outwash on high terraces or uplands with a plane or convex surface. Slope gradients range from 0 to 25 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from 48 to 53 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 42 inches, frost-free period ranges from 130 to 180 days, and elevation ranges from 580 to 1,530 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brady, Branch, Bronson, Chelsea, Fox, Kosciusko, and Oshtemo soils. The somewhat poorly drained Brady soils and the moderately well drained Branch and Bronson soils are on lower positions and in drainageways. The excessively drained Chelsea soils are on knolls and ridges and are sandier and do not have an argillic horizon. The well drained Fox and Kosciusko soils are on similar landforms and have loamy surface layers and a more clayey argillic horizon. The well drained Oshtemo soils are on similar landforms and do not have sandy surface layers more than 20 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to medium. Permeability is rapid in the sandy material, moderately rapid in the loamy material, and very rapid in the underlying gravelly sand.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are mostly cultivated. Corn and soybeans are the principal row crops. A few areas are used for pasture or are in woodland. Native vegetation is deciduous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 98 and 111 in northern Indiana and southern Michigan. The soils are of moderate extent. Native vegetation is deciduous forest.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Miami County, Indiana, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to 18 inches (Ap, E horizon)
Argillic horizon: from 23 to 50 inches (2Bt2, 2Bt3, 2Bt4 horizons)
Arenic features: no texture above 20 inches finer than loamy fine sand
Udic moisture regime
A sandy substratum phase is recognized.
NASIS Data Mapunit ID 155032 represents the typical pedon in complex with Moon soils.
NASIS Data Mapunit ID 155033 represents the 1 to 5 percent slope phase in complex with Moon soils.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab characterization data is available for the typical pedon (WB7808) from the Purdue University Soil Characterization Laboratory, AES Bulletin No. 274, Vol. 5, Pg. 117. Transect data (T99IN-169-001) is on file at the MLRA project office in Plymouth, Indiana. Transect shows 90 percent Ormas soils and 10 percent Oshtemo soils.