LOCATION TIHONET MATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Typic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Tihonet coarse sand - in an abandoned gravel pit. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Oe--0 to 2 inches; black (7.5YR 2.5/1) broken face and dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) rubbed moderately decomposed organic material; massive; very friable; many very fine and fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C1--2 to 4 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) coarse sand; single grain; loose; common very fine and fine roots; common coarse prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron masses along pore linings and common fine prominent dark brown (10YR 3/3) iron masses throughout; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Cg2--4 to 6 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) fine sand; single grain; loose; few very fine roots throughout; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
Cg3--6 to 17 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) sand; single grain; loose; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Cg4--17 to 72 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) fine sand; single grain; loose; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Plymouth County, Massachusetts; Town of Hanover, 0.3 miles West of the intersection of Main Street and Union Street, 0.3 miles North of Cedar Street and 490 feet East of The Cedar School; USGS Cohasset topographic quadrangle; Latitude 42 degrees 7 minutes 57 seconds North, Longitude 70 degrees 51 minutes 55 seconds West; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is greater than 65 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 35 percent throughout and typically consist of gravel size granite, gneiss, and schist. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid.
The O horizon, where present, 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 or sapric material.
Some pedons have an Ap horizon that has hue 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture ranges from loamy fine sand to coarse sand or their mucky analogs. The horizon is massive or single grain and consistence is friable to loose. When used for cranberry production, the Ap horizon commonly consists of anthropotransported material consisting of a mixture of organic material and sand. Excavated areas that have been abandoned for long periods may develop thin A horizons.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 6. The C horizon typically has common redoximorphic features. Textures range from loamy fine sand to coarse sand and their gravelly analogs. The horizon is single grain and consistence is friable to loose. Some pedons have fine sandy loam to silt loam textures below 40 inches. Some areas have an iron-rich layer with redder hues that is caused by a fluctuating water table.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arloval, Barren (T), Carrolls, Conrad, Dair, Forbar, Gothenburg, Jamaica (T), Junius, Norway, Stafford, Tryon, Tyre, and Wanser series. Arloval, Carrolls, Conrad, Dair, Forbar, Gothenburg, Norway, Tryon, Tyre, and Wanser soils are from outside of Region R. Arloval soils formed in alluvium and receive less annual precipitation. Barren and Jamaica soils formed in 40 inches or more of anthrotransported soil material. Carrolls soils have volcanic ash within the particle size control section. Conrad, Dair, Forbar, and Junius soils have carbonates within a depth of 60 inches. Gothenburg and Norway soils formed in alluvium and are neutral to moderately alkaline. Stafford soils formed in glaciolacustrine sediments and have thicker sola. Tryon soils formed in alluvial and eolian sediments and receive less rainfall. Tyre soils are moderately deep to sandstone bedrock. Wanser soils are alkaline.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tihonet soils are level to nearly level soils on outwash plains. These areas were formerly moderately well to excessively drained soils but have been excavated down to the depth of the water table, primarily for mining sand and gravel and for preparation for cranberry production. The soils formed in sandy glaciofluvial materials derived mainly from granite, gneiss, and schist. Some pedons used for cranberry production have anthropotransported soil materials at their surface up to 10 inches thick. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. 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 Berryland, Birdsall, Carver, Deerfield, Freetown, Hinckley, Mashpee(T), Massasoit(T), Merrimac, Plymouth, Swansea, Walpole, Wareham, and Windsor soils. These are all natural soils that have not been excavated. Carver, Deerfield, Hinckley, Merrimac, and Windsor soils are all better drained. Berryland, Mashpee, and Massasoit soils have spodic horizons. Freetown and Swansea soils are organic. Birdsall and Walpole soils have cambic horizons. Scarboro soils have histic epipedons. Wareham soils have A horizons that are 6 to 10 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff and internal drainage are both slow. Permeability is rapid or very rapid. Some areas are ponded during winter months. Areas used for the production of cranberries are periodically flooded as a management practice.
USE AND VEGETATION: Tihonet soils are used for cranberry production in southeastern Massachusetts. Other areas are idle abandoned gravel pits and replicated wetlands. Most areas are vegetated with a herbaceous and shrub layer of Hardhack, Threeleaf Goldenrod, Pussywillow, Cranberry, Sheeplaurel, Bayberry, Red Maple, Sphagnum moss, Sweet Pepper Bush, and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Massachusetts and possibly Rhode Island (MLRA 144A and 149B). The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES PROPOSED: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features recognized in this pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (Oe horizon).
2) Aquic conditions as evidenced by a hue of 5Y and a chroma of 1 in a layer at a depth between 16 and 20 inches (40 and 50 cm) from the mineral soil surface (Cg4 horizon).