Pittstown soil series
A representative soil profile of the Pittstown series. (Photo provided by Mark Stolt University of Rhode Island's Dept. of Natural Resources Science; New England Soil Profiles)
These soils are moderately well drained and formed in loamy dense till derived primarily from carboniferous rocks and minerals dominated by sandstone, slate, schist, phyllite, and shale. The dark colored till is due to the high carbon contained in minerals within the parent rocks. The dark colors of the soil causes some difficulty to determine the depth to estimated average seasonal high water table. Pittstown soils are in a catena with well drained Newport soils, poorly drained Stissting soils and very poorly drained Mansfield soils. These soils are mapped primarily in the Narragansett Basin and in the Boston Basin in southern New England.
The Pittstown series formed in lodgement till derived mainly from slate, phyllite, shale, and schist. These soils are very deep to bedrock and moderately deep to a densic contact. They are nearly level through moderately steep soils on uplands. Slope ranges from 0 through 25 percent. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the mineral solum and moderately low or moderately high in the substratum. Mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F. (9 degrees C.), and mean annual precipitation is about 45 inches (1143 millimeters).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Dystrudepts
Thickness of the mineral solum and depth to dense substratum ranges from 20 through 30 inches (50 through 76 centimeters), but the range currently includes 15 through 30 inches (38 through 76 centimeters). The solum in the fine earth fraction is silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam with more than 65 percent silt plus very fine sand. Rock fragments consist of dark phyllite, slate, and schist. Rock fragments, by volume, larger than 10 inches range from 0 through 20 percent in the surface and 0 through 5 percent in the subsoil and substratum. 3 through 10 inch size fragments range from 0 through 15 percent in surface, 0 through 10 percent in the subsoil, and 0 through 15 percent in the substratum. Fragments less than 3 inches range from 5 through 25 percent in the surface, 5 through 25 percent in the subsoil, and 15 through 30 percent in the substratum. The soil, below the A or Ap horizon and above a depth of 30 inches (76 centimeters), is very strongly acid through moderately acid where not limed, and ranges from very strongly acid through slightly acid below a depth of 30 inches (76 centimeters).
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly forested. Cleared areas are used for growing hay and pasture in support of dairy farming. Principal trees are northern red, white and scarlet oak, red and sugar maple, gray and yellow birch, white ash, eastern white pine, and eastern hemlock.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Glaciated uplands in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and eastern New York. MLRA 144A. The series is of moderate extent, estimated to be about 125,000 acres.
For additional information about New England soils, visit:
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/P/PITTSTOWN.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#pittstown
Pittstown soil series
A representative soil profile of the Pittstown series. (Photo provided by Mark Stolt University of Rhode Island's Dept. of Natural Resources Science; New England Soil Profiles)
These soils are moderately well drained and formed in loamy dense till derived primarily from carboniferous rocks and minerals dominated by sandstone, slate, schist, phyllite, and shale. The dark colored till is due to the high carbon contained in minerals within the parent rocks. The dark colors of the soil causes some difficulty to determine the depth to estimated average seasonal high water table. Pittstown soils are in a catena with well drained Newport soils, poorly drained Stissting soils and very poorly drained Mansfield soils. These soils are mapped primarily in the Narragansett Basin and in the Boston Basin in southern New England.
The Pittstown series formed in lodgement till derived mainly from slate, phyllite, shale, and schist. These soils are very deep to bedrock and moderately deep to a densic contact. They are nearly level through moderately steep soils on uplands. Slope ranges from 0 through 25 percent. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the mineral solum and moderately low or moderately high in the substratum. Mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F. (9 degrees C.), and mean annual precipitation is about 45 inches (1143 millimeters).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Dystrudepts
Thickness of the mineral solum and depth to dense substratum ranges from 20 through 30 inches (50 through 76 centimeters), but the range currently includes 15 through 30 inches (38 through 76 centimeters). The solum in the fine earth fraction is silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam with more than 65 percent silt plus very fine sand. Rock fragments consist of dark phyllite, slate, and schist. Rock fragments, by volume, larger than 10 inches range from 0 through 20 percent in the surface and 0 through 5 percent in the subsoil and substratum. 3 through 10 inch size fragments range from 0 through 15 percent in surface, 0 through 10 percent in the subsoil, and 0 through 15 percent in the substratum. Fragments less than 3 inches range from 5 through 25 percent in the surface, 5 through 25 percent in the subsoil, and 15 through 30 percent in the substratum. The soil, below the A or Ap horizon and above a depth of 30 inches (76 centimeters), is very strongly acid through moderately acid where not limed, and ranges from very strongly acid through slightly acid below a depth of 30 inches (76 centimeters).
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly forested. Cleared areas are used for growing hay and pasture in support of dairy farming. Principal trees are northern red, white and scarlet oak, red and sugar maple, gray and yellow birch, white ash, eastern white pine, and eastern hemlock.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Glaciated uplands in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and eastern New York. MLRA 144A. The series is of moderate extent, estimated to be about 125,000 acres.
For additional information about New England soils, visit:
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/P/PITTSTOWN.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#pittstown