Moosabec soil series
A representative soil profile of the Moosabec series. (Photo provided by Jim Turenne, USDA-NRCS; New England Soil Profiles)
The Moosabec series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that formed mostly in slightly decomposed organic soil material from Sphagnum moss on raised bogs on glaciated terrain. Estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high. Permeability is rapid. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1190 mm (47 inches). Mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C (44 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Dysic, frigid Typic Sphagnofibrists
The thickness of organic materials is 160 centimeters (63 inches) or more and ranges to over 6 meters (20 feet). The depth to bedrock is more than 160 centimeters (63 inches). The content of woody fragments is 0 to 20 percent in the surface tier and 0 to 10 percent in the subsurface and bottom tiers. Fibric material is dominant in most or all of the control section, and extends to as much as 3 meters (10 feet) deep in some places. Layers of hemic material are in the control section in some pedons, but occupy less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of aggregate thickness in the subsurface and bottom tiers. The hemic material is commonly in the bottom tier.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sphagnum peat from Moosabec soils is of considerable commercial value. These soils commonly have a sparse cover of slow growing black spruce and tamarack. Common heath family shrubs are Labrador tea, leatherleaf, rhodora, sheep laurel, bog laurel, and bog rosemary. Cloudberry and crowberry shrubs are found in some locations. Pitcher plant and sundew are common insectivorous plants. The moss cover is composed mostly of Sphagnum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The eastern, central and southern portions of Maine. This series is of moderate extent. At least 10,000 acres are estimated to occur in Maine. The series will likely be recognized to replace Waskish where historically mapped in region R.
For additional information about New England soils, visit:
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/M/MOOSABEC.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#moosabec
Moosabec soil series
A representative soil profile of the Moosabec series. (Photo provided by Jim Turenne, USDA-NRCS; New England Soil Profiles)
The Moosabec series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that formed mostly in slightly decomposed organic soil material from Sphagnum moss on raised bogs on glaciated terrain. Estimated saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high. Permeability is rapid. Slope ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1190 mm (47 inches). Mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C (44 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Dysic, frigid Typic Sphagnofibrists
The thickness of organic materials is 160 centimeters (63 inches) or more and ranges to over 6 meters (20 feet). The depth to bedrock is more than 160 centimeters (63 inches). The content of woody fragments is 0 to 20 percent in the surface tier and 0 to 10 percent in the subsurface and bottom tiers. Fibric material is dominant in most or all of the control section, and extends to as much as 3 meters (10 feet) deep in some places. Layers of hemic material are in the control section in some pedons, but occupy less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of aggregate thickness in the subsurface and bottom tiers. The hemic material is commonly in the bottom tier.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sphagnum peat from Moosabec soils is of considerable commercial value. These soils commonly have a sparse cover of slow growing black spruce and tamarack. Common heath family shrubs are Labrador tea, leatherleaf, rhodora, sheep laurel, bog laurel, and bog rosemary. Cloudberry and crowberry shrubs are found in some locations. Pitcher plant and sundew are common insectivorous plants. The moss cover is composed mostly of Sphagnum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The eastern, central and southern portions of Maine. This series is of moderate extent. At least 10,000 acres are estimated to occur in Maine. The series will likely be recognized to replace Waskish where historically mapped in region R.
For additional information about New England soils, visit:
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/M/MOOSABEC.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#moosabec