provides for mottles from 40 to 75 cm. The current subgroup placement for the 

 Waumbek Series is Aquic Haplorthods. The placement of Pedon 3 using criteria 

 in Soil Taxonomy, however, is Typic Haplorthods and hence the classification of 

 the pedon as a taxadjunct to the Waumbek series. Evidence of wetness as 

 currently defined in Soil Taxonomy provides for Haplorthods with seasonal high 

 water table levels within 40 to 75 cm from the surface to be placed in the Typic 

 Haplorthods subgroup. This results in the placement of soils with widely 

 different seasonal water table levels in Typic Haplorthods. It would appear that 

 an improvement could result if wetness criteria for Aquic Haplorthods were 

 applied to B horizons (including non-spodic horizons). 



The organic carbon content of the intermittent B21h horizons ranges up to 

 7.4 percent in the sampled pedons. However, these pedons either lack the less 

 than 0.2 ratio of free iron to carbon required for Humic subgroups of 

 Fragiorthods and Haplorthods or the requirement for weighted average value of 

 more than 6 percent organic carbon in the upper 10 cm of the spodic horizon. 



There is a need for additional study of soil temperature regimes in the White 

 Mountains. Preliminary data indicates that the the pedons used in this study 

 qualify for the frigid temperature regime. However, the elevations of sample sites 

 ranged only up to 515 meters. Summer and Fall 1967 temperature data at two 

 sites (elevations 615 and 990m) on Bear Mountain for very shallow soils 

 (unpublished) suggested a cryic soil temperature regime. At this time, we lack 

 information to establish elevation guidelines at this latitude to separate frigid 

 and cryic soil temperature regimes. 



SUMMARY 



Spodic horizons in forested soils of the White Mountains can be characterized 

 as having maximum morphological expression within 15 cm or so of the mineral 

 surface. Sub-horizons of the B below this depth commonly do not qualify for 

 spodic, even though solum depth generally extends to more than 60 cm. Five of 

 the nine sampled pedons in this study had horizons qualifying for spodic. Four 

 pedons did not meet depth requirements for spodic used in Soil Taxonomy. 

 However, these pedons did have at least one subsurface horizon that met the 

 chemical criteria for spodic. Relatively thin spodic horizons, as those of the 

 study area, present problems in the application of wetness criteria used in Soil 

 Taxonomy for subgroup placement. This results in grouping soils with widely 

 different seasonal water table levels in the subgroup, Typic Haplorthods. 

 Disturbance of the forest floor by tree throw activity has disrupted the 

 horizontal extension of albic and spodic horizons. This study characterized soils 

 occurring in the frigid soil temperature zone. There is a need to study Orthods in 

 the White Mountains with a cryic soil temperature regime. 



