Narragansett (soil)

Narragansett soils are loamy soils occurring in the northeastern United States. It is the state soil of Rhode Island.

Name

“Narragansett” is the name of the town where the soil was first classified. The town was named for the indigenous Narragansett tribe. Narragansett is an English corruption of Nanhigganeuck, their actual name meaning "people of the small point."

Distribution

Narragansett soils are found in upland areas of Rhode Island, where they occupy approximately 12,000 acres (49 km²), and in the adjacent states of Connecticut and Massachusetts.[1] This soil type has been unofficially named the State Soil of Rhode Island.[2]

Constitution

The Narragansett soil series consists of coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Typic Dystrudepts.[1][lower-alpha 1][3] They are well drained, loamy soils that formed in friable (ablation) glacial till mantled with a silty loess cap.

Geographical features

These are productive agricultural soils. Silage corn, hay, and vegetables are the principal crops.[4] Oaks, white pine, and beech are the most common forest species. Many areas are used for residential development. The average annual precipitation in areas with this soil type ranges from 40 to 50 inches. The average annual temperature is 45 to 52 °F.[1]

See also

Notes
  1. The "Typic Dystrudepts" are typical profiles [typic] with low pH [dystr] with an udic soil moisture regime and are within the Inceptisol order [epts].

References
  1. NARRAGANSETT SERIES, National Cooperative Soil Survey.
  2. State Soils, National Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture
  3. "Taxonomic Classification of the Soils" (PDF).
  4. "Crop, National Geographic Society".
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