Soil Codes Explanation (2024)

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PEI SOILSURVEY 1970-1978

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MAP UNIT NUMBER

Each delineation on the soil map is identified by lettersymbol: two letters for the soil name and one letter for each phasedescribed. Map units are listed in alphabetical order for ease ofreference, except for the miscellaneous land types grouped at the end.

Example:

1. Soil series: Alberry

2. Soil Phase1: Stony surfacephase

1 2345 6

Al:AC/CC-CH 3.Soil Phase 2: Consolidated bedrock

4. Slope phase: 2 to 5%

5. Dominant surface texture: Sandy loam

6. SecondSeries: Charlottetown

The first two letters in the numerator of the map symbolrefer to the soil series.

The third or fourth letter in the numerator refers to soilmodifier1 or soil modifier2 as follows:

A – Stony surface phase

B – Moderately well drained phase (Class 3 drainage)

C – Consolidated bedrock phase (50 to 100 cm depth)

D – *Unconsolidated bedrock phase (50 to 100 cm depth)

E – Cobbly or stony subsoil phase

F – Peaty surface phase

G – Ortstein phase

I – Coarse or moderately coarse texture (20 to 50 cm depth)

J – Medium to moderately fine texture (20 to 50 cm depth)

K – Complex, undifferentiated

The first letter in the denominator refers to the slopephase as follows:

B – 0 – 2% slope

C – 2 – 5 % slope

D – 5 – 9% slope

E – 9 – 15% slope

F – 15 – 30% slope

G – more than 30% slope

I – 5 – 15% slope (DE complex)

J – 9 – 30% slope (EF complex)

The second letter in the denominator refers to the dominantsurface texture as follows:

A – Sand or coarser

B – Loamy sand or gravelly loamy sand

C – Sandy loam (<8% clay)

D – Fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam

E – Loam or silt loam

F – Sandy clay loam or clay loam

If a second soil is shown for any delineation it is placedas the last two letters in the denominator of the symbol.

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SOIL SERIES

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MISCELLANEOUS LAND TYPE

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SOILCODE

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STONINESS

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SOIL CLASS

1. No significantlimitations
2. Moderate limitations, moderate conservation practices required
3. Moderately severe limitations, range of crops restricted or specialconservation practices required.
4. Severe limitations
5. Forage crops improvement practices feasible
6. Forage crops improvement practices not feasible
7. No capability for arable culture or permanent pasture
99. No classification assigned, polygon is a miscellaneous landtype

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DRAINAGE GROUP

This is a generalizedclassification of soil drainage based on soil types, soil texture and phases.

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DRAINAGE TYPE

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Very rapidly drained
Water is removed from the soil very rapidly in relation to supply. Excess waterflows downward very rapidly if underlying material is pervious. There may bevery rapid subsurface flow during heavy rainfall provided there is a steep gradient.Soils have very low available water storage capacity (usually less than 2.5 cm)within the control section and are usually coarse textured, or shallow, orboth. Water source is precipitation.

Rapidly drained
Water is removed from the soil rapidly in relation to supply. Excess waterflows downward if underlying material is pervious. Subsurface flow may occur onsteep gradients during heavy rainfall. Soils have low available water storagecapacity (2.5-4 cm) within the control section, and are usually coarsetextured, or shallow, or both. Water source is precipitation.

Rapidly drained

Soil moisture content seldomexceeds field capacity in any horizon except immediately after water additions.

Well drained
Water is removed from the soil readily but not rapidly. Excess water flowsdownward readily into underlying pervious material or laterally as subsurfaceflow. Soils have intermediate available water storage capacity (4-5 cm) withinthe control section, and are generally intermediate in texture and depth. Watersource is precipitation. On slopes subsurface flow may occur for shortdurations but additions are, equaled by losses.

Moderately well drained
Water is removed from the soil somewhat slowly in relation to supply. Excesswater is removed somewhat slowly due to low perviousness, shallow water table,lack of gradient, or some combination of these. Soils have intermediate to highwater storage capacity (5-6 cm) within the control section and are usuallymedium to fined textured. Precipitation is the dominant water source in mediumto fine textured soils; precipitation and significant additions by subsurfaceflow are necessary in coarse textured soils.

Imperfectly drained
Water is removed from the soil sufficiently slowly in relation to supply, tokeep the soil wet for a significant part of the growing season. Excess watermoves slowly downward if precipitation is the major supply. If subsurface wateror groundwater, or both, is the main source, the flow rate may vary but thesoil remains wet for a significant part of the growing season. Precipitation isthe main source if available water storage capacity is high; contribution bysubsurface flow or groundwater flow, or both, increases as available waterstorage capacity decreases. Soils have a wide range in available water supply,texture, and depth, and are gleyed phases of well drained subgroups.

Poorly drained
Water is removed so slowly in relation to supply that the soil remains wet fora comparatively large part of the time the soil is not frozen. Excess water isevident in the soil for a large part of the time. Subsurface flow orgroundwater flow, or both, in addition to precipitation are the main watersources; there may also be a perched water table, with precipitation exceedingevapotranspiration. Soils have a wide range in available water storagecapacity, texture, and depth, and are gleyed subgroups, Gleysols, and Organicsoils.

Very poorly drained
Wateris removed from the soil so slowly that the water table remains at or on thesurface for the greater part of the time the soil is not frozen. Excess wateris present in the soil for the greater part of the time. Groundwater flow andsubsurface flow are the major water sources. Precipitation is less importantexcept where there is a perched water table with precipitation exceedingevapotranspiration. Soils have a wide range in available water storagecapacity, texture, and depth, and are either Gleysolic or Organic.

Organic

Soil has an organicclassification.

Other

Polygon has a non-soil (landtype)classification

Water

Polygon is an open water area

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DRAINAGE CLASS

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