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Northeastern Forage and Forest Region: LRR R

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The Soils of the USA

Part of the book series: World Soils Book Series ((WSBS))

Abstract

The Northeastern Forage and Forest Region (Land Resource Region R) is located in New England and composed of nine MLRAs. The area is geologically complex and generally blanketed by till and a variety of glaciofluvial deposits from the Pleistocene glacial advance. Landscapes range from hills and mountains, to nearly level lacustrine and alluvial plains. Vegetation is dominantly forests; with central hardwoods in the south, northern deciduous hardwoods in the middle portion, and boreal conifer forests in the north. Agriculture production (row crops, dairy, truck farms) is common, but limited by the steep slopes, short growing season, and cool summer temperatures . Soil properties are governed by the type of glacial deposit, depth of till over bedrock, mineralogy of parent materials, and degree of pedogenesis. Alfisols dominate the southernmost part of the region (MLRA 139), while Inceptisols and Spodosols are more abundant in other MRLAs. Generally, soils on till-covered uplands have loamy textures , are acidic, and have an abundance of rock fragments. Steep slopes and dense, compacted subsoils are two other land use limitations for many soils. Glaciofluvial and alluvial soils range from sandy to clayey to organic rich. They often have wetness limitations that limit their use.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-NRCS, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

    M. A. Wilson

  2. USDA-NRCS, Somerset, New Jersey, USA

    R. K. Shaw

Authors
  1. M. A. Wilson
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  2. R. K. Shaw
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Correspondence to M. A. Wilson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA

    L.T. West

  2. Davis, California, USA

    M.J. Singer

  3. University of Wisconsin – Madison , Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    A.E. Hartemink

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Wilson, M.A., Shaw, R.K. (2017). Northeastern Forage and Forest Region: LRR R. In: West, L., Singer, M., Hartemink, A. (eds) The Soils of the USA. World Soils Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41870-4_14

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