Soil Report - Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada

Landform and Topography Oakview soils are found in
depresstions on the Tillsonburg moraine, Norfolk sand plain
and Haldimand clay plain . The topography of these areas is
depressional to nearly level .
Parent Materials and Textures Oakview soils consist of
relatively shallow organic materials over silty and loamy
materials. The surface organic soil is moderately to welldecomposed
. The underlying mineral soil may be loamy
Port Stanley Till, or deep-water glaciolacustrine loam or silt
loam .
Soil Moisture Characteristics Oakview soils are very poorly
drained and rapidly permeable, with the groundwater level
above or near the ground surface most of the year. Oakview
soils have high water-holding capacities and very slow
surface runoff.
General Soil Description Oakview soils consist of 40-160
cm of dominantly humic or mesic organic soils overlying
mineral soils . The mineral soils are loamy Port Stanley till,
or lacustrine loam or silt loam . Soil classification is usually
Terric Humisol .
Commonly Associated Soils Oakview soils, northwest of
Teeterville, are sometimes associated with Kelvin (KVN)
soils in map unit OVW 2. Kelvin soils differ from Oakview
soils by consisting of poorly drained silty clay and silty clay
loam till .
General Land Use Comments
(1) Because of their wetness and vegetative cover, most
Oakview soils would require extensive draining and clearing
in order to be useful for agriculture ; the advisability of this is
questionable .
(2) Oakview soils are of little value for commercial forestry
because of their wetness .
Ontario Soils (OTI)
Location and Extent Ontario soils are restricted to a few
areas in the Town of Dunnville near Lake Erie . There are
189 ha of Ontario soils in complex map units in which they
are most extensively associated with Welland soils .
Landform and Topography Ontario soils occur on moraines
composed of reddish Halton till . The topography ranges
from level to gently sloping .
Parent Materials and Textures The original parent material
of Ontario soils was reddish Halton clay till. Due to subsequent
modification by wave action in glacial lakes, surface textures
can be quite variable . Silt loam, sandy loam and clay loam,
sometimes with significant gravel concentrations, are the
surface textures most often encountered. Subsoil textures
are usually clay loam or clay.
Soil Moisture Characteristics Ontario soils are moderately
well-drained, and moderately to slowly permeable . Seepage
spots sometimes occur on slopes in the spring and after
heavy rains . Ontario soils have moderate to high waterholding
capacities. Surface runoff ranges from slow on level
terrain, to rapid on steeper slopes .
General Soil Description Surface Ap horizons are usually
15-20 cm thick . They have various textures ranging from
clay loam, through silt loam, to gravelly sandy loam. Where
these surface sands and gravels are 15-40 cm thick, coarse
phase Ontario soils (OTI .C) are mapped. Subsoil textures
are usually clay loam, silty clay loam, or clay. The strongly
calcareous Ck horizons usually begin at around 50 cm
depth. Soil reaction ranges from slightly acidic or neutral in
the surface and upper subsoil, to mildly alkaline in the C
horizons . Soil classification is usually Orthic Gray Brown
44
Luvisol .
Commonly Associated Soils Welland soils are the most
significant associates of Ontario soils in the region . They are
composed of similar materials but are poorly drained. This
soil association occurs in map unit OTI 3 .
General Land Use Comments
(1) Ontario soils are considered as good agricultural soils,
although erosion is a limitation on most slopes . Winter
wheat, forage crops, spring grains, and corn are the most
common agricultural crops grown on Ontario soils .
(2) Ontario soils are considered to have only fair to mediocre
potential for production of most major tree species .
Plainfield Soils (PFD)
Location and Extent Plainfield soils are among the most
widespread soils in the Haldimand-Norfolk Region . They
are found throughout the Norfolk sand plain, and on the
sand plain east of Dunnville . There are 14204 ha of pure
Plainfield map units, and 16264 ha of Plainfield soils in
complex map units, in which their most extensive association
is with the Walsingham soils .
Landform and Topography Plainfield soils occur on windworked
sands, expressed by a variety of landforms, ranging
from level plains to large dunes . The dunes range from less
than one mto tens ofmetres in height. Dune phase Plainfield
soils (PFD .D), which are mapped on these landforms, are
most extensive in the Township of Norfolk, and southeast of
Delhi .
Parent Materials and Textures Plainfield soils have developed
on a metre or more of wind-blown eolian sands . Textures
are predominantly fine sand throughout, although loamy
fine sand and sand occur fairly often in the surface A
horizons, and loamy fine sand may occur in the lower B
horizons.
Soil Moisture Characteristics Plainfield soils are rapidly to
well-drained and rapidly permeable . They have low waterholding
capacities and, consequently, droughtiness limitations
for plant growth are normal . Surface runoff is slow on level
to very gently sloping Plainfield terrain, but increases as
slopes become steeper .
General Soil Description The surfacehorizons ofPlainfield
soils usually range from 15-30 cm in thickness. They are
dominantly composed of fine sand, although loamy fine
sand and sand textures also occur . The mean organic matter
content of the surface horizons is low, being slightly less
than 2% . The A and B horizons that underlie the surface
horizons also have dominantly fine sand textures, although
loamy fine sand may occur in the lowerB horizons . The Ck
horizons, which usually begin at the 100-105 cm depth, have
fine sand textures, and are usually moderately or strongly
calcareous . The soil reaction of Plainfield soils is relatively
acidic, usually medium to slightly acid in the surface and
upper subsoil, and neutral to mildly alkaline in the lower
subsoil . The properties of dune phase Plainfield soils (PFD.D)
are very similar to normal Plainfield soils, except for a
slightly higher propertion of fine sand in all horizons. Soil
classification is usually Brunisolic Gray Brown Luvisol.
Commonly Associated Soils Walsingham (WAM) soils are
most frequently associated with Plainfield soils in map unit
PFD 3 . They are composed of similar soil materials, but
differ by being imperfectly drained . Dune phase Plainfield
(PFD.D) soils are associated with Walsingham soils in map
unit PFD 24. They also are extensively associated with
normal Plainfield soils in map unit PFD 23 .