12
Pedodiversity of the Great Lakes Coastal
Zone
12.1 Soil Series Density
Based on the density of soil series within 5 km of the
shorelines, all five of the Great Lakes have a high level of
pedodiversity. In the US GLCZ at a scale of 1:24,000, the
Lake Ontario coastal zone is most diverse (0.026 soil series
per km
2
) and Lake Huron is least diverse (0.010 soil series
per km
2 ) (Table 12.1). Most of the mapping in the Canadian
Great Lakes coastal zone was conducted at a scale of
1:63,360. The mean density of soil series in the Canadian
GLCZ is 0.005.
12.2 Factors Influencing Pedodiversity
in the Great Lakes Region
At a scale of 1:24,000, the US GLCZ has a three-fold greater
average pedodiversity (0.016) than for Land Resource
Regions, Major Land Resource Areas, and state-wide values
(Table 12.2). The high pedodiversity of the GLCZ can be
attributed to (i) a diversity of landforms and parent materials
of different age; (ii) strong climatic gradients; and (iii) a
strong vegetation gradient.
12.2.1 Parent Materials
The influence of parent materials on pedodiversity in the
GLCZ relates to the composition of the bedrock and the
kinds and ages of unconsolidated materials overlying the
bedrock. Precambrian granites and gneisses surround the
north shores of Lakes Superior and Huron, and Paleozoic
sedimentary rocks, largely sandstones, shales, and dolomitic
limestones, are dominant in the south (Fig. 12.1).
About half (53%) of the landforms in the GLCZ were
identified as lake plains or lake terraces, largely from the
Algonquin, Iroquois, and Nipissing lake stages (Hough
1958; Prest 1970; Clark et al. 2012). These lake stages range
from 14.1 to 3.2 kyr BP in age, and allow for a considerable
range in time for soil development. A third (33%) of the
landforms are comprised of till. Several soil series occur on
post-glacial shorelines carved into till plains, including the
Blount, Ensley, Hoytville, Londo, Mishwabic, Nonesuch,
Parkhill, Shebeon, and Tappan series. The Tyner and Elnora
series represent relict longshore bars. A number of other soil
series are derived from a mantle of lacustrine deposits over
till, including the Anton, Augustana, Avoca, Baden, Belleville, Blackhoof, Cayuga, Churchville, Hegberg, Herbster,
Normanna, Portwing, and Rimer series. Several soils are in
glacial or post-glacial drainageways, including the Glendora,
Graycalm, Gull Point, Hettinger, Kerston, Rapson, Richter,
Roscommon, and Shingleton series. Beach ridges compose
about 5% of the coastal zone and have Udipsamments on
ridges and Psammaquents and Haplosaprists in the swales.
Active dunes, particularly the perched type, comprise
about 9% of the GLCZ; stabilized dunes comprise another
0.8% of the area. Dominant soils on dunes include Udipsamments (Colonie, Deer Park, Eastport, Morocco, Oakville,
Ottokee, Plainfield, Tedrow, Wurtsmith, and Zimmerman
soil series) and Haplorthods (Covert, Croswell, Liminga, and
Rubicon soil series). The dunes began forming on lake terraces during and after the Nipissing lake stage approximately
3.7–3.0 ka (Arbogast and Loope 1999; Arbogast 2000;
Loope et al. 2004, 2010).
Many of the landforms have been affected by glacial
isostatic adjustment following recession of the Laurentide
ice, particularly those surrounding Lake Superior and the
northern portions of Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario.
This adjustment varies from near 0 at the hinge line to 300 m
along the north shore of Lake Superior.
12.2.2 Climatic Gradient
There are two pronounced climate gradients in the Great
Lakes region, including one in temperature that is reflected
in the soil-temperature class of the soils and another pertaining to moisture gradients from “lake-effect” snow
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. G. Bockheim, Soils of the Laurentian Great Lakes, USA and Canada,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52425-8_12
141
Pedodiversity of the Great Lakes Coastal
Zone
12.1 Soil Series Density
Based on the density of soil series within 5 km of the
shorelines, all five of the Great Lakes have a high level of
pedodiversity. In the US GLCZ at a scale of 1:24,000, the
Lake Ontario coastal zone is most diverse (0.026 soil series
per km
2
) and Lake Huron is least diverse (0.010 soil series
per km
2 ) (Table 12.1). Most of the mapping in the Canadian
Great Lakes coastal zone was conducted at a scale of
1:63,360. The mean density of soil series in the Canadian
GLCZ is 0.005.
12.2 Factors Influencing Pedodiversity
in the Great Lakes Region
At a scale of 1:24,000, the US GLCZ has a three-fold greater
average pedodiversity (0.016) than for Land Resource
Regions, Major Land Resource Areas, and state-wide values
(Table 12.2). The high pedodiversity of the GLCZ can be
attributed to (i) a diversity of landforms and parent materials
of different age; (ii) strong climatic gradients; and (iii) a
strong vegetation gradient.
12.2.1 Parent Materials
The influence of parent materials on pedodiversity in the
GLCZ relates to the composition of the bedrock and the
kinds and ages of unconsolidated materials overlying the
bedrock. Precambrian granites and gneisses surround the
north shores of Lakes Superior and Huron, and Paleozoic
sedimentary rocks, largely sandstones, shales, and dolomitic
limestones, are dominant in the south (Fig. 12.1).
About half (53%) of the landforms in the GLCZ were
identified as lake plains or lake terraces, largely from the
Algonquin, Iroquois, and Nipissing lake stages (Hough
1958; Prest 1970; Clark et al. 2012). These lake stages range
from 14.1 to 3.2 kyr BP in age, and allow for a considerable
range in time for soil development. A third (33%) of the
landforms are comprised of till. Several soil series occur on
post-glacial shorelines carved into till plains, including the
Blount, Ensley, Hoytville, Londo, Mishwabic, Nonesuch,
Parkhill, Shebeon, and Tappan series. The Tyner and Elnora
series represent relict longshore bars. A number of other soil
series are derived from a mantle of lacustrine deposits over
till, including the Anton, Augustana, Avoca, Baden, Belleville, Blackhoof, Cayuga, Churchville, Hegberg, Herbster,
Normanna, Portwing, and Rimer series. Several soils are in
glacial or post-glacial drainageways, including the Glendora,
Graycalm, Gull Point, Hettinger, Kerston, Rapson, Richter,
Roscommon, and Shingleton series. Beach ridges compose
about 5% of the coastal zone and have Udipsamments on
ridges and Psammaquents and Haplosaprists in the swales.
Active dunes, particularly the perched type, comprise
about 9% of the GLCZ; stabilized dunes comprise another
0.8% of the area. Dominant soils on dunes include Udipsamments (Colonie, Deer Park, Eastport, Morocco, Oakville,
Ottokee, Plainfield, Tedrow, Wurtsmith, and Zimmerman
soil series) and Haplorthods (Covert, Croswell, Liminga, and
Rubicon soil series). The dunes began forming on lake terraces during and after the Nipissing lake stage approximately
3.7–3.0 ka (Arbogast and Loope 1999; Arbogast 2000;
Loope et al. 2004, 2010).
Many of the landforms have been affected by glacial
isostatic adjustment following recession of the Laurentide
ice, particularly those surrounding Lake Superior and the
northern portions of Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario.
This adjustment varies from near 0 at the hinge line to 300 m
along the north shore of Lake Superior.
12.2.2 Climatic Gradient
There are two pronounced climate gradients in the Great
Lakes region, including one in temperature that is reflected
in the soil-temperature class of the soils and another pertaining to moisture gradients from “lake-effect” snow
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. G. Bockheim, Soils of the Laurentian Great Lakes, USA and Canada,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52425-8_12
141