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B. Soils that are never saturated for more than a few days <br />and contain 20 percent or more organic carbon. <br />Distinction "A" includes all the peat and muck soils, whereas "B" <br />is intended for the O horizons of otherwise mineral soils (SCS <br />1975). The soils meeting distinction B are not utilized for peat <br />excavation and are therefore not included in this discussion. <br />The SCS (1975) identifies fibric, hemic, and sapric as the <br />three types of organic soil material, and distinguishes these on <br />the basis of fiber content. Fibers are defined as plant tissues <br />greater than 0.15mm. Fibric soil material is the least <br />decomposed and contains at least 66 percent fibers, has a bulk <br />density of less than 0.1, and saturated water content between 850 <br />and 3,000 percent of the oven -dry weight of the material. Hemic <br />soil material is moderately decomposed and contains between 33 <br />and 66 percent fibers, has a bulk density between 0.7 and 0.18, <br />and a saturated water content between 450 and 850 percent of the <br />oven -dry weight of the material. Sapric soil material is the <br />most decomposed and contains less than 33 percent fibers, has a <br />bulk density greater than 0.2, and saturated water content of <br />less than 450 percent of the oven -dry weight of the material (SCS <br />1975). <br />An additional classification method uses the originating <br />material as its basis. This classification system includes the <br />sphagnum peats, reed -sedge peats, and woody- reed -sedge peats. <br />This system is good as a means of defining broad classes of <br />30 <br />