LOCATION CHILTOSKIE NC+TN
Established Series
DJT-ARK-HCD; Revised BPS
02/2011
CHILTOSKIE SERIES
The Chiltoskie series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils on toe slopes, fans and benches in coves at high elevations in the Southern Blue Ridge mountains, MLRA 130B. They formed in colluvium weathered from low-grade metasedimentary rocks. Slope ranges from 2 to 95 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, frigid Humic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Chiltoskie loam on a 9 percent toe slope at 5,240 feet elevation--Forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 2 inches; moderately decomposed organic litter and root mat.
A--2 to 8 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam; moderate medium to very coarse granular structure; very friable; many fine to coarse and common very coarse roots throughout; 3 percent by volume metasandstone channers by volume; few fine flakes of mica; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 10 inches)
Bw1--8 to 14 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) channery loam; moderate fine to coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few medium roots throughout; 16 percent by volume metasandstone channers by volume; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--14 to 26 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) loam; moderate fine to coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; 6 percent metasandstone channers by volume; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw3--26 to 41 inches dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) loam; moderate fine and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; 2 percent metasandstone channers by volume; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
BC--41 to 61 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) very gravelly sandy loam; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; 38 percent metasandstone channers by volume; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Swain County, North Carolina; Great Smoky Mountains National Park, at Balsam picnic area, Balsam Mountain Road; 350 feet south of parking area. USGS Bunches Bald Topographic Quadrangle: latitude 35 degrees, 34 minutes, 17 seconds N.; longitude 83 degrees, 10 minutes, 48 seconds W.; NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid. Content of mica flakes is few or common. Rock fragment content is less than 35 percent in the upper 40 inches, and less than 60 percent below 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam in the fine-earth fraction. The A horizon thickness does not meet the criteria for an umbric epipedon.
The Bw horizon, and BA horizon where present, have hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The BC horizon has colors and textures similar the Bw horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: The
Mellowmoon series. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived dominantly from a variety of extrusive igneous rocks and occur in western Oregon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chiltoskie soils are on gently sloping to very steep toe slopes, benches, and fans in coves at high elevations in the Southern Blue Ridge mountains, MLRA 130B. Slopes are commonly between 8 and 50 percent, but ranges from 2 to 95 percent. Elevation ranges from about 4,500 to 6,400 feet. These soils formed in colluvium derived from materials weathered from low-grade metasedimentary rocks such as metasandstone, phyllite and slate. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 35 to 45 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from about 60 to 100 inches. Moist atmospheric conditions are prevalent and fog is common in these high mountain areas.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Anakeesta,
Breakneck,
Cataloochee ,
Guyot,
Heintooga,
Horsetrough,
Luftee,
Oconaluftee, and
Pullback series. Anakeesta, Breakneck, Cataloochee, Guyot, Luftee, Oconaluftee, and Pullback soils formed in residuum on adjacent mountain summits and side slopes. Anakeesta soils have a lithic contact between 40 to 60 inches. Breakneck and Luftee soils have a lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches. Cataloochee soils have a paralithic contact between 20 and 40 inches. Guyot soils have a paralithic contact between 40 to 60 inches. Pullback soils have a lithic contact at less than 20 inches. Heintooga and Horsetrough soils formed in colluvium. Heintooga soils are in a loamy-skeletal particle-size class. Horsetrough soils are in a sandy-skeletal particle-size class and are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very little runoff where forest litter has not been disturbed or only partially removed; medium to very rapid runoff where litter has been removed; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nearly all of this soil is in forest. Common trees are northern red oak, black birch, American beech, yellow birch, black cherry, sugar maple, eastern hemlock, yellow buckeye, red spruce, and fraser fir. In many areas the trees are stunted due to wind and ice damage and a "windswept" phase is recognized. The understory species are serviceberry, striped maple, American chestnut sprouts, pin cherry, rhododendron, mountain-laurel, silverbell, blueberry, wood sorrell, and flame azalea. Common forbs are hay-scented fern, wood fern, New York fern, Solomon's seal, yellow mandarin, and trillium.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Blue Ridge mountains, MLRA 130B of North Carolina and Tennessee, and possibly Virginia. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Madison County, North Carolina, 2006.
REMARKS: The Chiltoskie series was formerly included with the Tanasee series. However, Tanasee soils formed in colluvium from high grade metamorphic and igneous rocks. Although Chiltoskie soils may exhibit some of the characteristics of andic soil properties, they lack the volcanic glass found in soils of similar taxa in the Western United States.
Revisions made 9/07(HCD) adjusted OSD to reflect Lab Data.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 8 inches (Oe and A horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 8 to 61 inches below the surface (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons)
Isotic mineralogy class - In more than one-half of the control section, a 1500 kPa water to clay ratio of 0.6 or more and a pH in NaF solution of more than 8.4.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data from NSSC-SSL samples S00NC-173-002 and S00NC-087-003.
NASIS Site ID: 113905
NASIS Pedon ID: 114743
NASIS User Pedon ID: Chiltoskie OSD
NASIS DMU ID: 410120
MLRA = 130B
Revised 02/11-BPS: Taxonomic Classification -- 11th Keys, update competing and associated series, MLRA clarification
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.