LOCATION JUNALUSKA NC+GA TN VA
Established Series
Rev. JDV:SAB:AG:MKC
11/2021
JUNALUSKA SERIES
The Junaluska series consists of moderately deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils on ridges and side slopes of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. They formed in residuum that is affected by soil creep in the upper part, and is weathered from low grade metasedimentary rocks, such as phyllite, slate, and low grade, thinly bedded metasandstone. Slope ranges from 3 to 95 percent. Mean annual temperature is 56 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 60 inches near the type location.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, subactive, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Junaluska fine sandy loam on a 20 percent, southwest facing mountain side slope--forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; partially decomposed organic matter and deciduous leaves, twigs, and roots.
A1--2 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine, medium and coarse roots; 5 percent metasandstone channers by volume; common fine mica flakes; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary.
A2--4 to 13 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine, medium and coarse roots; 5 percent metasandstone channers by volume; common fine mica flakes; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 1 to 11 inches thick.)
Bt--13 to 23 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; common coarse distinct red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few medium roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent by volume metasandstone channers; common fine mica flakes; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
C/B--23 to 28 inches; thin parallell layers of yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and red (2.5YR 4/8) fine sandy loam saprolite, and sandy clay loam B horizon material; saprolite is massive and the B horizon material has weak medium subangular block structure; friable; 5 percent by volume metasandstone channers; common fine mica flakes; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Cr--28 to 33 inches; multicolored, weathered, low grade metasandstone; partially consolidated but can be dug with difficulty with a spade.
TYPE LOCATION: Cherokee County, North Carolina; west from Murphy on U.S. Highway 64 to State Road 1301; west to State Road 1302; northwest to State Road 1303; northeast to USFS Road 307; 0.5 mile west of intersection of USFS Road 307 and USFS Road 6068 on USFS Road 307; 0.1 mile S of USFS Road 307 in woods. (525,880N;465,790E)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 15 to 40 inches. Depth to a Cr horizon of weathered bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The upper boundary of the Cr horizon represents a paralithic contact. Depth to hard bedrock is greater than 40 inches. The soil is extremely acid to moderately acid unless limed. Content of mica flakes ranges from few to common. Content of rock fragments ranges up to 35 percent by volume in the A, B, and C horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 to 8. A horizons that have value and chroma of 3 are less than 6 inches thick. The E horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. The A and E horizons are loam, fine sandy loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Bt horizon, and the BA and BC horizons, where present, have hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. At least part of the Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR. The Bt horizon is loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, or sandy clay loam in the fine- earth fraction. The BA and BC horizons are loam, fine sandy loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The C horizon, where present, is multicolored saprolite that is fine sandy loam, loam, sandy loam, or loamy fine sand in the fine-earth fraction. Where present, the C/B horizon consists of thin parallel layers of saprolite and Bt horizon material that has formed along the fracture planes. It is reddish in color and the C and B parts have the texture range stated for these horizons.
The Cr horizon is multicolored, weathered and fractured, low grade metasedimentary rock, such as phyllite, slate, and low grade, thinly bedded metasandstone. It is partially consolidated but can be dug with difficulty with a spade.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the
Albemarle, Alleghany,
Allenwood,
Arcola, Arendstville,
Aura,
Bedington,
Birdsboro,
Brasstown,
Bucks,
Butano,
Chester,
Chetwynd,
Chilmark,
Clymer,
Collington,
Cowee,
Edgemont,
Edneytown,
Elsinboro,
Eubanks,
Fernhaven(T),
Frankstown,
Freehold,
Gilpin,
Gladstone(T),
Glenelg,
Leck Kill,
Lonon,
Matapeake,
Meadowville,
Murrill,
Nixon,
Pineville,
Quakertown,
Rayne,
Shelocta,
Shouns,
Syenite,
Tate,
Thurmont,
Ungers, and
Whiteford series in the same family, and the
Ashe,
Chestnut, and
Evard series in closely related families.
Albemarle soils have a Cr horizon of weathered arkosic sandstone.
Ashe and
Chestnut soils are coarse-loamy, lack Bt horizons, and have granite or gneiss bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Arcola soils formed from siltstone and sandstone in the
Piedmont Plateau and contain fragments of those rocks.
Cowee soils formed from igneous and high grade metamorphic rocks such as granite, gneiss, and hornblende gneiss, and contain fragments of those rocks.
Gilpin soils have soft bedrock of sandstone, siltstone, or shale 20 to 40 inches below the surface. None of the other competing series have bedrock within a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
Note: The above section has not been updated to reflect the 8th Edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Junaluska soils are on strongly sloping to very steep ridges and side slopes of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Elevation ranges from 1,400 to 3,500 feet. Slopes are typically 15 to 50 percent but range from 3 to 95 percent. Junaluska soils formed in residuum that is affected by soil creep in the upper part, and is weathered from metasedimentary rocks, such as phyllite, slate, thinly bedded metasandstone, and quartzite. Mean annual temperature is 56 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 60 inches near the type location.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are include the competing
Brasstown series and the
Cataska,
Santeetlah,
Soco,
Spivey,
Stecoah,
Sylco, and
Tsali soils. All of these soils except for Brasstown and Tsali have a cambic horizon. Also, they are all on ridges and side slopes except for Santeetlah and Spivey which are in coves. Cataska and Tsali soils are shallow to paralithic contact with a Cr horizon. Cataska, Spivey, and Sylco soils are loamy-skeletal. Santeetlah, Spivey, and Stecoah are deeper than 40 inches to bedrock. This soil is usually mapped in complex with Brasstown or Tsali soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very little runoff where forest litter has not been disturbed. Medium to very rapid runoff where litter has been removed; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the soil is in forest. Common trees are chestnut oak, white oak, scarlet oak, black oak, northern red oak, and hickory with some eastern white pine, Virginia pine, pitch pine, shortleaf pine, blackgum, and red maple. The understory includes flowering dogwood, rhododendron, mountain laurel, sourwood, blueberry, buffalo nut. A small acreage is cleared and used for pasture and hayland.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McDowell County, North Carolina; 1989. The name is from Junaluska Gap in Clay County, North Carolina.
REMARKS: The Junaluska series describes soils that were previously mapped in the Sylco series. However, Junaluska soils have an argillic horizon and average less than 35 percent by volume rock fragments. The 6/99 revision updates the classification to the 8th Edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The soil is placed in the subactive CEC activity class based upon NSSL lab data from the typifying pedon.
Laboratory data from the typifying pedon were obtained from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, sample number S85NC-039-003.
This soil has the following diagnostic horizons and features:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 13 inches (Oi, A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 13 to 23 inches below the surface (Bt horizon)
Paralithic contact - the occurrence of weathered bedrock at a depth of 28 inches. (The upper boundary of the Cr horizon)
MLRA = 130 SIR = NC0181
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.