LOCATION ABITA LA

Established Series
Rev. JLD
03/2019

ABITA SERIES

The Abita series consists of deep, somewhat poorly drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in silty sediments on low, broad stream or marine terraces of late Pleistocene age. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, siliceous, active, thermic Glossaquic Paleudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Abita silt loam--on a 1 percent slope, in pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; few fine faint dark yellowish brown oxidation stains around roots; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

E--5 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam; common fine faint yellowish brown mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and coarse roots; common fine black and brown bodies; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)

B/E--10 to 16 inches; about 70 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam (Bt); common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; friable; common fine and few medium roots; few fine random discontinuous tubular pores; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; about 30 percent vertical seams of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam E material about 3 to 10 centimeters thick between prisms; seams and pockets of yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; few brown and black bodies; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

Bt--16 to 34 inches; mottled strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2), and red (2.5YR 4/8) silty clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse and medium subangular blocky; firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine random discontinuous tubular pores; common thick continuous clay films on faces of peds; few patchy silt coats on faces of peds and root channels; few brown and black concretions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 28 inches thick)

Btg1--34 to 45 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) mottles; few medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few coarse roots; few fine random discontinuous tubular pores; many thick continuous clay films on faces of peds; few silt coats on vertical faces of peds; medium acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)

Btg2--45 to 64 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) silty clay loam; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; few medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm and slightly sticky; few coarse roots; many thick continuous clay films on faces of peds; medium acid; gradual wavy boundary.

TYPE LOCATION: Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana; 2.5 miles southeast of Hammond Agricultural Experiment Station, 2.25 miles north of Highway 22, 350 feet west of Thibodaux road; sec. 2, T. 7 S., R. 8 E.; lat. 30 degrees 38 minutes 11.6 seconds N. and long. 90 degrees 21 minutes 53.8 seconds W., WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. Gray mottles due to wetness are within 30 inches of the surface.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is a silt loam or very fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to neutral.

The E horizon and the E part of the B/E horizon have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 to 3. They are silt loam or very fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid.

Some pedons have a BE or BA horizon. It has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral. Mottles in shades of gray, yellow, or red range from few to many.

The B part of the B/E horizon and the Bt horizon have hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value 4 to 6, chroma of 3 to 8 or they are mottled in shades of brown, gray and red. They are silt loam or silty clay loam. Mottles in shades of gray range from few to many. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.

The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is dominantly silty clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, or loam but some pedons have subhorizons in the lower part that are silty clay. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid in the Btg1 horizon and from strongly acid to mildly alkaline in the Btg2 horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Glenmora, Keithville, and Kolin series in the same family and the Beauregard, Evangeline, Falkner, Freestone, Muskogee, and Porum soils in related families. The Glenmora soils have a argillic horizon above the B/E horizon. Keithville, Kolin, and Falkner soils have clayey 2B horizons at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Beauregard soils have B horizons with less than 35 percent base saturation and more than 5 percent plinthite. Evangeline and Muskogee soils have 15 to 25 percent weatherable minerals. Freestone soils have fine-loamy control sections. Porum soils have fine control sections.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Abita soils are on broad stream or marine terraces of late Pleistocene age. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The soil formed in silty alluvium. The mean annual temperature is 67 degrees F., and the mean annual rainfall is about 61 inches near the type location.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brimstone, Guyton, Prentiss, Myatt, and Stough soils. The Brimstone and Guyton soils are on slightly lower parts of the landscape and are gray throughout. The Brimstone soils also have a natric horizon. The Prentiss, Myatt, and Stough soils contain more than 15 percent sand in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; runoff is slow to medium; permeability is slow. A seasonal high water table is at depths of 1 to 3 feet below the surface December through April.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Abita soils are in woodland or pastureland. The woodland is mostly mixed pines and hardwoods.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Louisiana and possibly southwest Mississippi. The soils of this series are of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana; 1985.

DIAGNOSTIC HORIZONS AND OTHER FEATURES RECOGNIZED:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 inches, A and E horizons.
Albic horizon: 5 to 10 inches, E horizon.
Interfingering of albic material: 10 to 16 inches, B/E horizon. Argillic horizon: 10 to 64 inches, B/E, Bt, Btg1, and Btg2 horizons. Low chroma mottles: 16 to 34 inches, Bt horizon.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.