LOCATION AILEY GA+NC SCEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Arenic Kanhapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Ailey loamy sand--wooded. (Colors and soil properties are for moist soil, unless otherwise indicated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3), dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots and few medium and coarse roots; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
E--5 to 24 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine to coarse roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (11 to 37 inches thick)
Bt1--24 to 29 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; common clay bridging between sand grains; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--29 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on some faces of peds; few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the lower part; areas with red color are relic redoximorphic features; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 6 to 32 inches.)
Btx--36 to 50 inches; 65 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 35 percent red (2.5YR 4/8) sandy clay loam; strong coarse platy structure; very firm and brittle, hard when dry; platy peds are horizontally oriented and are relic redoximorphic features; few roots between peds; few faint clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
2Cd--50 to 80 inches; red (2.5YR 4/8) sandy loam and coarse sandy loam; massive; very firm, nonsticky, nonplastic, hard when dry; few roots along the interior of gray sandy clay loam seams that are spaced 6 inches to more than 10 inches apart; common coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; common coarse distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; masses and depletions are relic redoximorphic features; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Wilkinson County, Georgia; about 2.2 miles east of Georgia Highway 243 at Ivey on Jackson Road, 0.2 mile north on Smith Chapel Road, 30 feet east of paved road, in wooded area; Gordan Georgia USGS Quadrangle (1973); lat. 32 degrees 54 minutes 54 seconds N and long. 83 degrees 15 minutes 59 seconds W
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to top of argillic and kandic horizon: 20 to 40 inches
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 40 to 60 inches or more
Depth to fragic soil properties: 26 to 60 inches
Fragic soil properties content: 30 to 60 percent by volume firm or very firm, brittle masses, commonly in shades of red, in the Btx horizon
Depth to lithologic discontinuity (contrasting sand sizes): 40 to 80 inches or more
Depth to densic materials: 40 to 80 inches or more
Depth to bedrock: Greater than 80 inches
Depth to seasonal high water table: Greater than 48 inches, January to April
Rock fragment content: 0 to 35 percent, by volume; mostly quartz pebbles
(Effective) Cation Exchange Capacity: 1 to 3 milliequivalents per 100 grams of soil in the A horizon; 0.3 to 1 in E horizon; 0.5 to 2 in the B and C horizon
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent in the A horizon; 0.2 to 0.5 in the E horizon; and less than 0.5 percent in the B and C horizon
Soil reaction: Extremely acid to slightly acid, unless limed
Other features: 0 to 5 percent clay bodies (kaolin) in the B and C horizons
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, chroma of 1 to 3
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--coarse sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, or loamy sand
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent
E horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--coarse sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, or loamy sand
Clay content: 3 to 8 percent
BE horizon (where present):
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, coarse sandy loam, or sandy loam
Clay content: 3 to 10 percent
Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8, or is variegated in shades of these colors in the lower part
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Redoximorphic features (where present)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red or brown. These features may be relict or contemporary.
Btx horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8, or is variegated in shades of these colors
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or sandy clay
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Redoximorphic features (where present)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, white, or gray. These features may be relict or contemporary.
BC horizon (where present):
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 4 to 8, or is variegated in shades of these colors
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or sandy clay
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Redoximorphic features (where present)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, white, or gray. These features may be relict or contemporary.
2Cd horizon or Cd horizon (where present):
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 4 to 8, or is variegated in shades of these colors
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam and clay loam. Some pedons have thin subhorizons of sandy clay.
Clay content: 12 to 30 percent
Redoximorphic features (where present)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, white, or gray. These features may be relict or contemporary.
Other features--dense and compact in place with roots typically only penetrating gray seams
2C or C horizon (where present):
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 to 8, or is variegated in shades of these colors. Pedons with dominant chroma of less than 3 do not have contemporary redoximorphic features.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam. Some pedons have subhorizons of clayey or silty materials.
Clay content: 00 to 00 percent
Redoximorphic features (where present)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, white, or gray. These features may be relict or contemporary.
COMPETING SERIES:
Chipola soils--do not have densic materials in the substratum or a seasonal high water table within 72 inches
Uchee soils--do not have densic materials in the substratum and have a perched water table at 42 to 60 inches
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Middle and upper coastal plain, sandhills
Landform: Marine terraces, low hills
Geomorphic Component: Interfluves, side slopes
Hillslope Profile Position: Summits, shoulders, backslopes
Parent Material: Fluviomarine deposits, marine deposits
Elevation: 180 to 750 feet
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 57 to 70 degrees
Mean Annual Precipitation: 38 to 52 inches
Frost Free Period: 190 to 245 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Alpin soils--are sandy and excessively drained; on upland and river terraces of the Coastal Plain
Autryville soils--have a second E and B horizon
Blaney soils--have a B horizon that is brittle in 10 to 30 percent of its volume
Blanton soils--have thicker sandy surface and subsurface layers
Bonifay soils--have thicker sandy surface and subsurface layers
Candor soils--have sandy texture in the upper argillic horizon
Carnegie soils--are finer textured and have thinner surface layers
Cowarts soils--do not have densic materials and have thinner surface layers
Dothan soils--have thinner surface layers and contain plinthite; on broader and smoother landscapes
Fuquay soils--contain plinthite and do not have densic materials
Lakeland soils--are sandy and do not have an argillic horizon
Lucy soils--do not have densic materials
Neeses soils--have thinner surface layers and greater than 35 percent clay in the subsoil
Noboco soils--have thinner surface layers and do not have densic materials; on broader and smoother landscapes
Norfolk soils--have thinner surface layers and do not have densic materials; on broader and smoother landscapes
Ocilla soils--are somewhat poorly drained; on smoother slopes at lower elevations
Orangeburg soils--have thinner surface layers and; on broader and smoother landscapes
Pelion soils--are moderately well drained, have thinner surface layers, at lower elevations
Troup soils--have thicker sandy surface and subsurface layers
Uchee soils--do not have densic materials and have a seasonal high water table at 42 to 60 inches
Vaucluse soils--have thinner surface layers and do not have densic materials
Wagram soils--do not have densic materials or fragic soil properties
Wicksburg soils--have a finer textured subsoil
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Depth Class: Moderately deep or deep to fragic soil properties and deep or very deep to densic materials
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Well drained, somewhat excessively drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Very deep or deep, common, thin
Flooding Frequency and Duration: None
Ponding Frequency and Duration: None
Index Surface Runoff: Negligible to very high
Permeability: Slow (Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Moderately low)
Shrink-swell Potential: Low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Woodland
Dominant Vegetation: Where cultivated--corn, soybeans, and pasture. Where wooded--pines.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and North Carolina
Extent: Moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montgomery County, Georgia; 1970
REMARKS: Ailey series were formerly classified as Fragiudults. The pedogenic firmness and brittleness of the Btx horizon is not as extensive as in a fragipan. The dense and compact properties of the Cd horizon are root-restrictive but are not thought to be pedogenic. Reclassification to Hapludults was recommended by the Coastal Plains-Dense Soils Properties Study, February 23, 1982. Classification was changed to Kanhapludults as agreed to October 29, 1987 at the SNTC State Soil Scientist meeting. The volume of brittleness was revised (2005) from 10 to 40 percent to 30 to 60 percent to reflect the range common to the fragic subgroup.
The central concept of Ailey soils, are to have significant fragic soil properties as to affect water movement and root penetration but not as significant to classify as a fragipan. It is anticipated with the next revision to Soil Taxonomy the series Great group will be changed to Arenic Fragic Kanhapludults. The present range in soil properties allows for Ailey soils to have a perched seasonal water table from four to six feet or below six feet. Additional study is needed to determine if these soils are interpretatively similar and have the same basic soil properties. Ultimately, it is anticipated Ailey soils will be split into two series; one with densic materials and a perched water table (episaturation) and one without the Cd layer with an apparent water table (endosaturation).
Diagnostic horizons, soil characteristics, and special features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 24 inches (A, E horizons)
Arenic feature--sandy texture from 0 to 24 inches (A, E horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 29 to 50 inches (Bt, Btx horizons)
Kandic horizon--the zone from 29 to 50 inches (Bt, Btx horizons)
Fragic soil properties--the zone from 36 to 50 inches (Btx horizon)
Densic contact--the contact with densic materials at a depth of 50 inches
Densic materials--the zone from 50 to 80 inches (2Cd horizon)
Lithologic discontinuity--contrasting sand sizes starting at a depth of 50 inches (2Cd horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Reference sample data are available from NRCS-Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE; pedon numbers: 87NC153002 and 87NC153003.
Database Information:
Typical Pedon Data Mapunit ID--468548
User Pedon ID--To be completed