LOCATION ALBANY GA+AL FL SC TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Aquic Arenic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Albany sand (in an area of Albany sand, 0 to 2 percent slopes), on a smooth 1 percent slope, in woodland. (Colors are for moist soil, unless otherwise indicated.)
Ap--0 to 23 centimeters (about 0 to 9 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy sand; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots and common medium roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 25 centimeters thick)
E1--23 to 64 centimeters (about 9 to 25 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
E2--64 to 119 centimeters (about 25 to 47 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron and few fine prominent light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizon is 95 to 190 centimeters)
Btg1--119 to 152 centimeters (about 47 to 60 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many clay bridging between sand grains; few fine faint light gray (2.5 7/2) lenticular iron depletions and common coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary
Btg2--152 to 203 centimeters (about 60 to 80 inches); 40 percent light gray (10YR 7/1), 30 percent red (2.5YR 4/8), and 30 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few clay films on surfaces along pores; few clay bridging between sand grains; few fine prominent light gray (2.5Y 7/2) lenticular iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizons is 20 to 100 centimeters or more.)
TYPE LOCATION: Effingham County, Georgia; about 2.3 miles north on Midland Road from the intersection of Midland Road and Georgia Highway 30, 600 feet east of road; Meldrim GA. 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle; lat. 32 degrees, 13 minutes, 31.7 seconds N., and 81 degrees, 19 minutes, 4.32 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to top of argillic horizon: 100 to 195 centimeters (about 40 to 77 inches), commonly 130 to 180 centimeters (about 50 to 70 inches)
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 150 to 200 centimeters or more (about 60 to 80 inches), commonly more than 200 centimeters (about 80 inches)
Depth to bedrock: Greater than 200 centimeters (about 80 inches)
Depth to seasonal high water table: 50 to 75 centimeters (about 20 to 30 inches) December to March with periodic fluctuation to as shallow as 30 centimeters (about 12 inches)
Thickness of the sandy surface and subsurface layers: Greater than 100 centimeters (about 40 inches)
Content and size of rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent, by volume throughout, mostly fine quartz gravel or ironstone nodules or concretions
Soil reaction: Extremely acid (3.5) to moderately acid (6.0), except where limed
Effective Cation Exchange Capacity: 3 to 10 milliequivalents per 100 grams of soil in the A horizon; 1 to 3 in E horizons; and 3 to 5 in the B horizon
Plinthite content: Less than 5 percent above a depth of 150 centimeters (about 60 inches) and below 150 centimeters, 0 to 15 percent
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
Ap or A horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 to 6, chroma of 1 or 2, or is neutral with value of 2 to 6. Horizon thickness is less than 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) where value is 3.5 or less.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sand, fine sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 1 to 10 percent
E horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
Clay content: 1 to 10 percent
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray and masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown. Iron depletions are typically zones of uncoated sand grains.
Eg horizon (where present)
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 4 to 8
Texture--sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 1 to 10 percent
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray and masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown. Iron depletions are typically zones of uncoated sand grains.
BE or BEt horizons (where present):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value or 4 to 8, chroma of 4 or 6
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 2 to 12 percent
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray and masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Bt horizon (where present):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, chroma of 3 to 8, or is variegated in shades of these colors
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 12 to 35 percent
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray and masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
BC or BCt horizon (where present):
Color--hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, chroma of 1 to 8, or is variegated in shades of these colors
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 12 to 35 percent
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray and masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Btg horizon or Cg horizon (where present):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 4 to 8 and may be variegated in shades of these colors
Texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 12 to 35 percent
Redoximorphic features--iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, or gray and masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
COMPETING SERIES:
Meldrim soils--moderately well drained and a seasonal high water table below 75 centimeters (about 30 inches)
Ocilla soils--sandy surface layers 50 to 100 centimeters thick; on similar landforms
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation range: 8 to 114 meters (about 25 to 375 feet)
Frost Free Period (type location): 200 to 275 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 14 to 21 degrees C. (about 57 to 70 degrees F.)
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1020 to 1400 millimeters (about 40 to 55 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Blanton soils--seasonal high water table at a depth of 100 to 183 centimeters (about 40 to 72 inches); on slightly higher landforms
Bonneau soils--seasonal high water table below 100 centimeters (about 40 inches) and sandy surface layers less than 100 centimeters thick; on higher landforms
Chipley soils--sandy throughout and a shallower seasonal high water table; on lower landforms
Lakeland soils--sandy throughout and a seasonal high water table at a depth below 200 centimeters (about 80 inches); on higher landforms
Lynchburg soils--argillic horizons within 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) of the surface; on lower landforms
Meldrim soils--moderately well drained and seasonal high water table below 75 centimeters (about 30 inches); on adjacent higher landforms
Ocilla soils--sandy surface layers 50 to 100 centimeters (about 20 to 40 inches) thick; on similar landforms
Pactolus soils--do not have argillic horizons within 200 centimeters (about 80 inches) of the surface: on lower landforms
Pelham soils--poorly drained and argillic horizons within 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) of the surface; on lower landforms
Plummer soils--very poorly or poorly drained and seasonal high water table at a depth of 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) or less; on adjacent flood plains and in depressions
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage Class: Somewhat poorly drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Moderately deep (50 to 75 centimeters); common (December to March)
Flooding Frequency and Duration: None
Ponding Frequency and Duration: None
Index Surface Runoff: Negligible to low
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Very high or high (42.34 to 705 micrometers per second) in the upper part and high or moderately high (0.42 to 1.41 micrometers per second) in the lower part
Permeability: Very rapid or rapid in the upper part and moderate or moderately slow in the lower part
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Most areas of Albany soils are used for woodland. A few small areas are used for pasture, row crops, and tobacco.
Dominant Vegetation: In cut-over areas, stands of longleaf pine, slash pine, or loblolly pine with intermixed oaks and other hardwood trees. In some areas, an understory of gallberry, waxmyrtle, scattered palmetto, and a fairly heavy stand of wiregrass is characteristic.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, and North Carolina.
Extent: Large
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Appling and Jeff Davis Counties, Georgia; 1969.
REMARKS: Albany soils have sandy layers that extend to a depth of more than 100 centimeters (about 40 inches). They were originally classified as Grossarenic Paleudults; however, they are presently classified as Aquic Arenic by the order in which they occur in the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 10th Edition. Plans are underway to revise the Key and a re-classification to a subgroup that recognizes the Grossarenic feature is anticipated.
Data collected in Effingham County, GA indicate depth to redoximorphic features thought to indicate dominant seasonal wetness range from about 53 to 74 centimeters with an average depth of 63 centimeters. However, during the wettest periods of the non-growing season (typically January), Albany soils may be saturated for short periods (less than 20 consecutive or 30 cumulative days in a normal year) at a depth of 30 to 50 centimeters.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to about 123 centimeters; about 48 inches (Ap, E1, E2, E3 horizons).
Grossarenic feature--a zone with sandy particle-size class extending from 0 to about 122 centimeters; about 48 inches (Ap and E horizons).
Argillic horizon--the zone from approximately 122 to 224 centimeters; about 48 to 88 inches (Bt and Btg horizons).
Aquic conditions--periodic saturation and reduction in a zone from about 64 to 203 centimeters; about 25 to 80 inches at some time during the year (endosaturation).
Redox concentrations--the zone from 18 to 203 centimeters; about 7 to 80 inches (E, Bt, and Btg horizons)
Redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less--the zone from 64 to 203 centimeters; about 25 to 88 inches (E2, E3, Bt, and Btg horizons)
Series control section--the zone from 0 to 200 centimeters; about 80 inches
07/2007. The type location was moved to another site in Effingham County, GA to better reflect the central concept of the series.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory Data: Characterization data are available from NRCS-Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE (Lab Pedon Number=02N0660; User Pedon ID=S02FL-121-005).
Database Information:
Data Mapunit ID--To be developed
Typical Pedon User Pedon ID--To be developed