LOCATION ALSUP MOEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, mesic Oxyaquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Alsup gravelly silt loam, on a south-facing convex, 12 percent slope under cool season grasses (pasture) at an elevation of 1105 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine roots; 30 percent chert gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary (4 to 8 inches thick).
E--7 to 12 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly silt loam; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine and medium roots; 35 percent chert gravel; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary (0 to 9 inches thick).
2Bt1--12 to 17 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; very firm; common very fine roots; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; few fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; 3 percent chert gravel and 2 percent siltstone channers; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2--17 to 24 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; 3 percent chert gravel and 2 percent siltstone channers; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt3--24 to 40 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/4) clay; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; few fine clay films on faces of peds; common slickensides; few medium iron and manganese stains; 5 percent siltstone channers; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
3Bt4--40 to 46 inches; yellow (2.5Y 7/6) channery silty clay loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine iron and manganese stains; 20 percent siltstone channers and 30 percent siltstone parachanners; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 12 to 45 inches).
3BC--46 to 56 inches; yellow (2.5Y 7/6) channery silty clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; few medium calcium carbonate accumulations; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent siltstone channers and 50 percent siltstone parachanners; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary (0 to 26 inches thick).
3Cr--56 to 66 inches; interbedded shale and siltstone
TYPE LOCATION: Polk County, Missouri; located about 1000 feet south and 700 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 1, T. 33N., R. 22W; USGS Cedar Vista topographic quadrangle; lat. 37 degrees 37 minutes 15 seconds N. and long. 93 degrees 17 minutes 14 seconds W., NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the paralithic contact is 40 to 60 inches. Some pedons are stony or very stony on the surface. The mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches is 55 to 59 degrees F.
The A or Ap horizon has value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 3. The E horizon, where present in uneroded areas, has value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 4. The A and E horizons are silt loam, silt, or loam, or their gravelly, very gravelly or cobbly analogues. Reaction is neutral to very strongly acid.
The upper 2Bt horizon has hue of 5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. Reaction is moderately acid to very strongly acid
The lower 2Bt and the 3Bt horizon is multicolored yellow, pale brown, pale olive, red and light gray. It is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay or their channery or gravelly analogues. Mottles have hue of 2.5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6. Reaction is very strongly acid to neutral.
The 3BC and 3C horizons have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 7 or it is mottled. They are silty clay loam, silty clay, clay or the channery analogues of these textures. In some pedons the shale is interbedded with siltstone or limestone. Siltstone channers range from 0 to 80 percent by volume. Up to 50 percent siltstone parafragments are also present in some pedons. Reaction ranges from very strongly to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aaron, Brookside, Goodson, Losantville, Miamian, Morrisville, Shircliff, Skrainka, Useful, and Vincent series. Aaron soils have a lithic contact from 40 to 60 inches. Brookside soils are more than 60 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Goodson soils have mollic colors in the A horizon and have a base saturation of 60 percent or higher in the lower part of the series control section. Losantville soils have free carbonates from 8 to 20 inches and are more than 60 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Miamian soils have free carbonates at 18 to 40 inches and are more than 60 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Morrisville soils have a lithic contact from 40 to 60 inches and have free carbonates from 10 to 30 inches. Shircliff soils have free carbonates from 30 to 60 inches and are more than 60 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Skrainka and Vincent soils are more than 60 inches to a lithic or paralithic contact. Useful sols have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on upland summits, side slopes, and foot slopes. Slope gradients range from 2 to 35 percent. The regolith consists of a mantle of colluvium or loess over residuum from shale. The shale is interbedded with limestone in many places. Siltstone and chert fragments are commonly a part of the colluvium. Beginning at about 9 percent gradient, the size and magnitude of coarse fragments increase rapidly as the slope gradient increases. Mean annual temperature ranges from 54 to 57 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 45 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Basehor, Gasconade, Goss, Pembroke, Peridge, and Viraton series. Basehor and Gasconade soils are less than 20 inches to hard bedrock and commonly on higher elevations. Goss soils have more coarse fragments in the particle size control section and are on similar positions. Pembroke and Peridge soils have less clay in the particle control section. Pembroke soils are at lower elevations and Peridge soils are on higher elevations. Viraton soils have fragipans and are at higher elevations.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is medium to high. Permeability is moderately slow. In undisturbed areas, a perched water table has an upper limit of 2.5 to 4 feet during December to March in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are forested. Post oak, black oak, red oak, hickory, and elm are the dominant species. Most cleared areas are in cultivated grass and legume crops. Small grain crops are grown on some of the gentle slopes.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Ozark Border area (MLRA 116B) of southwest Missouri. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wright County, Missouri, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this series are:
ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 12 inches (A and E horizons);
albic horizon - the zone from approximately 7 to 12 inches (E horizon);
argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 12 to 46 inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2, and 2Bt3 horizons);
paralithic contact - 56 inches;
ADDITIONAL DATA: University of Missouri Soil Characterization Laboratory number M90-167-64.