LOCATION ALTICREST               TN+KY VA

Established Series
Rev. DLN:RRD
12/2021

ALTICREST SERIES


The Alticrest series consists of moderately deep well drained soils. They formed in residuum weathered from acid sandstone. Slopes range from 5 to 55 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, mesic Typic Dystrudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Alticrest sandy loam--forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oe--0 to 1 inch; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) partially decomposed organic mat of pine needles, twigs and hardwood leaves.

A--1 to 3 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (l to 3 inches thick)

E--3 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam; few fine faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) organic stains; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and few coarse roots; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)

Bw1--11 to 16 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; 5 percent fragments of sandstone less than 3 inches in diameter; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bw2--16 to 24 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; 5 percent by volume fragments of sandstone less than 3 inches in diameter; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bw3--24 to 32 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; 10 percent by volume fragments of sandstone less than 3 inches in diameter; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 10 to 34 inches)

C--32 to 33 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand; common medium faint brown (10YR 5/3) and common medium distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) mottles; single grain; loose; 10 percent by volume fragments of sandstone less than 3 inches in diameter; very strongly acid. (0 to 3 inches thick)

R--33 inches; hard sandstone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Fentress County, Tennessee; l.0 mile east of Jamestown on State Highway 52; left on paved road 2.7 miles; left on gravel road toward city lake 0.8 mile; site on left of road 400 ft. north of Yellow Creek.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to bedrock range from 20 to 40 inches. Content of fragments of sandstone or pebbles of quartzite less than 3 inches in diameter ranges from 0 to 15 percent by volume in each horizon. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid except the surface layer is less acid where limed.

The A horizon has hue if 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is sandy loam, loam or fine sandy loam.

The E horizon, where present; BE horizon, where present; or Ap horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 8. It is sandy loam, loam or fine sandy loam.

The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. It is loam, sandy loam or fine sandy loam.

The BC horizon, where present, or C horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is sand, loamy sand or sandy loam. In some pedons the C horizon is absent and the Bw horizon extends to bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: The Helechawa series is the only other series in this family. Helechawa soils have depth to rock at 40 to 60 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Alticrest soils are on plateau ridgetops, benches, crests of hills and hillsides. Slopes range from 5 to 55 percent. The soil formed in residuum weathered from acid sandstone. Near the type location mean annual temperature is 55 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation is 53 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crossville, Lily and Ramsey series. Crossville soils on adjacent sideslopes and benches are fine-loamy and have a dark surface. Lily soils usually on slightly higher, more broad smooth plateaus are fine-loamy and have an argillic horizon. Ramsey soils on higher and lower lying on adjacent sideslopes are less than 20 inches to hard sandstone bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained to somewhat excessively drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in forest consisting of shortleaf pine, pignut hickory, white oak, scarlet oak, maple, black oak, sourwood, laurel, and hemlock. A few cleared areas are used to grow pasture, hay, corn, and vegetables.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Alabama. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fentress County, Tennessee; 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 11 inches (Oe, A, and E horizons)

Cambic horizon - from 11 to 32 inches (Bw horizon)

Additional remarks - In Tennessee, the Alticrest series was included with the Ramsey, Crossville, and Lily series.

MLRAs used in: 125, 128

SIR numbers: TN0132, VA0399


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.