LOCATION ARNICA             MO 
Established Series
Rev. MB-RLT
07/2004

ARNICA SERIES


The Arnica series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils formed in a mantle of loamy colluvium or old alluvial sediments. Some pedons are underlain by clayey residuum weathered from sandstone or shale. These soils are on footslopes below upland areas of Pennsylvanian age sandstone and shale in MLRA 116B. Slopes range from 2 to 5 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 60 degrees F., and the mean annual precipition is about 42 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, thermic Oxyaquic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Arnica loam - on a 3 percent slope in a mixed pasture at an elevation of 760 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; many very fine vesicular and tubular pores and common fine vesicular and tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

Bt1--6 to 14 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; many very fine vesicular and tubular pores and common fine vesicular and tubular pores; very few faint clay films, very few continuous yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt coats; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--14 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; common very fine vesicular and tubular pores; few distinct clay films; few distinct brown (10YR 5/3) silt coats; common fine and medium red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--23 to 35 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; common very fine vesicular and tubular pores; few distinct clay films; few prominent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt coats; common fine yellowish red (5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; common fine masses of iron-manganese accumulation; strongly acid (pH 5.1); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt4--35 to 54 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; few fine vesicular and tubular pores; few distinct clay films; few distinct brown (10YR 5/3) silt coats; common medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; common fine grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; common medium masses of iron-manganese accumulation; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt5--54 to 80 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few very fine vesicular and tubular pores; few faint clay films; common fine strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; common fine grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; common medium masses of iron-manganese accumulation; moderately acid (pH 5.9). (45 to 74 inches thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Cedar County, Missouri; about 650 feet west and 40 feet south of the northeast corner of section 35, T. 36N., R. 27W,; USGS Caplinger Mills quadrangle; UTM zone 15, Easting 423610 and Northing 4189420.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Kind of rock fragments: sandstone, shale, and in a few areas, rounded or subrounded chert
Depth to the argillic horizon: 6 to 14 inches

A or Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 3 or 4
Fine-earth: silt loam or loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

BA horizon: (where present)
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Fine-earth: silt loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: moderately acid

Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 3 to 6
Fine-earth: silt loam, loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral

2Bt horizon: (where present)
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 6
Fine-earth: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, clay
Rock fragments: 0 to 40 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Series in similar families are the Britwater and Pomme series. Both of these series are well drained and are in the mesic temperature regime.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Arnica soils are on footslopes below upland areas of Pennsylvanian age sandstone and shale. Slopes range from 2 to 5 percent. These soils formed in a mantle of loamy colluvium or old alluvial sediments. Some pedons are underlain by clayey residuum weathered from sandstone or shale. The mean annual temperature ranges from 58 to 60 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 46 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bolivar, Cleora, and Cliquot soils. Bolivar soils formed in sandstone and are on ridgetops. Cleora soils are coarse-loamy and are on flood plains adjacent to the Arnica soils. Cliquot soils formed in shale and are on side slopes above the Arnica soils.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is low. Permeablility is moderate. The saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in pasture or hayland. The native vegatation is hardwood forest dominated by oak and hickory species.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Ozark Border area (MLRA 116B) of south central Missouri. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cedar County, Missouri, 2001.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 6 inches (Ap horizon)
argillic horizon - the zone from 6 to 80 inches (Bt and 2Bt horizons)
moisture regime - udic

ADDITIONAL DATA: University of Missouri Soil Characterization Laboratory reference number M9803911; the pedon site identification number is 98MO039176.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.