LOCATION AYRSHIRE IN

Established Series
Rev. MLW-TJE
11/2021

AYRSHIRE SERIES

The Ayrshire consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in eolian materials. Ayrshire soils are on stream terraces and interdunes. Slope ranges from 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1067 mm (42 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 12.2 degrees C (54 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aeric Endoaqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Ayrshire fine sandy loam, on a convex, 1 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 177 meters (580 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 20 cm (8 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak very fine granular structure; friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. [18 to 28 cm (7 to 11 inches) thick]

BE--20 to 36 cm (8 to 14 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam; weak medium platy structure; friable; common fine roots; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; many faint light gray (10YR 7/2) clay depletions on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 20 cm (8 inches) thick]

Bt--36 to 69 cm (14 to 27 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; many distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; many fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; common distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) clay depletions on faces of prisms; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Btg1--69 to 89 cm (27 to 35 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; firm; many faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; few faint light gray (10YR 7/2) clay depletions on vertical faces of prisms; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Btg2--89 to 114 cm (35 to 45 inches); gray (10YR 6/1) fine sandy loam; weak coarse and very coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds; many fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine and medium black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 64 to 114 cm (25 to 45 inches).]

BC--114 to 140 cm (45 to 55 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common fine and medium black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions; many medium prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 38 cm (0 to 15 inches) thick]

C--140 to 203 cm (55 to 80 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sand with strata of fine sandy loam; massive and single grain; loose; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Clay County, Indiana; about 1 1/2 miles west of Clay City; 2,490 feet west and 1,540 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 25, T. 10 N., R. 7 W.; USGS Saline City, Indiana topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 16 minutes 52.5 seconds N. and long. 87 degrees 08 minutes 14.2 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 488160 easting and 4348000 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches)
Rock fragment content: 0 to 1 percent throughout the series control section

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam

A horizon, when present:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4, when value is 3, it is less than 13 cm (5 inches) thick
Chroma: 1 or 2
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral depending on liming history

BE or E horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Upper part of the Bt or Btg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 22 to 32 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid

Lower part of the Bt or Btg horizon, and the BC or BCg horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam, or less commonly clay loam or sandy clay loam
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

C or Cg horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: fine sand, very fine sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam, or is stratified with these textures; some pedons have thin strata of silt loam or silt
Clay content: averages 5 to 10 percent
Sand content: the combined fine sand and very fine sand content averages from 40 to 60 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Angola, Appleton, Burdett, Crawleyville, Darien, Digby, Mitiwanga, Mongle, Nuhi, Ovid, Shadeland, Sleeth, and Whitaker series. Angola, Mitiwanga, Nuhi, and Shadeland soils have a lithic contact within 102 cm (40 inches). Appleton and Ovid soils are less than 102 cm (40 inches) to the base of the argillic horizon. Burdett, Digby, Mongle, and Sleeth soils more than 1 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Crawleyville soils are more acid than neutral in the lower part of the series control section. Darien soils have more than 1 percent rock fragments in the middle part of the series control section. Whitaker soils average less than 40 percent fine sand and very fine sand in the lower part of the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ayrshire soils are on treads of stream terraces and on interdunes in dunefields. Slope gradient is commonly 0 to 2 percent but ranges to 4 percent. The soils formed in eolian materials 183 cm (72 inches) or more thick. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1016 to 1168 mm (40 to 46 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 11.1 to 13.9 degrees C (52 to 57 degrees F). Frost-free period is 170 to 210 days. Elevation is 122 to 244 meters (400 to 800 feet) above mean sea level.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alvin, Bloomfield, Bobtown, Lyles, Princeton, and Rensselaer soils. The well drained Alvin and Princeton soils and the somewhat excessively drained Bloomfield soils are on dunes. The moderately well drained Bobtown soils are on slightly higher-lying interdunes. The very poorly drained Lyles and the poorly drained and very poorly drained Rensselaer soils are in depressions on interdunes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. In drained areas, depth to the top of an intermittent apparent high water table ranges from 15 to 61 cm (0.5 to 2 feet) between December and April in normal years. In undrained areas, the depth ranges from 15 to 46 cm (0.5 to 1.5 feet) between November and May in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is negligible to low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high or high in the solum, and moderately high to very high in the substratum. Permeability is moderate or moderately rapid in the solum, and moderate to rapid in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of these soils are used to grow corn, soybeans, small grain, and hay. Native vegetation is dominantly deciduous hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRAs 111A, 111D, 114A, 114B, and 115A in southern Indiana. The type location is in MLRA 114B. The series is of moderate extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pike County, Indiana, 1930.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 36 cm (Ap, BE horizons).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 36 to 114 cm (Bt, Btg1, and Btg2 horizons).
Aquic conditions: redox depletions and/or concentrations in all horizons between 20 and 203 cm.

NASIS data mapunit for this pedon is DMU ID 155533 in MO 11.

Loamy substratum and sandy substratum phases are recognized, and may become new series as subset soil surveys with these phases are updated.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data for this pedon, S77IN21-3-(1-7), is available at the Purdue University Lab. Transect data (T98-045-306) is on file at the MLRA Project Office in Indianapolis.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.