LOCATION APPERSON OK+KS

Established Series
Rev. JGF:CS
09/2012

APPERSON SERIES

The Apperson series consists of deep, moderately well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in calcareous residuum weathered from limestone of Pennsylvanian age. These nearly level to gently sloping soils are on broad, smooth ridges and slightly convex side slopes of prairie uplands in the Cherokee Prairies (MLRA 112) and Bluestem Hills (MLRA 76). Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 40 inches. Mean annual (air) temperature is 60 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Aquic Hapluderts

TYPICAL PEDON: Apperson silty clay loam - rangeland.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 10 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry, moderate coarse granular structure; hard, firm; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 14 inches thick)

BA--10 to 15 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1)dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong coarse granular structure; hard, firm; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)

Btss1--15 to 22 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) redoximorphic concentration masses; moderate fine blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few slickensides and shiny pressure faces; nearly continuous clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline; diffuse smooth boundary. (5 to 13 inches thick)

Btss2--22 to 34 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; many fine distinct black (10YR 2/1), redoximorphic concentration masses, gray (10YR 5/1), redoximorphic depletion masses, and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) redoximorphic concentration masses; weak fine blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few slickensides with shiny pressure faces; nearly continuous clay films on faces of peds; few chert fragments less than 3 inches in diameter; mildly alkaline; diffuse smooth boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)

BCss--34 to 44 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay, light grayish brown (2.5Y 6/2) dry; many medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1), redoximorphic depletion masses and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) redoximorphic concentration masses; weak coarse blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few slickensides; few chert fragments less than 3 inches in diameter; moderately alkaline; abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 17 inches thick)

R--44 inches; hard, grayish limestone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Osage County, Oklahoma; about 1 mile north of Foraker; 165 feet north and l60 feet east of the southwest corner of Sec. 21, T. 28 N., R. 7 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to hard limestone bedrock ranges from 40 to 60 inches. This soil has cracks that open and close periodically.

The A horizon is black (10YR 2/1) or very dark gray (10YR 3/1). It is slightly acid or moderately acid.

The BA horizon is black (10YR 2/1), very dark gray (10YR 3/1), or very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2). It is silty clay loam or silty clay and ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.

The Btss1 horizon is black (10YR 2/1), very dark brown (10YR 2/2), very dark gray (10YR 3/1), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), or dark gray (10YR 4/1) with redoximorphic concentration masses in shades of brown or red in many pedons. It ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline. The clay content of the particle size control section averages between 35 and 60 percent.

The Btss2 horizon is very dark gray (10YR 3/1), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2; 2.5Y 3/2), dark gray (10YR 4/1), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2; 2.5Y 4/2), or brown or dark brown (10YR 3/3, 4/3). Redoximorphic depletion masses in shades of gray, brown, yellow, or red occur in most pedons. Some pedons have vertical cracks filled with material from upper horizons. These horizons range from slightly acid to moderately alkaline and some pedons are calcareous. Slickensides, fine iron-manganese concretions, and calcium carbonate concretions occur in the Bt2ss and BCss horizons in most pedons. Chert or limestone fragments and calcium carbonate concretions less than 3 inches in diameter make up from 0 to 5 percent by volume of the B2t horizon.

The BCss horizon is dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2; 2.5Y 4/2), grayish brown (10YR 5/2; 2.5Y 5/2), brown or dark brown (10YR 3/3, 4/3, 5/3), dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), olive brown (2.5Y 4/4), or light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4). Redoximorphic depletion masses in shades of gray and brown and redoximorphic concentration masses in shades of yellow or red occur in most pedons. It ranges from slightly acid through moderately alkaline and some pedons are calcareous. Chert or limestone fragments and calcium carbonate concretions less than 3 inches in diameter make up from 0 to 10 percent by volume of the horizon.

The R layer consists of grayish hard limestone bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Apperson soils are on nearly level to gently sloping uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. They have formed in calcareous residuum weathered from limestone and few thin beds of chert. The climate is moist subhumid to humid; Thornthwaite annual P-E index is 60 to 78, average annual precipitation is about 36 to 44 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 57 degrees to 64 degrees F. Frost free days range from 190 to 220.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lula and Shidler series. Lula, Shidler and Summit soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section. In addition, Lula soils lack redoximorphic features and have redder hues in the Bt horizons and Shidler soils have a lithic contact between 4 and 20 inches.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low to medium runoff; slow permeability. This soil has episaturation (perched water table) at depths of 1.5 to 2 feet to the top of saturation and the bottom depth of saturation is 40 to 60 inches from December through April.

USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used mainly for native range, native hay meadows, or tame pasture. Some areas are cultivated to small grains, soybeans, grain sorghum, and alfalfa. Native vegetation is tall grass prairie.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central and northeastern Oklahoma and possibly south central and southeastern Kansas. The series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Osage County, Oklahoma; 1975.

REMARKS: Soil Interpretation Record: Series OK0167

Diagnostic horizons and features: Mollic epipedon- the zone from the soil surface to a depth of 15 inches. (the A and BA horizons)

Argillic horizon- the zone from 15 inches to a depth of 34 inches. (the Bt horizons)

Aquic conditions- in one or more horizons within 100 cm of the mineral soil surface, has aquic conditions for some time in most years and has redoximorphic features.

Vertic- cracks that open periodically, a layer 25 cm or more thick, with an upper boundary within 100 cm of the mineral soil surface, that has slickensides, and a weighted average of 30 percent or more clay in the fine earth fraction either between the soil surface and a depth of 18 cm (after mixing) or in an Ap horizon, whichever is thicker, and 30 percent more clay in the fine earth fraction of all horizons between a depth of 18 cm and an depth of 50 cm.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Survey Laboratory Data and Descriptions for some soils of Oklahoma, Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 11, Soil Conservation Service, USDA, in cooperation with Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station. Samples S62-Okla-57-2.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.