LOCATION BEARHEAD LAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, siliceous, superactive, thermic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Bearhead very fine sandy loam-on a convex ridge in pine woodland. (Colors are or moist soil.)
A--0 to 8 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft friable; common coarse and medium roots, many fine roots; few fine soft iron manganese accumulations; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
(4 to 10 inches thick)
E--8 to 15 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very fine sandy loam; common fine and medium faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft friable; many fine roots and common medium roots; few fine and medium soft accumulations of iron manganese; few fine pieces of charcoal; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 22 inches thick)
B/E--15 to 21 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) very fine sandy loam (B); moderate very coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard friable; common fine and medium roots; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very fine sandy loam (E), in pockets 1/16 to 1 inch in diameter, makes up about 35 percent of this horizon; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Bt1--21 to 35 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) very fine sandy loam; common fine distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles and common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine angular blocky; slightly hard; friable; common fine and medium roots; common fine and very fine continuous vesicular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
Bt2--35 to 46 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) very fine sandy loam; common medium faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles and few fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard; friable; common fine and medium roots; few fine and very fine continuous vesicular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Bt3--46 to 59 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very fine sandy loam; common medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) mottles; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; slightly hard; friable; few fine and very fine continuous vesicular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Btg--59 to 75 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam; many fine and medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; slightly hard; friable; few fine pores; common distinct clay films on all faces of most peds; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam coating on vertical faces of prisms; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Bt1--75 to 89 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) loam; many medium and coarse prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles and many medium and coarse distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) mottles; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard; friable; few fine and very fine pores; common distinct clay films on vertical ped faces; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
2BCg1--89 to 98 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) very fine sandy loam; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine angular blocky; friable; few fine pores; common faint clay films on vertical faces of prisms; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
2BCg2--98 to 108 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) very fine sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; very friable to loose; few thin bands of dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sandy loam; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Beauregard Parish, Louisiana; 0.75 miles east of Merryville; 0.5 miles north of LA. Hwy. 110; 3200 feet east of Merryville High School; 105 feet north of gas pipeline; USGS Merryville Louisiana-Texas 7.5 minute series topographic quadrangle; lat. 30 degrees 44 minutes 43 seconds N. and long. 93 degrees 31 minutes 31 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 60 to more than 100 inches thick. Reaction is very strongly acid to slightly acid. Clay content is 6 to 18 percent in the argillic, and has a greater than 20 percent decrease within 60 inches of the soil surface. Silt content is 20 to 40 percent throughout the solum.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 or 4. it is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam. Mottles are in shades of brown and yellow.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam. Mottles are in shades of red and brown.
The B't horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is loam, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam. Mottles are in shades of red to gray and range from none to common.
The 2BCg horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loam and sand that is stratified.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bassfield, Latonia, and Rumford series in the same family, and the Attoyac, Benndale, Bernaldo, Besner, Bienville, Cahaba, Heidel, McLaurin, Messer, and Niwana series. Bassfield soils have Bt horizons with hue redder than 5YR. Latonia soils have 20 to 45 inch sola thickness. Rumford soils have less than 20 percent silt in the Bt horizon. Attoyac, Bernaldo, Besner, Bienville, and Messer soils have base saturation greater than 35 percent, and in addition Bienville soils have a sandy particle-size class. Benndale, Heidel, McLaurin, and Niwana soils do not have 20 percent clay decrease within 60 inches of the soil surface. Messer soils have a coarse-silty particle-size class.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bearhead soils are on convex mounds and elongated ridges on stream terraces. Slope gradients are dominantly 1 to 3 percent, but range from 1 to 5 percent. These soils formed in stratified loamy and sandy alluvial sediments. Mean annual temperature ranges from 63 to 70 degrees F. and average rainfall averages 55 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Attoyac, Bernaldo, Besner, Bienville, and Cahaba soils and the Jasco, Merryville, and Mollville soils. The well drained Attoyac and Cahaba soils are on slightly higher positions. Bernaldo and Besner soils are on positions similar to Bearhead soils. The somewhat excessively drained Bienville soils are on slightly higher positions. The poorly drained Jasco, Merryville, and Mollville soils are on nearly level broad interfluves and depressions. These soils have base saturation greater than 35 percent, and are gray throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Bearhead soils are moderately well drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate. A seasonal high water table is at a depth of 4.0 to 6.0 feet during the winter and early spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: Almost all areas of Bearhead soils are in pine forest mixed with small amounts of hardwood. A few small areas are used for pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West Coastal Plain of Louisiana and possibly Texas and Oklahoma. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Beauregard Parish, Louisiana; 1992. Name is derived from a small community in Beauregard Parish.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included with the Besner soils.
Diagnostic horizons and features:
Ochric epipedon.........................0 to 15 inches
Albic horizon...........................8 to 15 inches
Argillic horizon......................15 to 89 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA: S90LA011-017