LOCATION BELTSVILLE MD+PA VA
Established Series
Rev. DRPV-JWB
11/2015
BELTSVILLE SERIES
MLRA(s):149A (Northern Coastal Plain)
Depth Class: Very deep
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Moderately well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Moderately low or low in the fragipan
Landscape: Coastal Plain, upland
Parent Material: Silty eolian over loamy fluviomarine deposits
Slope: 0 to 40 percent
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 13 degrees C (55 degrees F).
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1016 mm (40 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Fragiudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Beltsville silt loam, on a 5 percent slope, in a forested area (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated.)
Oi--0 to 13 mm (0 to 0.5 inches); fibric material; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and other woody materials; extremely acid (pH 4.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 cm thick)
A--13 mm to 8 cm (0.5 to 3 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium roots and many very fine and fine and few coarse; few fine tubular pores; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2.5 to 38 cm thick)
E--8 to 20 cm (3 to 8 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots and few medium and coarse; common fine tubular pores; extremely acid (pH 4.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 18 cm thick)
Bt--20 to 51 cm (8 to 20 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium roots and common fine; common very fine and fine tubular pores and few medium tubular pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (13 to 86 cm thick)
Btx1--51 to 71 cm (20 to 28 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate thin platy; very firm; many fine roots between peds; many fine vesicular pores; common clay films on faces of peds; common medium prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; and many medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron concentrations; 12 percent gravels; brittle; very strongly acid (pH 4.7); clear wavy boundary.
Btx2--71 to 104 cm (28 to 41 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak thick platy; very firm; common very fine and fine roots between peds; many fine vesicular pores and common medium vesicular pores and few coarse vesicular pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 13 percent gravel; brittle in 95 percent of mass; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btx horizons is 15 to 124 cm )
2Bt--104 to 165 cm (41 to 65 inches); variegated yellowish red (5YR 4/6), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium platy; firm, common very fine roots between peds and few fine; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary.
2BCg--165 to 180 cm (65 to 71 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam; massive; friable; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron-manganese accumulation and common medium distinct light brown (7.5YR 6/4) masses of iron-manganese accumulation; 20 percent gravel; 16 percent paragravel of kaolinite; very strongly acid (pH 4.7); clear wavy boundary.
2CB1--180 to 193 cm (71 to 76 inches); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) gravelly coarse sandy loam; massive; friable; common medium distinct light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) masses of iron-manganese accumulation; 21 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.7); clear wavy boundary.
2CB2--193 to 213 cm (76 to 84 inches); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) coarse sandy loam; massive; friable; many medium distinct dark red (2.5YR 3/6) masses of iron-manganese accumulation and common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron-manganese accumulation; 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); gradual wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Prince Georges County, Maryland; about 6.9 miles southeast of Brandywine, 1.65 miles southeast of the intersection of State Route 381 and Horsehead Road, 1.0 miles northwest of the intersection State Route 382 and 381, 1.1 miles southeast of the intersection of Horsehead Road and Orme Road, on the W.S. Schmidt Outdoor Education Center. USGS Brandywine, Maryland topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 37 minutes 41.00 seconds N and longitude 76 degrees 45 minutes 30.75 seconds W, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the top of the Argillic horizon: 8 to 51 cm (3 to 20 inches)
Depth to the base of the Argillic horizon: 61 to 203 cm (24 to 80 inches) or more
Depth to the top of the Fragipan: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches)
Depth to the base of the Fragipan: 66 to 183 cm (26 to 72 inches)
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 203 cm (80 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 inches), November to April
Depth to Lithologic Discontinuity: 102 cm (40 inches) or more
Rock Fragment content (by volume): 0 to 5 percent in the upper solum, 0 to 30 percent in the Btx horizon, 0 to 45 percent below the lithologic discontinuity.
Soil Reaction: strongly acid to extremely acid throughout, except where limed
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A or Ap horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to5, and chroma of 1 to 4.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, or silt loam.
E, EB, or BE horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 6.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam.
Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy clay loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam.
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron masses in shades of red yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray.
Btx horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, silt loam, or sandy clay loam, or clay loam.
Redoximorphic features--iron masses in shades of red yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray.
Other features-very coarse prismatic structure.
2Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 8.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy clay loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam.
Redoximorphic features --iron masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray.
2BC or 2CB horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 8.
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--ranging from loamy coarse sand to silty clay.
Redoximorphic features --iron masses in shades of red yellow, or brown and iron depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray.
COMPETING SERIES:
Annandale soils--formed in deeply weathered granitic gneiss or old glacial till
Califon soils--formed in deeply weathered, old till or colluvium
Delassus soils--formed in loess mixed with slope alluvium over residuum from granite
Hanover soils--formed in weathered Illinoian glacial till
Meckesville soils--formed in colluvium, glacial till, or congeliturbate from acid rocks
Monongahela soils--formed in old alluvium derived mainly from acid rocks
Tonti soils--formed in residuum from cherty limestone
Watson soils--formed in pre-Wisconsin glacial till
York soils--formed in materials weathered mainly from sericite schist
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Coastal plain, upland
Landform: Broad interstream divides
Hillslope Profile Position: Summits, shoulders, backslopes
Geomorphic Component: Interfluve, sideslopes
Parent Material: Silty eolian over loamy fluviomarine deposits
Slope: 0 to 40 percent
Elevation: 24 to 116 m (80 to 380 feet)
Frost-free period: 160 to 240 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 9 to 16 degrees C (48 to 60 degrees F).
Mean Annual Precipitation: 889 to 1397 mm (35 to 55 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Aquasco soils--are somewhat poorly drained, on similar landforms
Butlertown soils--are moderately well drained, formed in a silty materials and have less than 15 percent particles coarser than very fine sandy in the particle-size control section
Chillum soils--are well drained and lack a fragipan
Leonardtown soils--are poorly drained, on similar landforms
Matapeake soils--are well drained and lack a fragipan
Sassafras soils--are well drained and lack a fragipan
Woodstown soils--are moderately well drained, and lack a fragipan
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Moderately well drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Very thin to thin, moderately deep, and common.
Flooding Frequency and Duration Classes: None
Ponding Frequency and Duration Classes: None
Index Surface Runoff Class: Moderate to very high
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: High above the fragipan; moderately low or low in the fragipan
Permeability Class (obsolete): Moderate above the fragipan; slow or very slow in the fragipan
Shrink-swell Potential Class: Low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Woodland, cropland, and urban development
Dominant Vegetation: Where cultivated--general crops, tobacco and some pasture.
Where wooded--black oak, white oak, pin oak, yellow poplar, sweetgum, red maple, American Holly, beech, and shortleaf and Virginia pine.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
Distribution: Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania
Extent: Large
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Prince Georges County, Maryland, 1939.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 20 cm (Oi, A, and E horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 20 to 165 cm (Bt, Btx1, Btx2 and 2Bt horizons)
Fragipan--the zone from 51 to 104 cm (Btx horizons)
Other soil features identified with this pedon:
Lithologic discontinuity--the zone beginning at 104 cm
Series control section--the zone from 0 to 200 cm
The type location is moved because the former type location has been developed and the typical pedon is no longer available for study.
Previous revisions: 02/2005 JWB, 09/2006 DRPV-JWB
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data is available from the NSSL for the following pedons: 94MD033001 (Typical Pedon), 70MD031001, 76MD029002, 85MD031002, 88MD510008, 01MD017002.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.