LOCATION BISCOE NC
Established Series
RJL, JWL, STE/Rev. JAK/REV. DTA
03/2026
BISCOE SERIES
MLRA(s): 136 (thermic part)
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Southeast
Depth Class: Moderately deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Somewhat poorly drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Moderately high to moderately low
Shrink-swell Potential: Low
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Flats, depressions, sloughs, and drainageways
Parent Material: Residuum weathered from Carolina slate (dominantly argillite formed in sediments derived from fine-grained volcanic and metavolcanic rock)
Slope: 0 to 15 percent
Elevation (type location): 145 meters (475 feet)
Frost Free Period (type location): 215 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 15 degrees C (59 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1168 millimeters (46 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, siliceous, subactive, thermic Aeric Epiaquults
TYPICAL PEDON: Biscoe silt loam (in an area of Biscoe-Secrest complex, 2 to 6 percent slopes), on a concave 2 percent slope in a cut-over area newly planted to loblolly pine. (Colors are for moist soil, unless otherwise indicated)
A--0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); black (2.5Y 2.5/1) silt loam; moderate very thick platy parting to weak fine angular blocky structure; friable; nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine and medium roots and common coarse roots throughout; 2 percent fine subrounded quartz gravel; very strongly acid, pH 4.5, Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches) thick)
BE--8 to 20 centimeters (3 to 8 inches); pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) silt loam; moderate very thick platy parting to weak fine angular blocky structure; friable; nonsticky, slightly plastic; many fine and medium and common coarse roots throughout; few fine and medium tubular pores; 5 percent medium faint light gray (2.5Y 7/2) iron depletions; 25 percent medium and coarse prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron; 2 percent fine subrounded quartz gravel; positive reaction to alpha,alpha-dipyridyl; very strongly acid, pH 5.0, Hellige-Truog; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches) thick)
Bt--20 to 53 centimeters (8 to 21 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) silty clay loam; moderate medium angular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots throughout; few fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent medium and coarse distinct light gray (2.5Y 7/1) iron depletions; 10 percent medium and coarse prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and 10 percent medium and coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron; 5 percent faint clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent fine subrounded quartz gravel; very strongly acid, pH 5.0, Hellige-Truog; gradual wavy boundary. (23 to 58 centimeters (9 to 23 inches) thick)
Btg--53 to 58 centimeters (21 to 23 inches); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay; moderate coarse angular blocky structure; firm; moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots between peds; 10 percent coarse distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) and 2 percent medium prominent light red (2.5YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron; 10 percent distinct clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent fine subrounded quartz gravel; very strongly acid, pH 5.0, Hellige-Truog; abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 33 centimeters (0 to 13 inches) thick)
Cr--58 to 104 centimeters (23 to 41 inches); soft argillite; fractured at intervals of 10 to 46 centimeters (4 to 18 inches); moderately cemented; high excavation difficulty; few widely spaced seams of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay in cracks; abrupt smooth boundary.
R--104 centimeters (41 inches); hard argillite; fractured at intervals of 46 to more than 99 centimeters (18 to 39 inches); strongly cemented; very high excavation difficulty.
TYPE LOCATION: Montgomery County, North Carolina; about 4.0 miles south of Troy on Secondary Road 1005; 122 meters (about 400 feet) north of the intersection with Secondary Road 1549 on Secondary Road 1005; 244 meters (about 800 feet) west of road in cut-over. USGS Troy, North Carolina topographic quadrangle.
Latitude--35.3048
Longitude-- -79.8988
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to top of argillic horizon: 13 to 36 centimeters (5 to 14 inches)
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 46 to 97 centimeters (18 to 38 inches)
Depth to bedrock: 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) to soft bedrock and more than 102 centimeters (40 inches) to hard bedrock
Depth to seasonal high water table: 15 to 46 centimeters (6 to 18 inches) (perched) for 3 to 5 months (November to March)
Soil Reaction: Very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout, unless limed.
Rock fragment content: 0 to 25 percent, by volume argillite paragravel or parachanners or quartz gravel in the A, E, and B horizons and 0 to 30 percent in the C horizon
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A horizon or Ap horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y value of 2 to 5 (value of 6, if cultivated), chroma of 1 to 5
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt, silt loam, or loam
E horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y value of 5 to 7, chroma of 3 or 4 (value of 8 and chroma of 1 or 2 if lithochromic)
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt, silt loam, or loam
Mottles (if they occur)--non-redoximorphic in shades black, dark gray, or brown (primarily mixed surface material)
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Eg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt, silt loam, or loam
Mottles (if they occur)--non-redoximorphic in shades black, dark gray, or brown (primarily mixed surface material)
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
BE horizon or EB, AB, or BA horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 3 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam or loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
BEg, EBg, ABg, or BAg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam or loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Bt horizon (upper part):
Color--hue of 2.5Y (10YR hue allowed where a positive reaction with
alpha,alpha-dipyridyl occurs within 50 centimeters (20 inches) of the surface), value of 5 to 7, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Redoximorphic features (If they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Bt horizon (lower part):
Color--hue of 2.5Y or 5Y (10YR hue allowed where a positive reaction with alpha,alpha-dipyridyl occurs within 50 centimeters (20 inches) of the surface), value of 5 to 7, chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, clay, clay loam, or loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Btg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, clay, clay loam, or loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
BCtg, BCg, or Btg/C horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 6 or 7, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Mottles (if they occur)--lithochromic in shades of white or pale yellow
Redoximorphic features (where present)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
BC, BCt, Bt/C or B/C horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8, chroma of 3 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Mottles (if they occur)--lithochromic in shades of white or pale yellow
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
C horizon, CB horizon, C/B horizon, or C/Bt horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 8 chroma of 3 or 4
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Mottles (if they occur)--lithochromic in shades of white or pale yellow
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Cg horizon or CBg horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 6 or 7, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Mottles (if they occur)--lithochromic in shades of white or pale yellow
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron depletions or clay depletions in shades of brown, yellow, olive, or gray and masses of oxidized iron or iron-manganese masses in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Cr horizon:
Bedrock kind--soft Carolina slate (dominantly argillite)
Bedrock hardness--extremely weakly cemented to moderately cemented
Fracture interval--greater than 10 centimeters (4 inches)
Excavation difficulty--low to high
R horizon:
Bedrock kind--hard Carolina slate (dominantly argillite)
Bedrock hardness--strongly cemented to indurated
Fracture interval--greater than 10 centimeters (4 inches)
Excavation difficulty--very high or extremely high
COMPETING SERIES:
Mandale soils--are very deep
Secrest soils--are deep to soft bedrock
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation (type location): 90 to 245 meters (about 300 to 800 feet)
Frost Free Period: 180 to 240 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C. (about 57 to 63 degrees F.)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1100 to 1300 millimeters (about 43 to 51 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Alamance soils--are well drained and very deep; on higher landforms
Badin soils--are well drained, clayey, and have a depth to soft bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Callison soils--are moderately well drained and have a depth to soft bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Cid soils--are moderately well drained and have a depth to hard bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Georgeville soils--are well drained and clayey
Goldston soils--are well drained, loamy-skeletal, and have a depth to soft bedrock of less than 51 centimeters (20 inches)
Gundy soils--are well drained, clayey, and have a depth to soft bedrock of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches), and have higher base saturation
Herndon soils-- are well drained and clayey
Kirksey soils--are moderately well drained and have a depth to hard bedrock of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Lignum soils--are clayey and have a depth to soft bedrock of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Misenheimer soils--are moderately well drained, loamy, and have a depth to soft bedrock of less than 51 centimeters (20 inches)
Montonia soils--are well drained, fine-loamy, and have a depth to soft bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Nanford soils--are well drained, clayey, and have a depth to soft bedrock of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Pageland soils--are moderately well drained, have a depth to soft bedrock of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches), and have higher base saturation
Secrest soils--are moderately well drained and have a depth to soft bedrock of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Tarrus soils--are well drained, clayey, and have a depth to soft bedrock of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Somewhat poorly drained
Index Surface Runoff: Medium
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Moderately high to moderately low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Woodland, pasture and cropland
Dominant Vegetation: Where wooded--mixed hardwoods and pine
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: North Carolina and possibly South Carolina
Extent: Small
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montgomery County, North Carolina; 2007.
REMARKS: Biscoe soils were originally proposed under the name Callistone soils. Because of the similarity to the Callison series name, the name was changed. Biscoe soils were formerly included with Callison and Cid soils in mapping. Callison and Cid soils are moderately well drained and Cid soils are clayey and are deep to hard bedrock.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) (A and BE horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 20 to 58 centimeters (8 to 23 inches) (Bt and Btg horizons)
Aquic conditions--periodic saturation and reduction within 8 to 58 centimeters (3 to 23 inches) of the surface, and one or more unsaturated layers within 200 centimeters (79 inches) of the surface, occurring below the periodically saturated zone (episaturation)
Redox concentrations--the zone from 8 to 58 centimeters (3 to 23 inches)
Redox depletions with chroma 2 or less--the zone from 8 to 58 centimeters (about 3 to 23 inches)
Paralithic contact--soft bedrock contact at a depth of 58 centimeters (23 inches)
Paralithic materials--the zone from 58 to 104 centimeters (23 to 41 inches) (Cr layer)
Hard bedrock--bedrock contact at a depth of 104 centimeters (41 inches) (R layer)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data are not available at this time.
Database Information:
Data Mapunit ID--To be completed
User Pedon ID--To be completed
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.