LOCATION BRASSTOWN NC+TN
Established Series
Rev. DJT-JDV-AG-MKC
12/2021
BRASSTOWN SERIES
The Brasstown series consists of deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils on ridges and side slopes of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These soils formed in residuum that is affected by soil creep in the upper part, and is weathered from metasedimentary rocks such as phyllite, slate, quartzite and thinly bedded metasandstone. Slope ranges from 2 to 95 percent. Near the type location, mean annual air temperature is 56 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is 60 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, subactive, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Brasstown channery fine sandy loam on a 24 percent south-facing mountain side slope, elevation 1732 feet--forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inches, partially decomposed deciduous leaves, twigs, and roots.
A--1 to 7 inches, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) channery fine sandy loam; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; 25 percent by volume metasandstone and phyllite channers; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
BA--7 to 11 inches, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) channery sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; 20 percent by volume metasandstone and phyllite channers; common fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--11 to 30 inches, red (2.5YR 4/8) channery sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; 25 percent by volume metasandstone and phyllite channers; common fine flakes of mica; few fine and medium roots; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 45 inches thick)
BC--30 to 38 inches, red (2.5YR 4/6) channery fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; 25 percent by volume phyllite channers; common fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C--38 to 47 inches, multicolored phyllite saprolite that has channery very fine sandy loam texture; massive; very friable; 30 percent by volume phyllite channers; common fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Cr--47 to 60 inches, multicolored, weathered, and fractured interbedded metasandstone and phyllite; partially consolidated but can be dug with difficulty with a spade.
TYPE LOCATION: Cherokee County, North Carolina; west from Murphy on US 64 to SR 1301; west on SR 1301 to SR 1302; northwest on SR 1302 to SR 1303; northeast on SR 1303 to USFS 307; 0.5 mile west of USFS 6068 on USFS 307 in woods.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 26 to 59 inches. Depth to a paralithic contact with soft weathered bedrock is 40 to 60 inches. Depth to hard bedrock is more than 60 inches. Content of rock fragments ranges up to 35 percent by volume. Fragments are dominantly channers or gravel in the A, E, Bt, and BC horizons. They range from channers to flagstones in the C horizon. Content of mica flakes is few to common throughout. Reaction is extremely acid to moderately acid.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 5YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 8. A horizons that have value of 3 are thinner than 6 inches. This horizon is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. It has the same textures as the A horizon.
The BA or BE horizons, where present, have hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. They are loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. At least part of the Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR. It is loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The BC or CB horizons, where present, are similar in color and texture to the BA and BE horizons.
The C horizon is similar in color to the BC horizon or is multicolored. It is multicolored saprolite that is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Cr horizon is multicolored, fractured, and weathered metasedimentary rocks such as phyllite, slate, quartzite and thinly bedded metasandstone. It is partly consolidated but can be dug with difficulty with a spade.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Albemarle,
Allegheny,
Allenwood,
Arcola, Arendstville,
Aura,
Bedington,
Birdsboro,
Bucks,
Butano,
Chester,
Chetwynd,
Chilmark,
Clymer,
Collington,
Cowee,
Edgemont,
Edneytown,
Elsinboro,
Eubanks,
Fernhaven,
Frankstown,
Freehold,
Gilpin,
Gladstone,
Glenelg,
Junaluska,
Leck Kill,
Matapeake,
Meadowville,
Murrill,
Nixon,
Pineville,
Quakertown,
Rayne,
Shelocta,
Shouns,
Syenite,
Tate,
Thurmont,
Ungers, and
Whiteford soils in the same family.
Except for
Junaluska, none of the competing series formed in residuum weathered from metasedimentary rocks such as phyllite, slate, quartzite, and metasandstone, or contain fragments of those rocks. Junaluska soils have a Cr horizon of weathered bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
Note: The above section has not been updated to reflect the 8th Edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brasstown soils are on gently sloping to very steep ridges and side slopes of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Elevation ranges from about 1500 to 3500 feet. Slopes are typically 15 to 50 percent, but range from 2 to 95 percent. Brasstown soils formed in residuum that is affected by soil creep in the upper part, and is weathered from metasedimentary rocks such as phyllite, slate, quartzite, and metasandstone. Near the type location, mean annual air temperature is about 56 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Junaluska soils, and the
Cataska,
Nantahala,
Soco,
Stecoah,
Sylco, and
Tsali soils. Cataska, Soco, Stecoah, and Sylco soils do not have an argillic horizon. In addition, Cataska and Sylco are in a loamy-skeletal family. Nantahala soils have a clayey Bt horizon. Tsali soils are shallow to a Cr horizon. Cataska, Sylco, and Tsali soils are typically in very steep, less stable parts of the landscape. Nantahala soils are in lower or smoother parts of the landscape. Soco and Stecoah are at locally higher elevations or on very steep slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow runoff where forest litter has had little or no disturbance; medium to rapid runoff where litter has been removed; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is in forest. Common trees are scarlet oak, chestnut oak, northern red oak, white oak, black oak, hickory, and some Virginia pine, pitch pine, shortleaf pine, and eastern white pine. The understory includes flowering dogwood, rhododendron, mountain-laurel, sourwood, blueberry, buffalo nut, blackgum, and red maple. Some areas are used for pasture and cropland. The main crops are corn and hay.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Carolina, and possibly Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: McDowell County, North Carolina, 1989. The name is from the community of Brasstown in adjoining Clay County, North Carolina.
REMARKS: The soils now placed in the Brasstown series were previously included in the Evard series. However, Brasstown is derived from and has fragments of metasedimentary rocks, and Evard contains fragments of granite, gneiss, or schist. The 6/99 revision updates the classification to the 8th Edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The soil is placed in the subactive CEC activity class based upon NSSL lab data from the typifying pedon.
11/2021 revision: Oi had 1 to 0 inch depths, corrected to be 0 to 1 in horizon depths then added 1 inch to all horizon depths throughout the typical pedon.
Laboratory data from the typifying pedon were obtained from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, sample number S85NC-039-002.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon - 0 to 6 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - 10 to 29 inches (Bt horizon)
Paralithic contact - the contact at 46 inches (the upper boundary of the Cr horizon)
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.