LOCATION BUZZROCK VA
Established Series
MHC-DHK/Rev. JRT
07/2013
BUZZROCK SERIES
The Buzzrock series consists of deep, well drained soils on interfluves and side slopes at high elevations in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. They formed in soil creep derived from materials weathered from felsic, intermediate, and mafic, high-grade metamorphic or igneous rocks such as mica gneiss, hornblende gneiss, rhyolite, and granite. Near the type location, mean annual air temperature is about 52 inches. Slope ranges from 2 to 80 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal over fragmental, isotic over mixed, frigid Typic Humudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Buzzrock loam on a 24 percent south facing back slope at 5320 feet elevation--rangeland/open land. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 14 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; 10 percent gravel very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bw--14 to 18 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very channery loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; 50 percent channers; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
C--18 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravel; single grain; loose; 90 percent cobbles and channers; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
R--42 inches; hard rhyolite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Grayson County, Virginia (Jefferson National Forest, Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area); about 2.0 miles northwest of Whitetop, Virginia; about 1.1 miles northwest of the junction of Highways NF-89 (road to Whitetop Mountain) and VA-603; and 2.6 miles south of the junction of VA-603 and VA-600 in a pasture field; USGS Whitetop Mountain topographic quadrangle; lat. 36 degrees 38 minutes 6 seconds N. and long. 81 degrees 36 minutes 26 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 15 to 40 inches. Depth to bedrock is 40 to 60 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid. Rock fragment content ranges from 20 to 90 in the A and Bw horizons, and more than 90 percent in the C horizon. Average rock fragment content in the particle-size control section ranges from 35 to 90 percent by volume. They range from gravel to boulders in size. Typically, the amount of rock fragments increases with depth.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3 or is neutral with value of 2 or 3. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: Three are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Buzzrock soils are on gently sloping to very steep convex parts of summits, shoulders and backslopes at high elevations in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Slope is commonly between 15 and 50 percent, but ranges from 2 to 80 percent. Elevation is generally above 4000 feet on cool aspects and 4400 feet on warm aspects in the vicinity of the type of location. Buzzrock soils formed in soil creep derived from materials weathered from felsic, intermediate, and mafic high-grade metamorphic or igneous rocks such as mica gneiss, granite, rhyolite, hornblende gneiss, and hornblende schist. Mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 47 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 60 inches. Moist atmospheric conditions are prevalent and fog and cloud inundation is common in these high mountain areas.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Blackarn (T),
Bloodyhorse (T),
Craggey, Mt Rogers (T), and
Tanasee soils. Blackarn, Mt Rogers and Tanasee soils have bedrock at more than 60 inches. Bloodyhorse soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Craggey soils have bedrock at 10 to 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained with moderately rapid permeability in the solum and very rapid permeability in the substratum. Runoff class is very low on gentle slopes; low on strongly sloping to moderately steep areas; and medium on steep and very steep areas.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. In areas with elevations higher than about 5200 feet, red spruce and Fraser fir are the dominant trees. At the lower elevations, northern red oak, yellow birch, black birch, black cherry, sugar maple, eastern hemlock, American beech, and yellow buckeye are common. Common understory plants are serviceberry, striped maple, American chestnut sprouts, silver bell, witch hobble, rhododendron, blueberry, and smooth blackberry. Trillium, yellow mandarin, wood sorrel and New York fern are common forbs. The main uses of this soil are for wildlife and recreational activities such as hiking, hunting, and scenic viewing.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Virginia and possibly North Carolina and Tennessee. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grayson County, Virginia, 2006
REMARKS: The Buzzrock series was proposed in the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area for a special project. It appears on the legend for that area. It was used on the legend for the Grayson County Soil Survey Area. The 8/2000 revision updates this series to the 8th edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The mineralogy class is estimated from other series that are somewhat similar and have lab data (such as Balsam). The 7/2013 revision updates the Series Status and Series Established Section and updates this series to the 11th edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Umbric epipedon - 0 to 14 inches (A horizon).
b. Cambic horizon - 14 to 18 inches (Bw horizon).
c. Fragmental particle size class (lower profile) - zone with more than 90 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the control section - 18 to 40 inches.
d. Lithic contact - 42 inches, hard rhyolite bedrock (R horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: There are no known data available. Transect data are available from the Grayson County Soil Survey Area.
MLRA = 130
Revised 6/7/95-MHC; 8/2000-DHK; 7/2013-JRT
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.