LOCATION CEDARBLUFF AL+GAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Fragiaquic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Cedarbluff fine sandy loam, nearly level, cropland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; few fine faint strong brown mottles; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
BE--5 to 9 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; few fine faint strong brown mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)
Bt--9 to 18 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots and pores; few patchy clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (9 to 23 inches thick)
Btx1--18 to 33 inches; mottled gray (10YR 6/1), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay loam; firm and compact areas are 1 to 4 inches wide, moderately brittle portions comprise approximately 40 percent of the horizontal area, friable gray seams are common in a reticulate pattern; few fine roots in gray seams; common fine pores; patchy thin clay films on faces of peds; few fine dark concretions; 3 to 4 percent red masses; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 21 inches thick)
Btx2--33 to 66 inches; mottled gray (10YR 6/1), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) clay loam; the brown and yellow parts have moderate blocky structure, 1 to 4 inches wide, which is moderately brittle and firm and comprises about 60 percent of horizontal area; friable gray seams are common in a reticulate pattern; few fine roots in gray seams; common fine pores; few fine dark concretions; 5 to 7 percent red masses; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Cherokee County, Alabama; 1 mile north of Alexic Baptist Church. SE1/4SE1/4NE1/4SE1/4 sec. 1, T. 10 S., R. 10 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 66 inches. Reaction ranges from medium acid to strongly acid in the Ap horizon and is strongly acid throughout the B horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. Texture is fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam.
The BE horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4, with few to many mottles in shades of gray, yellow, and brown.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 8, and chroma of 4 through 8 with common to many mottles in shades of yellow, brown, and gray.
The Btx1 and Btx2 horizons are mottled gray, yellowish brown, and yellow. The clay content of the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon ranges from about 18 to 35 percent and more than 20 percent silt. Texture of the Bt horizons is loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Some pedons have clay textures below 40 inches. The Btx1 and Btx2 horizons restrict roots in the compact brown and yellow portions which comprise about 40 to 60 percent of the horizontal area.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Ardilla and the Swafford series in the same family and the Basin, Brewton, Quitman, Saucier, and Stough series. Ardilla soils have less than 20 percent silt in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon. Swafford soils are moderately well drained. Basin, Brewton, Saucier, and Stough soils have less than 18 percent clay in the upper 20 inches oftheir Bt horizons. Quitman soils lack fragic properties.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cedarbluff soils are on nearly level, low terraces and upland depressions. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The soil formed in thick beds of alluvium from sandstone and shale uplands. Average annual rainfall is 55 inches near the type location and the average annual temperature is 60 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Cloudland, Gaylesville, Guthrie, and Holston series. Cloudland and Guthrie soils have fragipans. Gaylesville soils are poorly drained to somewhat poorly drained and Holston soils are well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: These soils are somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is moderate to slow. Permeability is moderate in the upper part of the solum and slow in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Pasture, woodland, and some cropland. Forested areas are chiefly hardwoods, dominated by oaks, hickory, and beech with some shortleaf and loblolly pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Southern Appalachian Valleys of Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. The series is of moderate extent. Approximately 4,400 acres have been mapped in the county where the series is proposed.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cherokee County, Alabama; 1972.
REMARKS: Data by Alabama Argicultural Experiment Station. Sample number S70Ala.10-57-(1-5). Cherokee County, Alabama.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 9 inches(Ap and BE horizon)
Argillic Horizon - 9 to 66 inches(Bt, Btx1, and Btx2 horizons)
Fragic feature - 40 to 60 percent brittleness from approximately 18 to 66 inches(Btx1 and Btx2 horizons)