LOCATION CONSUL AL
Established Series
RMB:PGM
10/2018
CONSUL SERIES
The Consul series consists of deep, poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in clayey sediments overlying alkaline shale. They are on uplands of the Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas Blackland Prairie and the Southern Coastal Plain major land resource areas. Near the type location, the average annual air temperature is about 63 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is about 53 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Dystraquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Consul clay--idle field, micro-low of cyclic pedon. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay; weak fine granular and weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many fine and medium roots; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bssg1--6 to 20 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay; weak coarse prisms parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very firm; common fine roots on surfaces of peds; common intersecting slickensides having faint, slightly grooved surfaces; common fine brown and black concretions (Fe & Mn oxides); common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation on faces of peds and within the matrix; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bssg2--20 to 40 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay; large wedge-shaped aggregates which part to strong medium and coarse angular blocky; very firm; few fine roots on faces of peds; common large intersecting slickensides having distinct polished and grooved surfaces; many fine brown and black concretions (Fe & Mn oxides); common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation on faces of peds and within the matrix; many medium faint light gray (5Y 7/1) iron depletions on faces of peds; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bssg3--40 to 52 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay; large wedge-shaped aggregates which part to strong medium and coarse angular blocky; very firm; common large intersecting slickensides having distinct polished and grooved surfaces; common fine fragments of soft shale; many fine brown and black concretions (Fe & Mn oxides); many black stains (MnO2) on faces of peds in a 2-inch layer above the lower boundary; many fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of iron accumulation on faces of peds and within the matrix; many fine faint iron depletions on faces of peds; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary.
Cr--52 to 80 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), interior, and grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2), exterior, shale; weak medium platy and conchoidal rock structure; common soft masses of calcium carbonate; many fine black concretions (Fe & Mn oxides); common medium distinct yellow (2.5Y 7/6) masses of iron accumulation on structural faces; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Marengo County, Alabama; 1.5 miles west of Thomaston on Highway 28 and 1.5 miles south on field road, 40 feet west of road; or 2700 feet west and 2100 feet north of the southeast corner of section 27, T.15N., R.4E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to shale bedrock ranges from 40 to 60 inches.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is silty clay or clay. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid except where lime has been added.
The Bssg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redox depletions in shades of gray and redox accumulations in shades of brown and red range from common to many. Black or brown concretions and/or nodules (Fe & Mn oxides) range from few to common. Texture is clay. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid in the upper part and ranges from very strongly acid to neutral in the lower part.
The Cr horizon is weathered shale. It has platy and conchoidal rock structure. Soft masses of calcium carbonate range from none to common. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. It can be dug with difficulty with hand tools and is rippable by heavy equipment.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the
Ashford and the
Eutaw series in the same family and the
Mayhew series in a closely similar family. Ashford soils are very deep and formed in clayey alluvium on Pleistocene-age terraces. Eutaw soils are very deep and overlie chalk or alkaline clays. Mayhew soils have a fine particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Consul soils are on broad, nearly level ridgetops in uplands of the Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas Blackland Prairie and the Southern Coastal Plain MLRA's. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in clayey sediments overlying thick beds of alkaline shale. The average annual air temperature ranges from 60 to 65 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 48 to 56 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Halso,
Houlka,
Oktibbeha,
Vaiden, and
Wilcox series. Halso soils are on ridgetops and side slopes at higher elevations. Houlka soils are in flood plains and are subject to frequent flooding. Oktibbeha and Vaiden soils are on similar positions as Consul soils but at slightly lower elevations. They are underlain by chalk bedrock. Wilcox soils are on lower slopes and have hue of 2.5YR or 5YR in the upper part of the solum.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is very slow. This soil is saturated within a depth of 1.0 to 2.0 feet of the surface for significant periods during winter and spring of most years. Water ponds in micro-lows for brief duration after heavy rains.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in pasture and woodland. Common trees in wooded areas include loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, southern red oak, water oak, post oak, sweetgum, and hickory.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alabama and possibly Mississippi. It is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marengo County, Alabama in 1997.
REMARKS: This soil has been included in mapping with the Mayhew and Eutaw series.
Diagnostic horizons and significant features recognized in this soil are:
Ochric epipedon......0 to 6 inches (Ap horizon)
Cambic epipedon......6 to 52 inches (Bssg horizons)
Slickensides.........6 to 52 inches (Bssg horizons)
Aquic conditions within 40 inches of the soil surface in most years and redoximorphic features (Bgss horizons)
Additional Data: Physical and chemical characterization data are available for the typical pedon (S87AL-091-002) and two additional pedons (S87AL-091-001 and S87AL-091-004). Engineering test data is available on the typical pedon.
SIR - AL0155
MLRA(s): 135, 133A
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.