LOCATION CULPEPER VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, kaolinitic, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Culpeper sandy loam on a west facing slope in intermixed conifers and hardwoods at 470 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist color unless otherwise stated)
Oi--0 to 1 inches; slightly decomposed organic materials; clear smooth boundary.
Oa--1 to 2 inches; highly decomposed organic materials; common very fine and fine roots throughout; clear smooth boundary.
A--2 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and common medium roots; common very fine and fine low continuity interstitial pores, common very fine and fine moderate continuity tubular pores and common medium high continuity tubular pores; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt1--4 to 6 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine, common medium, common coarse and common very coarse roots; common very fine and fine low continuity interstitial pores, common very fine and fine moderate continuity tubular pores and common medium high continuity tubular pores; common faint discontinuous reddish brown (5YR 5/4), moist, clay films on faces of peds; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--6 to 9 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine, common medium, common coarse, and common very coarse roots; common very fine and fine low continuity interstitial pores and common very fine and fine moderate continuity tubular pores and few medium high continuity tubular pores; many distinct discontinuous yellowish red (5YR 5/6), moist, clay films on faces of peds; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--9 to 23 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine low continuity interstitial pores, common fine moderate continuity tubular pores and common medium high continuity tubular pores; many prominent continuous red (2.5YR 4/6), moist, clay films on faces of peds; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary.
Bt4--23 to 33 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) and yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay loam; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse roots; common very fine and fine low continuity interstitial pores, common fine moderate continuity tubular pores and common medium high continuity tubular pores; many prominent discontinuous red (2.5YR 4/6), moist, clay films on faces of peds; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary.
Bt5--33 to 43 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and red (2.5YR 4/6) clay loam; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine low continuity interstitial pores and few medium moderate continuity tubular pores; common distinct discontinuous red (2.5YR 4/6), moist, clay films on faces of peds; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 10 to 40 inches)
BC--43 to 51 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6), strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy loam; weak coarse angular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine low continuity interstitial and tubular pores; few distinct patchy red (2.5YR 4/6), moist, clay films on faces of peds; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C1--51 to 61 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy loam; massive; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C2--61 to 67 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy loam; massive; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C3--67 to 75 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy loam; massive; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C4--75 to 83 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy loam; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C5--83 to 86 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy loam; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine mica flakes; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Culpeper County, Virginia. USGS Culpeper West topographic quadrangle; lat. 38 degrees 26 minutes 25.6 seconds N. and long. 78 degrees 3 minutes 20.5 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 20 to 60 inches. The depth to the paralithic or lithic contact is greater than 60 inches. Reaction is extremely acid to moderately acid.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 6, chroma of 2 through 4. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 30 percent. Rock fragments are mainly subangular metaquartzite gravels and cobbles.
The Ap horizon (where present) has a hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 6, chroma of 3 through 6. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Rock fragments are mainly subangular metaquartzite gravels and cobbles.
Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 5YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, chroma of 3 through 8. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 25 percent. Rock fragments are mainly subangular metaquartzite gravels and cobbles.
Some pedons have an BE horizon with hue of 5YR or 10YR, value of 5, chroma of 4 through 6. It is sandy loam or loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 20 percent. Rock fragments are mainly subangular metaquartzite gravels and cobbles.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10R through 5YR, with subhorizons of 7.5YR or 10YR in some pedons, value of 4 through 8, chroma of 4 through 8. It is clay loam, sandy clay, or clay, with subhorizons of sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or silty clay loam in some pedons. Average clay contnet ranges from 35 to 60 percent. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 20 percent. Rock fragments are mainly subangular metaquartzite gravels and cobbles.
The BC horizon has hueof 2.5YR through 10YR or variegated 2.5YR through 10YR and neutral, value of 3 through 8, chroma of 3 through 8 or variegated 0 through 8.
It is sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam, with subhorizons in some pedons of silt loam or silty clay loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 10 percent. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 20 percent. Rock fragments are mainly subangular metaquartzite and metasedimentary gravels and cobbles.
The C horizon has hue,variegated, 2.5YR through 10YR and neutral, value of 2 through 8, chroma of 0 through 8. It is loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, silty clay loam or clay loam. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 to 25 percent. Rock fragments are mainly subangular metaquartzite and metasedimentary gravels and cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: Elioak and Minnieville soils are competing series in the same family. Elioak soils develop from crystalline micaeous rock. Minnieville soils develop from horneblend gneiss and schist.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Culpeper soils formed in arkosic metasandstones, meta-arkose and metagraywacke and are on summits, shoulders and backslopes of ridges in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Slope gradients ranges from 2 to 25 percent. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 48 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 50 to 58 degrees F. Elevation ranges from 250 to 800 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Elioak,
Glenelg,
Edgemont,
Hazel,
Swampoodle and
Meadowville soils. Elioak soils, that develop from mica schist and contain more silt and mica flakes, are on similar landscape positions. Edgemont and Glenelg soils, that have brown subsoils with less clay, are on similar landscape positions. Hazel soils, that have less clay in the subsoil and are shallower to bedrock, are on steep sideslopes. Swampoodle and Meadowville soils, that have brown subsoils with less clay and are shallower to seasonal high water table, are in depressions, heads of drains and drainageways.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; potential for surface runoff medium to high; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Culpeper soils are used for cropland, pastureland, hayland and woodland. The principal crops are corn, small grain, and hay. A minor acreage is used for apple and peach orchards. Forest vegetation consists of white, scarlet, red, post and chestnut oaks, shortleaf pine, Virginia pine, and a few hickory, dogwood, and black gum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 148. Northern Piedmont. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Culpeper County, Virginia, 1944.
REMARKS: Culpeper typical pedon moved from Fauquier County, Virginia to Culpeper County, Virginia due to age of original description and errors within description. Typical pedon moved October, 2000.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 4 inches (Oa and A horizons)
2) Argillic horizon - from 4 to 43 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, and Bt5 horizons).