LOCATION CONECUH AL
Established Series
Rev. PGM; GRB
10/2018
CONECUH SERIES
The Conecuh series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, very slowly permeable soils on uplands and hill slopes of the Southern Coastal Plain (MLRA 133A). They formed in clayey and shaley marine sediments. Near the type location, the average annual temperature is about 65 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 50 inches. Slopes range from 1 to 35 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Vertic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Conecuh sandy loam, on a convex 3 percent slope under loblolly pine at an elevation of about 530 feet (Colors are for moist soil).
A--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam; moderate medium granular structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; few fine distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 11 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 9 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots; few fine pores; common distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--9 to 17 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; moderate fine angular blocky structure; firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; common distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds; few fine pores; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--17 to 31 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; strong fine angular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; many prominent continuous clay films on faces of peds; few fine flakes of mica; common medium prominent olive gray (5Y 5/2) and pale olive (5Y 6/3) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt4--31 to 39 inches; 30 percent red (2.5YR 4/6), 25 percent yellowish red (5YR 5/8), 25 percent gray (10YR 6/1), and 20 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay; moderate fine angular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; many prominent discontinuous clay films on faces of most peds; few fine flakes of mica; about 1 percent by volume of channers of shale; the areas in red and yellowish red are iron accumulations and the areas in gray and light brownish gray are iron depletions; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons range from 18 to 50 inches.)
BC--39 to 50 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; few distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of most peds; common fine flakes of mica; about 10 percent, by volume, channers of shale; many medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and few medium prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 27 inches thick.)
C--50 to 63 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clayey shale; very firm; clay loam; moderate medium platy structure; firm; common fine roots; few clay films on vertical faces of peds; many fine flakes of mica; the matrix color is derived from the parent material is not indicative of wetness; many medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6), common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation and common medium faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) areas of iron depletion; extremely acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Bullock County, Alabama. The site is about 75 feet south of Alabama Power Company transmission pole Number 28 in the NW1/4, NW1/4, NW1/4, Sec. 5; T. 9 N., R. 8 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout, except where the surface has been limed. Silt content ranges from 25 to 45 percent silt. The calcium magnesium ratio is less than 1.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Eroded pedons have hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, silt loam or sandy clay loam.
Some pedons have a thin E horizon. Where present, it has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. The texture has the same range as the A or AP horizon.
The upper part of the Bt horizon has hue of 10R to 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown and gray range from none to common. Texture is silty clay or clay. Most pedons have a thin (1 to 5 inches thick) layer of clay loam or silty clay loam.
The lower part of the Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8; or there is no dominant color and it is multicolored in shades of red, gray, brown and yellow. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, red, yellow or brown range from common to many. Texture is clay or silty clay.
The BC or CB horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 6; or there is no dominant color and is multicolored in varying shades of gray, red, yellow and brown. Redoximorphic, relict and parent material colors in shades of red, yellow, or brown range from few to many. Texture is silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silty clay or clay.
The C horizon has the same colors as the BC or CB horizon. It is massive or has platy structure. Texture ranges from sandy loam to clay with a crushed clay content of 25 to 50 percent. In some pedons, the C horizon is clayey shale.
COMPETING SERIES: The
Halso series is the only other known series in the same family. The
Beatrice series is in a closely related family. Halso soils are on similar positions and have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches. Beatrice soils are on similar to lower less sloping positions and have more clay in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Conecuh soils are on convex uplands and hill slopes of the Southern Coastal Plain. They formed in clayey and shaley marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. Slopes range from 1 to 35 percent. Near the type location, the average annual temperature of 65 degrees F and average annual precipitation of 50 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing
Halso and
Beatrice series, these include the
Arundel,
Bibb,
Blanton,
Lucy,
Luverne,
Mantachie,
Orangeburg,
Poarch,
Sacul and
Troup series. The well drained Arundel soils are moderately deep to siltstone. The poorly drained Bibb and somewhat poorly drained Mantachie soils on adjacent lower flood plains. The somewhat excessively drained to moderately well drained Blanton and somewhat excessively drained Troup soils are on higher adjacent positions and have sandy surface and subsurface layers 40 to 80 inches in thickness. The well drained Lucy and Orangeburg soils are on higher adjacent positions. In addition, Lucy soils have sandy surface and subsurface layers 20 to 40 inches in thickness and Orangeburg soils have fine-loamy control sections. The well drained Luverne and the moderately well drained Sacul soils are on similar positions and have mixed mineralogy control sections. The moderately well and well drained Poarch soils are on higher adjacent positions and have coarse-loamy control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Conecuh soils are used for woodland. Forests are mainly pine with some mixed hardwoods. A few small areas have been cleared and are used for pasture, hay, cultivated crops and food plots.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Uplands and hill slopes of the Southern Coastal Plain of Alabama and possibly in other southern states. Known areas are in the Hatchetigbee, Nanafalia, Tuscahoma, and Tuscaloosa geologic formations. The acreage is believed to be of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Conecuh County, Alabama; 1985.
REMARKS: The Conecuh series was formerly included in the Boswell and Susquehanna series and, in more recent legends, the Beatrice series.
A special study is needed to determine if Conecuh is somewhat poorly drained or moderately well drained. Several typifying pedons in published soil surveys indicate they may be somewhat poorly drained.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 5 inches (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from a depth of 5 inches to a depth of 39 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons).
Aquic feature - the zone from a depth of 17 inches to a depth of 63 inches, presence of mottles with chroma of 2 or less (Bt3, Bt4, BC and C horizons).
Conecuh soils are in MLRA 133A.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Complete characterization data are available on 4 pedons; partial characterization data are available on 5 additional pedons; Engineering Test Data are available on 2 additional pedons. These soils were first recognized as pedon Number 1 in "A Lithosequence in Coastal Plain Sediments in Alabama" by R. A. Hoyum and B. F. Hajek, Soil Science Society of American Journal, Volume 43, No. 1, January - February, 1979.
Laboratory data is available on the National Soil Survey website at: http;://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/querypage.aspx
Laboratory data was provided by Auburn University, Soil Characterization laboratory, Auburn AL
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.