LOCATION DAVISON            SD
Established Series
Rev. WFJ-WJB-AGG
03/2009

DAVISON SERIES


The Davison series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in stratified glacial meltwater sediments or glacial till on uplands. Permeability is moderate in the solum and moderate or moderately slow in the underlying material. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 23 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 46 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aeric Calciaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Davison loam - on a plane slope of 1 percent in a cultivated field. When described the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--6 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine masses of carbonates; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined A horizon is 7 to 15 inches thick.)

Bk1--9 to 15 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) moist redox concentrations; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium masses of calcium carbonate; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

Bk2--15 to 24 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; many fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist redox concentrations; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium masses of calcium carbonate; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined Bk horizon is 10 to 40 inches thick.)

Cg1--24 to 34 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; many fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist redox concentrations; massive; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; laminated; few fine dark stains and concretions (iron and manganese oxides); few medium masses of calcium carbonate; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Cg2--34 to 38 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) silt loam, gray (5Y 5/1) moist; many medium and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist redox concentrations; massive; soft, very friable; few fine dark concretions (iron and manganese oxides); strong effervescence; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Cg3--38 to 60 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) sandy loam, gray (5Y 5/1) moist; many medium prominent redox concentrations yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) moist; massive; soft, very friable; common medium dark stains and concretions (iron and manganese oxides); strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Davison County, South Dakota; about 3 1/2 miles north and 1 mile east of Mitchell; 1,130 feet south and 178 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 3, T. 103 N., R. 60 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from about 7 to 15 inches. The carbonates typically are at the surface but some pedons in native grass are leached to 6 inches. The calcic horizon includes the B horizon and the calcium carbonate equivalent is 15 to 30 percent. It contains up to 5 percent pebbles by volume.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. Typically, it is loam, but is very fine sandy loam, clay loam, or silt loam in some pedons. It is loamy fine sand where the soil is thinly mantled by sandy sediments. It ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It typically is loam or clay loam, but is sandy loam in some pedons. Some pedons have masses of gypsum. It typically has few or common, faint or distinct redox features in the lower part. Reaction ranges from slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.

The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 8 and 4 to 6 moist, chroma of 1 to 4. It typically is stratified loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam, and clay loam. Some pedons have fine sand below a depth of 40 inches or more. It has common or many, distinct or prominent redox features. Some pedons have few to common masses of gypsum. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Some pedons are strongly alkaline below a depth of 60 inches.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Antler, Gilby, Hamerly, Moritz and Tetonview series. Antler soils have less than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the upper third of the series control section. Bilber soils have less than 18 percent clay in the upper third of the series control section. Hamerly soils lack stratification in the lower third of the series control section. Moritz soils formed on flood plains and have an irregular decrease in organic carbon in the lower half of of the series control section. Tetonview soils have a O horizon and have a mean annual precipitation of 14 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Davison soils are nearly level to undulating on slightly convex rises associated with swales, depressed drainageways and depressions of glacial plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in stratified glacial meltwater deposits or glacial till. The mean air annual temperature ranges from 45 to 52 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 26 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonilla, Clarno, Crossplain, Dimo, Ethan, Hand, Tetonka, and Worthing soils. Bonilla, Clarno, Crossplain, Dimo, Hand, Tetonka, and Worthing soils do not have calcic horizons. Clarno and Hand soils are on slightly higher convex parts of the landscape. Bonilla soils are in swales. Crossplain soils are in drainageways. Tetonka and Worthing soils are in swales, depressed drainageways and depressions. They have argillic horizons and are wetter. Dimo soils are in swales and have sand and gravel at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Ethan soils are on slightly higher parts of the landscape and are well drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is low. Permeability is moderate in the solum and moderate or moderately slow in the underlying material. Subsoil drainage is effected by the capillary rise of water from a seasonal water table of 1.5 to 2.5 feet which concentrates lime, gypsum, and other salts in the Bk horizons.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Corn, oats, alfalfa, grain sorghum, and tame grass are major crops. Native vegetation is mainly big bluestem, blue grama, little bluestem, needlegrass, western wheatgrass, sideoats grama and sedges.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern and south-central South Dakota east of the Missouri River. The Davison series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hutchinson County, South Dakota, 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 9 inches (Ap and A horizons); calcic horizon - the zone from a depth of about 9 to 24 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).

The previous classification was fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Aquic Calciustolls. The change in classification was based on an MLRA correlation. This soil may be an Aquic Calciustoll as it occurs in map unit HcB in Hutchinson County, SD.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.