LOCATION DOTHAN AL FL GA NC SC VA

Established Series
Rev. SWA-APT-AMS
09/2017

DOTHAN SERIES

The Dothan series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in thick beds of unconsolidated, medium to fine-textured marine sediments. Dothan soils are on interfluves. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 18 degrees C (65 degrees F), and the mean annual precipitation is about 1360 millimeters (53 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Plinthic Kandiudults

TYPICAL PEDON: Dothan sandy loam, on a cultivated field on the Wiregrass Experiment Station. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 33 centimeters (0 to 13 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; about 2 percent, by volume, ironstone; many fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [6 to 12 inches thick (15 to 30 centimeters thick)]

Bt1--33 to 55 centimeters (13 to 22 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 2 percent, by volume, ironstone; many fine roots; common faint clay films on ped faces; strongly acid; diffuse smooth boundary.

Bt2--55 to 91 centimeters (22 to 36 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common faint clay films on ped faces; about 1 percent, by volume, plinthite nodules; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Bt horizons ranges from 38 to 91 centimeters (15 to 36 inches).]

Btv1--91 to 132 centimeters (36 to 52 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common faint clay films on ped faces; about 10 percent by volume, plinthite nodules; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8), red (2.5YR 4/8), yellow (10YR 7/8) masses of oxidized iron and common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid.

Btv2--132 to 203 centimeters (52 to 80 inches); 20 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), 20 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8), 20 percent red (2.5YR 4/8), 20 percent yellow (10YR 7/8) and 20 percent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) sandy clay loam in a variegated pattern; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; compact in place; many fine roots; common faint clay films on ped faces; about 20 percent by volume, plinthite nodules; the areas of yellowish brown, strong brown, red, and yellow are oxidezed iron masses; the areas of very pale brown are iron depletions; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Henry County, Alabama; Wiregrass Agricultural Experiment Station; south side of Alabama Highway 134; NE 1/4, NW ; Section 3; R. 27 E., T. 4 N.; Latitude 31 degrees, 21 minutes, 17.2 seconds North; Longitude 85 degrees, 19 minutes, 30.4 seconds West; Datum WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Plinthite: Depth to horizons that contain 5 percent or more plinthite ranges from 60 to 152 centimeters (24 to 60 inches).
Silt content is less than 20 percent.
Clay content is between 18 to 35 percent in the upper 51 centimeters (20 inches) of the Bt horizon.
Depth to Redox features: Predominantly greater than 102 centimeters (40 inches), but some pedons have iron depletions below a depth of 76 centimeters (30 inches).

A or Ap horizons:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 to 7, moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, moist
Texture: sand, loamy fine sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.
Fragments: nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 5 percent by volume. Quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 5 percent by volume.
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid, except where the surface has been limed.

E horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7, moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, moist
Texture: sand, loamy fine sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.
Fragments: nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 5 percent by volume.
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

BE or BA horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6, moist
Chroma: 3 to 8, moist
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam
Fragments: nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 5 percent by volume.
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

Bt horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8, moist
Chroma: 4 to 8, moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Fragments: nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Content of nodular plinthite ranges from 0 to 3 percent, by volume. Quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 5 percent by volume.
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid
Redox features: Masses of oxidized iron in shades of brown or red range from none to common. Some pedons have iron depletions below a depth of 76 centimeters (30 inches).

Btc horizon, where present:
Hue: 7.5YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8, moist
Chroma: 4 to 8, moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam
Fragments: nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Content of nodular plinthite ranges from 0 to 3 percent, by volume. Quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 5 percent by volume.
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid
Redox features: Masses of oxidized iron in shades of brown or red and range from none to common. Some pedons have iron depletions below a depth of 76 centimeters (30 inches).

Btv horizon (upper part):
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 8, moist
Chroma: 4 to 8, moist
Texture: Texture is dominantly sandy clay loam but can range up to sandy clay or their gravelly analogues.
Fragments: nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Nodular plinthite ranges from 5 to 35 percent. Quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 5 percent by volume.
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid.
Redox features: Masses of oxidized iron in shades of red and brown range from few to many. Some pedons have iron depletions below a depth of 76 centimeters (30 inches).

Btv horizon [lower part at depths greater than 102 centimeters (40 inches)]
Hue: 2.5YR to 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6, moist
Chroma: 5 to 8, moist
Texture: Texture is dominantly sandy clay loam but can range up to sandy clay or their gravelly analogues.
Fragments: nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Nodular and platy plinthite ranges from 5 to 35 percent. Quartzite pebbles range from 0 to 5 percent by volume.
Reaction: strongly acid to very strongly acid.
Redox features: Masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, brown, and yellow and range from common to many.

COMPETING SERIES:
The Tifton series is the only known series in the same family and are on similar positions and have more than 5 percent, by volume, ironstone nodules in the upper part of the profile.
Baxterville, Malbis, and Notcher series are in closely related families and have more than 20 percent silt in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: Clayey and loamy marine sediments
Landscape: Coastal Plain
Landform: Interfluve
Landscape: Coastal Plain
Hillslope Profile Position: Summit, shoulder, and backslope
Geomorphic Component: Side slopes, and interfluve
Slopes: 0 to 15 percent
Elevation: 30 to 122 meters (98 to 400 feet)
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 13 to 21 degrees C (55 to 70 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1020 to 1740 millimeters (40 to 68 inches)
Frost Free Duration: 190 to 310 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are the Tifton series and the Ardilla, Clarendon, Cowarts, Fuquay, Norfolk, Orangeburg, Varina, and Wicksburg series.
Ardilla soils are somewhat poorly drained, are on slightly lower positions and have a fragipan.
Clarendon soils are moderately well drained, on similar to slightly lower positions and have iron depletions with chroma 2 or less within 76 centimeters (30 inches) of the soil surface.
Cowarts soils are moderately well and well drained, are on higher and dissected positions, have less than 5 percent by volume plinthite in the subsoils, have a solum thickness less than 152 centimeters (60 inches) from the surface and are Typic subgroup.
Fuquay soils are well drained on higher positions, have sandy surface and subsurface layers 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) in thickness, and are in an Arenic subgroup.
Norfolk soils are well drained, on similar positions, have less than 5 percent ironstone nodules and plinthite in their profiles, have a particle size class of Fine-loamy, and are Typic subgroup.
Orangeburg soils are well drained on similar positions, have less than 5 percent ironstone nodules and plinthite in their profiles, have a particle size class of Fine-loamy, have redder subsoils and are in the Typic subgroup.
Tifton soils are well drained on similar positions and have more than 5 percent, by volume, ironstone nodules in the upper part of the profile.
Varina soils are well drained soils on similar positions and have a particle size class of Fine, but have more clay in the control section.
Wicksburg soils are well drained on similar or lower side slope positions and have sandy surface and subsurface layers about 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) thick and are in an Arenic subgroup.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: Well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (Ksat): high to moderately low in the lower Btv horizons
Permeability: moderately rapid to slow in the lower Btv horizons
Flooding frequency and Duration: None
Ponding frequency and Duration: None

USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas of Dothan soils have been cleared and are used for the production of corn, cotton, peanuts, vegetable crops, hay, and pasture. Forested areas are in longleaf pine, loblolly pine, sweetgum, southern red oak, and hickory.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA): The series occurs primarily in the Southern Coastal Plain (MLRA 133A), but it also occurs to a lesser extent in the Atlantic Coast Flatwoods (MLRA 153A).
Extent: large extent

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.

SERIES ESTABLISHED:
Houston County, Alabama; 1965.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Particle-size control section: 33 to 83 centimeters (13 to 32 inches)

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 33 centimeters (0 to 13 inches) (Ap horizon)

Kandic horizon - the zone from 33 to 203 centimeters (13 to 80 inches) (Bt1, Bt2, Btv1 and Btv2 horizons)

Plinthic feature - the zone from 91 to 203 centimeters (36 to 80 inches) (Btv1 and Btv2 horizons)

Masses of oxidized iron - 56 to 203 centimeters (22 to 80 inches) (Bt2, Btv1, and Btv2 horizons)

Iron depletions with chroma of 2 or less - 91 to 203 centimeters (36 to 80 inches) (Btv1 and Btv2 horizons)

The classification changed from Paleudult to Kandiudult in recognition of the low activity clay amendment to the Keys of Soil Taxonomy 3rd Edition (1/89). This soil is currently classified according to the 12th Edition of the Keys of Soil Taxonomy.

The OSD was moved to this location due to disturbance and urbanization of the former OSD site.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data is available on the National Soil Survey website at: http://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/querypage.aspx

OSD User Site ID: S2007AL067001
OSD User Pedon ID: S2007AL067001

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.