LOCATION DOWNER NJ+MD
Established Series
SYD - RT/ Rev. MDJ
01/2012
DOWNER SERIES
MLRA(s): 149A, 153C, 153D
Depth Class: Very deep
Drainage Class: (Agricultural) Well drained
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately High to high
Permeability (Obsolete): Moderate or moderately rapid
Landscape: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Parent Material: Loamy fluviomarine deposits
Slope: 0 to 30 percent
Mean Annual Air Temperature (type location): 13 degrees C. (56 degrees F.)
Mean Annual Precipitation (type location): 1143 mm (45 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Downer loamy sand (in an area of Downer loamy sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes), in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 28 centimeters thick) (0 to 11 inches))
BA--25 to 46 centimeters (10 to 18 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loamy sand; single grain; loose; few extremely weakly cemented masses of oxidized iron in lower part; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 30 centimeters (0 to 12 inches thick))
Bt--46 to 76 centimeters (18 to 30 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common distinct clay bridging of sand grains; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 61 centimeters (10 to 24 inches thick))
C--76 to 203 centimeters (30 to 80 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loamy sand; single grain; loose; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Camden County, New Jersey; about 0.5 mile northeast of intersection of Berlin-Cross Keys Road and the Blenheim-Erial-New Brooklyn Road; USGS Clementon, NJ topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 45 minutes 29 seconds N. and longitude 74 degrees 59 minutes 13 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to top of Argillic horizon: 13 to 48 centimeters (5 to 19 inches)
Depth to base of Argillic horizon: 38 to 114 centimeters (15 to 45 inches)
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 183 centimeters (72 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: Greater than 183 centimeters (72 inches)
Rock Fragments: 0 to 25 percent, by volume throughout; mostly fine and medium quartzite pebbles, ironstone, or less commonly chert pebbles
Soil Reaction: Extremely acid to strongly acid throughout the profile, unless limed
Other Features: Undisturbed pedons typically have a microsequence of an A, E, and Bh horizon (micro-podzol). Total thickness of the A, E, and Bh horizons is less than 15 centimeters (6 inches) and individual horizons are less than 5 centimeters (2 inches thick).
O horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, chroma of 1 or 2
Texture--moderately decomposed plant material or highly decomposed plant Material
Ap or A horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5, chroma of 2 to 4
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loamy sand or sandy loam
E horizon (if it occurs, is less than 6 inches thick):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 1 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam
Bh horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam or loamy sand
BA or BE horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 3 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam
Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam. (Some pedons have thin sandy clay loam, loam, or loamy sand subhorizons.)
BC horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sand, loamy sand, coarse sandy loam or sandy loam. (Some pedons have thin subhorizons of coarser texture.)
C horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, chroma of 4 to 8. (Some pedons have thin bands or variegations in shade of these colors.)
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--above 102 centimeters (40 inches), sand or loamy sand, but thin sandy loam strata or nodules are in some pedons; below 102 (40 inches), sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam
COMPETING SERIES:
Dennisville soils-have a seasonal high water table with low chroma depletions at a depth of 107 to 183 (42 to 72 inches)
Ingleside soils--have a seasonal high water table with low chroma depletions at a depth of 107 to 183 (42 to 72 inches) and gravelly layers at a depth of greater than 102 centimeters (40 inches)
Masasnutten soils--are moderately deep to lithic contact and formed in residuum from sandstone
Phalanx soils--have petroferric contact at a depth of 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)
Swainton soils--have more than 25 percent, by volume rock fragments
Woodmansie soils--have sandy E horizons more than 15 centimeters (6 inches) thick
Zepp soils--formed in colluvium from sandstone and shale over residuum
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Landform: Broad interfluve, hill, ridge
Geomorphic Component: Interfluve, side slope, and base slope
Hillslope Profile Position: Summit, shoulder, and backslope
Parent Material: Loamy fluviomarine deposits
Slope: 0 to 30 percent
Elevation: 47 meters (155 feet)
Frost Free Period: 180 to 210 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 13 degrees C. (56 degrees F.)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1143 mm (45 inches)
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Aura soils--have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and a fragipan;
Swainton--have horizons with more than 25 percent, by volume rock fragments;
Evesboro soils--have a sandy particle-size control section and do not have an argillic horizon;
Fort Mott soils--have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and sandy surface texture 51 centimeters (20 inches) thick;
Galestown soils--have a sandy particle-size control section;
Hammonton soils--have low chroma depletions and a seasonal high water table at a depth of 46 to 107 centimeters (18 to 42 inches);
Klej soils--have a seasonal high water table at a depth of 25 to 61 centimeters (10 to 24 inches) and have a sandy particle-size control section;
Lakewood soils--excessively drained, have a thick E horizon, and a sandy particle-size control section;
Lakehurst soils--have a seasonal high water table at a depth of 46 to 107 centimeters (18 to 42 inches), have a thick E horizon, and a sandy particle-size control section;
Sassafras soils--have a fine-loamy particle-size control section;
Woodmansie soils--have thicker E horizons;
Woodstown soils--have a seasonal high water table at a depth of 46 to 107 centimeters (18 to 42 inches) and have a fine-loamy particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Depth Class: Very deep (greater than 183 centimeters (72 inches)) to bedrock
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Well drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Very deep (greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)) and absent (not observed)
Flooding Frequency and Duration: None
Ponding Frequency and Duration: None
Index Surface Runoff: Negligible to high
Permeability (obsolete): Moderate or moderately rapid
Shrink-Swell Potential: Low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses: Most areas are used for growing field crops, vegetables, flowers, and some tree fruits.
Dominant Vegetation: Native vegetation includes white oak, red oak, scarlet oak, black oak, Virginia pine, pitch pine, hickory, sassafras, dogwood, greenbriar, and American Holly. Loblolly Pine occurs in the southern part of Downer soils distribution. The understory is dominantly low bush blueberry and mountain laurel.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: The Northern Coastal Plain of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland
Extent: Moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gloucester County, New Jersey, 1960
REMARKS:
02/2002. This revision modifies the range of gravel content to restrict layers to less than 25 percent rock fragments and revise the competing Swainton series to layers with more than 25 percent rock fragments. Other revisions to expand the color and textural RIC required for MLRA update projects in NJ, MD, and DE.
09/2011. Revisions to formatting and data consistency with NASIS were made.
Diagnostic horizons and other diagnostic soil characteristics recognized in this
pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from the soil surface to a depth of 25 centimeters (10 inches) (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon--the zone of 46 to 76 centimeters (18 to 30 inches) (Bt horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Several pedons are available from the National Soil Survey
Center, Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln NE.
Database Information:
OSD Data Mapunit ID: To be developed
Typical Pedon Data Mapunit ID: 100185OSD User Pedon ID: NJ-Downer Series (ls)
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.