LOCATION DUNNING KY+IN MD MO PA TN VA WVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Dunning silt loam--cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; very friable; common fine roots throughout; 1 percent fine and medium prominent spherical very weakly cemented strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries in matrix; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
Ag--9 to 15 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots throughout; 1 percent fine and medium prominent spherical very weakly cemented strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizon ranges from 10 to 23 inches thick)
Bg1--15 to 28 inches; dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots throughout; 10 percent fine and medium prominent irregular very weakly cemented strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
Bg2--28 to 48 inches; dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) silty clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; 1 percent fine faint spherical moderately cemented black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese nodules with sharp boundaries in matrix, 10 percent coarse prominent irregular very weakly cemented dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix and 20 percent fine and medium prominent irregular very weakly cemented strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bg horizon ranges from 10 to 30 inches thick)
Cg--48 to 96 inches; gray (2.5Y 5/1) silty clay; massive; very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; 1 percent fine faint spherical moderately cemented black (7.5YR 2.5/1) iron-manganese nodules with sharp boundaries in matrix, 10 coarse prominent irregular weakly cemented dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix and 20 percent fine and medium prominent irregular very weakly cemented strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 2 percent nonflat subrounded indurated 2- to 20-millimeter unspecified fragments; neutral. (30 to 60 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Boyle County, Kentucky; 250 feet east of Mocks Branch; 600 feet north of U.S. Highway 150; 1.2 miles west of U.S. Highway 127 Bypass in Danville; Danville USGS Quadrangle; (Latitude 37 degrees 38 minutes 58.00 seconds North; Longitude 84 degrees 49 minutes 26.00 seconds West; UTM Easting 691971 UTM Northing 4169178).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock ranges from 60 to 100 inches or more. The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 24 inches. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 30 percent in the substratum.
Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR to gley, value of 2 or 3 moist (5 or less dry), and chroma of 3 or less. Redoximorphic features are in shades of red, brown, olive, or gray. Texture is silt loam to silty clay.
The Bg horizon has hue of 10YR to gley, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 0 to 2. Redoximorphic features are in shades of red, brown, olive, or gray. Texture is silty clay loam to clay.
The Cg horizon has colors and textures similar to the Bg horizon. Some pedons have stratified layers of silt loam, loam, or sandy loam below a depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: Saranac series is the only competing series. Saranac soils have less clay in the control section. Dekoven, Kings, Montgomery, and Titus soils are other closely related families. Dekoven soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section. Kings and Titus soils have smectitic mineralogy. Montgomery soils have organic matter content that decreases regularly with depth and are calcareous below a depth of 26 and 48 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dunning soils formed in slack water and fine textured alluvium washed from limestone hillsides. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 47 inches and mean annual air temperature is about 55 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Melvin, Newark, Nolin, Ashton, Elk, Lawrence, and Robertsville series. Melvin, Newark, and Nolin soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section and do not have a mollic epipedon. Ashton and Elk soils are well drained, have argillic horizons with less than 35 percent clay, and the Elk soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Lawrence and Robertsville soils have a fragipan, do not have a mollic epipedon, and have less than 35 percent clay in the particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly to poorly drained. Runoff is negligible to very low. Permeability is slow or very slow. Many areas are subject to ponding.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cleared and, where drained, produce hay, pasture, grain sorghum, corn, and soybeans. Native forest is water-tolerant hardwoods such as red maple, sycamore, gums, boxelder, willow, pin oak, water oak, swamp white oak, and cottonwood, interspersed with glades of cane, grass, and sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Limestone areas in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, southern Missouri, Pennsylvania, the upper valley of East Tennessee and possibly Ohio. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Redford County, Pennsylvania; 1911.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons in the pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 15 inches (Ap & Ag)
Cambic horizon: 15 to 48 inches (Bg)
Redoximorphic features: throughout
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization sample 09KY-021-02-(1-5) by the University of Kentucky.