LOCATION ESSEN LA
Established Series
Rev. JDS;WLC
02/2013
ESSEN SERIES
The Essen series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in silty sediments of Pleistocene age. These soils are on nearly level stream terraces at low elevations. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, thermic Aeric Epiaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Essen silt loam--cultivated.
(Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium and fine granular structure; common fine roots, many coarse and fine pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Btg--6 to 14 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine root channels coated with dark brown material; few channels coated with gray (10YR 5/1) silt loam; few fine brown concretions; thin patchy clay films on surface of peds; many medium and fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) masses of iron accumulation; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 28 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic and subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots, many fine pores; thin discontinuous gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on vertical and horizontal ped surfaces; few soft brown bodies, few carbonate concretions below 21 inches; common medium and coarse distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and gray (N 5/0) iron depletions; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
Bt2--28 to 51 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; friable; few fine roots, many fine pores; few thin patchy gray (10YR 5/1) clay films; common vertical veins of grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam; common soft black bodies; few carbonate concretions; common fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
C--51 to 75 inches; variegated yellowish brown (10YR 5/8, 5/6), gray (10YR 5/1), and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; massive; friable; common vertical veins of gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam; few brown concretions; few soft black bodies; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Perkins Road Farm of Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station; 7/10 mile west-southwest of intersection of Perkins Road and Essen Lane; sec. 42, T. 7 S., R. 1 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 60 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2; or hue of 2.5Y, value of 5, and chroma of 2. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.
The BA horizon, where present, and the upper part of the Bt and Btg horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5, and chroma of 2 through 6. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. Coatings on peds have chroma of 1 or 2 where the matrix chroma in the BA or Bt horizons are more than 2 in interiors of peds. Iron accumulations are in shades of brown and iron depletions are in shades of gray. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to moderately alkaline.
The lower part of the Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5, and chroma of 3 through 6; or hue of 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 or 6. Texture is silty clay loam or silt loam with iron depletions in shades of gray. Most peds are coated or partly coated with clay films with chroma of 1 or 2. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Content of calcium carbonate concretions 1 to 5 cm in diameter ranges from 1 to 10 percent in some subhorizon of the Bt horizon. The Bt horizon averages less than 10 percent sand that is dominantly very fine sand, and has 18 to 30 percent clay.
The C horizon is variegated in shades of gray and brown. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Acy series in the same family, and the
Amagon,
Dundee,
Fountain,
Fred,
Galvez,
Hebert,
Kurk, McGehee,
Patoutville and
Routon series in closely related families. Acy soils have color values of 2 to 4 in the upper part of the Bt horizon. Amagon and Dundee soils contain more than 15 percent sand that is dominantly very fine sand in the B horizon and are acid throughout the solum. Fred soils have chroma of 3 to 6 in the upper part of the Bt horizon. Fountain soils have dominant chroma of 1 to a depth of 30 inches and have a glossic horizon. Galvez and Routon soils do not contain carbonate concretions in the solum. Hebert soils have redder hue in the argillic horizon. Kurk soils are more acid and do not have carbonate concretions throughout the solum. McGehee soils have a 2B horizon with redder hue. Patoutville soils have red iron accumulations and do not have carbonate concretions in the solum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Essen soils are on nearly level Pleistocene age terraces with slope gradients of 0 to 2 percent. They are at low elevations. These soils formed in silty deposits that have many characteristics of loess. The mean annual temperature is about 67.5 degrees F., and the average annual rainfall is about 54.5 inches near the type location.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the closely related
Fred and
Fountain series and the
Bonn,
Calhoun,
Foley,
Lafe, and
Verdun series. Bonn, Foley, Lafe, and Verdun soils have a natric horizon. Calhoun soils have lower chroma and have a glossic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low rate of runoff; moderately slowly permeable. An apparent water table is at depths of 1.5 to 3.0 feet during December through April in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for cropland or pasture with a few areas having scattered trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Mississippi Valley Silty Uplands (MLRA 134) in Louisiana. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AUBURN, ALABAMA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ascension Parish, Louisiana; 1972. The present type location in East Baton Rouge Parish and most mapped areas are built over and will not be correlated as Essen soils in the update survey. The type location will be moved back to Ascention Parish.
REMARKS: In the typifying pedon, Ca:Mg ratios to a depth of 28 inches are 1.7:1 with the exception of the 6 to 14 inches horizon which is 1.1:1 (Soil Survey East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Pedon No. S62LA-17-43). The morphology and moisture regimes are significantly different from associated soils having natric horizons. It is speculated that the genesis is in some way related to that of the associated soils having natric horizons. This soil formerly would have been classified in the Gray-Brown Podzolic great soil group.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.