LOCATION FLATWOODS               VA

Established Series
Rev. RLV-DDR-EPE
03/2022

FLATWOODS SERIES

Soils of the Flatwoods series are moderately deep and moderately well drained. They formed in material weathered from acid shale on uplands of the Great Valley. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 39 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 56 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Aquic Hapludults

TYPICAL PEDON: Flatwoods silt loam -- on a southwest facing slope of 5 percent in an area of mixed hardwoods and pines. (Colors are for moist soil.)

Oi--0 to 2 inches; undecomposed and partially decomposed hardwood leaves, pine needles, and twigs.

Oe--2 to 3 inch; very dark grayish brown partially decomposed mat of organic matter.

A--3 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium roots, very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)

E--5 to 9 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; common faint light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) coatings on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

Bt1--9 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; few faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--16 to 20 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) clay; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) mottles; weak medium platy structure parting to weak very fine subangular blocky; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; many distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay films on faces of peds; few pockets of highly weathered shale fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--20 to 27 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; common distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay films on faces of peds; common pockets of highly weathered shale fragments; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 9 to 27 inches.)

BC--27 to 35 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and gray (10YR 6/1) clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay flows on faces of peds; common pockets of highly weathered shale fragments; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

R--35 inches; shale bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Botetourt County, Virginia; about 2 miles northwest of Fincastle, 1 mile northwest of the intersection of VA-606 and VA-600, 1,000 feet west of North Fork of Catawba Creek.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 18 to 36 inches. Depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments of shale range from 0 to 10 percent in the A and E horizons, 0 to 15 percent in the B horizon, 0 to 35 percent in the BC horizon, and 35 to 60 percent in the C horizon, where present. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid, unless limed.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is silt loam.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 through 6. It is silt loam.

The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 through 8. Chroma of 2 is restricted to the lower part of the Bt horizon. It commonly is mottled in shades of red, brown, and gray in the lower part. The Bt horizon is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay in the fine-earth fraction.

The BC horizon commonly is mottled with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 through 8. It is silty clay or clay in the fine-earth fraction.
The C horizon, where present, is mottled with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 through 8. It is silty clay or clay in the fine-earth fraction.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cruze, Donlonton, GRASSLAND, HALIFAX, Keyport, LACKSTOWN, Latham, and Zoar series in the same family. Cruze, Donlonton, , GRASSLAND, HALIFAX, Keyport, , LACKSTOWN, and Zoar soils are more than 40 inches deep. Latham soils have a paralithic contact between 20 and 40 inches and slow permeability.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Flatwoods soils are on slightly concave to slightly convex uplands of the Great Valley in the Southern Appalachian Ridges and Valleys. Slope gradients range from 2 to 15 percent. The soils formed in residuum from acid shale. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 40 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from 55 to 57 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Berks, Monongahela, and Weikert soils. The Berks and Weikert soils are better drained, and are on more convex ridgetops and side slopes. Monongahela soils have a fragipan and are on stream terraces.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Runoff is medium to rapid. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cleared areas are mainly used for growing pasture and hay, with a minor acreage used for growing corn and small grain. About one-half of the acreage is in woodland consisting of Virginia Pine, white oak, scarlet oak, and hickory.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Virginia. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Botetourt County, Virginia, 1990.

REMARKS: Flatwoods soils have been included in the Needmore series in the past. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 3 to 9 inches (A and E horizons).
b. Argillic horizon - the zone from 9 to 35 inches (Bt and BC horizons).
c. Aquic feature - mottles of chroma 2 or less at 20 inches (Bt3 horizon).
d. lithic contact ? at 35 inches (top of R horizon)

The 12/2005 revision updates this soil to the 9th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy (2003). The CEC activity class placement is based on similar soils and not on laboratory data. Class placement may be revised in the future when laboratory data are reviewed or become available.

Competing series, pedon description (including horizon nomenclature redoximorphic features and/or descriptive terms), and other sections on the OSD were not revised.

Previous revision dates: 10/90

03/2022 revision: Oi had 3 to 1 inch depths and Oe had 1 to 0 inch depths, corrected to be 0 to 2 inch horizon depths and 2 to 3 inch horizon depths then add 2 inches to all horizon depths throughout the typical pedon. WJN

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg (PSA, chemistry, and mineralogy).

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.