LOCATION HANDSBORO MS+FL SC
Established Series
Rev. WIS:WMK: RBH
10/2021
HANDSBORO SERIES
The Handsboro series consists of deep, very poorly drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in thick accumulations of highly decomposed herbaceous plant remains that have thin strata of mineral soil sediments. These soils are in regularly flooded salt marshes in estuaries of the Eastern Gulf Coast Flatwoods and Atlantic Coast Flatwoods Major Land Resource Areas. Slopes are less than 1 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Euic, thermic Typic Sulfihemists
TYPICAL PEDON: Handsboro mucky silt loam--tidal marsh. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mucky silt loam; common coarse faint black (10YR 2/1) mottles; massive; slightly sticky; very fluid; many fine roots, conductivity 13 mmho/cm; moderately alkaline in water; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Oa1--2 to 10 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) broken face, pressed or rubbed sapric material; about 65 percent fiber, about 12 percent rubbed; massive; nonsticky; very fluid; many fine roots; about 35 percent mineral; conductivity 17 mmho/cm; moderately alkaline in water; gradual smooth boundary.
Oa2--10 to 28 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) broken face, pressed or rubbed sapric material; about 30 percent fiber, 12 percent rubbed; massive; nonsticky; very fluid; many fine roots; about 30 percent mineral; conductivity 34 mmho/cm; moderately alkaline in water; gradual smooth boundary.
Oa3--28 to 37 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) broken face, sapric material, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) pressed or rubbed; about 25 percent fiber; 8 percent rubbed; massive; nonsticky; very fluid; common fine roots; about 35 percent mineral content; moderately alkaline in water; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness of the upper part of the Oa horizon is 10 to 24 inches)
C--37 to 39 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; structureless; slightly sticky; slightly fluid; common fine roots; moderately alkaline in water; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Oa4--39 to 43 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) broken face, sapric material, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) pressed or rubbed; about 10 percent fiber; one percent rubbed; massive; nonsticky; very fluid; common fine roots; about 30 percent mineral content; moderately alkaline in water; clear smooth boundary.
C'--43 to 45 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, structureless; slightly sticky; slightly fluid; common fine roots; moderately alkaline in water; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Oa5--45 to 50 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) broken face; sapric material; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) pressed or rubbed; about 8 percent fiber; one percent rubbed; massive; nonsticky; very fluid; common fine roots; about 35 percent mineral content; moderately alkaline in water; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
C''--50 to 54 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; massive; slightly sticky; slightly fluid; common fine roots; moderately alkaline in water; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Oa6--54 to 60 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) broken face; sapric material; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) pressed or rubbed; about 6 percent fiber; one percent rubbed; massive; nonsticky; slightly fluid; common fine roots; about 40 percent mineral content; moderately alkaline in water.
TYPE LOCATION: Harrison County, Mississippi; 0.4 mile north of the south end of Popps Ferry Bridge along Popps Ferry Road, and 250 feet east of road. NE1/4SW1/4 sec. 22, T. 7 S., R. 10 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Sulfur content ranges from 0.75 to about 4.5 percent in the subhorizons within 12 to 40 inches of the surface. The organic layers in all tiers are dominantly sapric materials, but some pedons have layers of hemic materials. Thin mineral strata are within a depth of 12 to 51 inches. Thickness of the individual mineral layers commonly ranges from 2 to 6 inches, and the combined thickness is less than 16 inches within 32 inches of the surface. Below 37 inches, thickness and arrangement of the strata are variable. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline in water throughout the soil in the natural state; after air drying the pH value in .01M calcium chloride is less than 3.5. Conductivity of the saturation extract of layers at depths below about 6 inches ranges from about 16 to 35 mmho/cm.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is mucky loam, mucky silt loam, or mucky silty clay loam. The hemic or sapric materials within all tiers have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 2 to 4, and chroma or 1 or 2. The rubbed fiber content ranges from 1 to 16 percent, and the mineral content ranges from 30 to 40 percent. The mineral strata of the C horizon have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 1 or 2. The mineral strata in the 12 to 37 inch depth are loam or silt loam. Below 37 inches, the mineral strata are loam, sandy loam, silty clay, or clay.
COMPETING SERIES:
Pocaty is the only competing series. Closely related series include the
Allemands,
Belhaven,
Capers,
Dare,
Dorovan,
Kenner,
Lafitte, Mattamuskett,
Maurepas,
Okeechobee,
Pamlico,
Pawcatuck,
Ponzer,
Pungo, Tomoko, and
Westbrook series. Pocaty series do not have strata of mineral material within the control section. Allemands, Belhaven, Mattamuskett, Ponzer, and Tomoko soils have thick layers of mineral materials above 51 inches. Also, Tomoko soils have a hyperthermic temperature class; Belhaven, Dare, Dorovan, Mattamuskett, Pamlico, Ponzer, and Pungo soils are extremely acid to strongly acid in undrained pedons in all parts of the control section. Capers soils do not have organic material in more than half of the upper 32 inches. Lafitte, Maurepas, Okeechobee, and all the other competing series except Capers do not have sulfidic materials within 40 inches of the surface. Pawcatuck and Westbrook soils have a mesic temperature class, have fibric material, and are underlain by mineral layers at a depth of less than 51 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Handsboro soils are in large tidal marsh areas of the Eastern Gulf Coast Flatwoods and Atlantic Coast Flatwood Major Land Resource Areas. Elevations are approximately sea level or below. The soil formed in herbaceous plant remains and stratified loamy alluvium deposited in areas that are subject to daily or frequent inundation with brackish water. The climate is warm and humid. Near the type location, the mean annual precipitation is about 58 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Bohicket,
Ocilla,
Plummer, and
Smithton series. Very poorly drained Bohicket soils are in similar areas. Ocilla soils are somewhat poorly drained, and Plummer and Smithton soils are poorly drained mineral soils, on adjoining slightly higher elevations, above daily tidal flooding.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Permeability is moderate. These soils are subject to inundation with brackish water at high tide every day. Water table is always near or above the soil surface.
USE AND VEGETATION: Handsboro soils are used mainly as nursery areas for various marine species and by waterfowl and shore birds. Native vegetation is dominantly black needlerush, smooth cord grass, sea lavender, and marsh aster.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harrison County, Mississippi; 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Histic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of about 37 inches (A, Oa1, Oa2, Oa3 horizons).
Sulfidic materials - indication of sulfidic materials (reaction ranges from neutral or moderately alkaline in water throughout profile in natural state; after air drying, pH value in .01M calcium chloride is less than 3.5). Provisionally, all Sulfihemists are considered to be Typic Sulfihemists.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.