LOCATION HUNTDALE NC
Established Series
JBA:RHR: Rev. BPS
02/2022
HUNTDALE SERIES
The Huntdale series consists of very deep, well drained soils with moderate permeability. They formed in residuum affected by soil creep in the upper part, that weathered from felsic high-grade metamorphic or igneous rock. These soils are commonly on shaded ridges and north- to east-facing side slopes (cool aspects) in the Southern Blue Ridge mountains, MLRA 130B. Slope ranges from 8 to 95 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 57 inches and mean annual temperature is about 52 degrees F., near the type location.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Humic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Huntdale silty clay loam on a 44 percent, northeast-facing intermediate mountain side slope, elevation 3,740 feet--forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 3 inches; slightly decomposed leaves, twigs, and needles. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Oe--3 to 6 inches; partially decomposed leaves, twigs, needles, and very dark brown (10YR 2/2) decomposed organic matter. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A1--6 to 7 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many very fine or fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; many very fine, common fine or medium, and few coarse tubular pores; very strongly acid, abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--7 to 15 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common very fine to medium and few coarse roots; common very fine to medium and few coarse tubular pores; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 7 to 10 inches.)
Bw1--15 to 26 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine to coarse roots; common very fine or fine and few medium tubular pores; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--26 to 42 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine to coarse roots; few very fine or fine tubular pores; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 24 to more than 50 inches.)
BC--42 to 64 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine to medium roots; few very fine or fine tubular pores; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 35 inches thick)
C--64 to 86 inches; multicolored, fine sandy loam saprolite; massive; very friable; few fine roots; few very fine or fine tubular pores; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Mitchell County, North Carolina; about 0.6 mile northeast of the intersection of North Carolina 226 and Secondary Road 1330 in Buladean, north 0.75 mile on Secondary Road 1331 to a farm path, 0.3 miles on the path in a roadcut; Iron Mountain Gap USGS Quadrangle, lat., 36 degrees, 07 minutes, 47 seconds N., and long. 82 degrees, 11 minutes, 12 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 30 to more than 60 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Flakes of mica range from none to common and are typically very fine or fine. Rock fragments range from none to less than 35 percent in the A horizon and from none to less than 15 percent in the B and C horizons. They range in size from gravel to stones in the A and C horizons, and are dominantly gravel size in the B horizon. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid, except where surface layers have been limed.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 2 to 4. Dry value is less than 6. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, clay loam, or fine sandy loam.
The BA horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, clay loam, or fine sandy loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or loam.
The BC or CB horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, clay loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
The C horizon is multicolored or it has hue of 5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 8, and chroma of 3 to 8 and may be mixed or mottled in shades of these colors. It is silt loam, loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no othe series in this family.
Porters,
Tusquitee, and
Unaka series are in closely related families having isotic mineralogy. In addtion, these soils have less silt in the particle size control section. Porters and Unka soils formed in residuum and occur on ridgetops and sied slopes. Tusquitee soils formed in colluvium in coves.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Huntdale soils are on shaded ridges and north- to east-facing side slopes (cool aspect) on low and intermediate mountains, commonly where there is a plane or convex surface. Slopes are dominantly 30 to 70 percent, but ranges from 8 to 95 percent. Elevation ranges from about 1,500 to 4,500 feet. Huntdale soils formed in residuum affected by soil creep in the upper part, weathered from felsic high-grade metamorphic or igneous rocks such as gneiss, granite and granitoids. The mean annual air temperature ranges from about 47 to 57 degrees F., the frost free season ranges from about 110 to 160 days, and the average annual rainfall ranges from about 48 to 64 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Ashe,
Buladean
Chestnut,
Cleveland,
Clifton,
Cowee,
Edneytown,
Edneyville,
Evard,
Pigeonroost,
Plott,
Porters, and
Unaka soils. Ashe, Buladean, Chestnut, Cleveland, Clifton, Cowee, Edneytown, Edneyville, Evard and Pigeonroost are on adjacent south- to west-facing landforms. Ashe, Buladean, Chestnut, Cleveland, and Edneyville soils are coarse-loamy and have ochric epipedons. Clifton soils are fine and have an ochric epipedon. Cowee, Evard, Edneytown, and Pigeonroost soils have argillic horizons, and have ochric epipedons. Plott, Porters, and Unaka soils have less silt in the particle size control section and Plott has an 10 to 20 inch thick umbric epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff where the forest litter has not been disturbed, and medium to very rapid runoff where litter has been significantly disturbed or removed; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Huntdale soils are forested. Common trees are eastern white pine, yellow poplar, northern red oak, white oak, black oak, black cherry, sugar maple, cucumber tree, and sweet birch.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Blue Ridge mountains, MLRA 130B of North Carolina, and possibly Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mitchell County, North Carolina, 1992.
REMARKS: Soils now included with the Huntdale series were previously mapped with Porters or Trimont soils. Porters soils have less clay in the particle size control section and are deep to bedrock. Trimont soils have an argillic horizon. The clay content of the particle-size control section for Huntdale soils averages about 18 percent. The total silt content ranges from about 35 to 50 percent. The fine silt fraction averages about 35 percent and ranges from about 20 to 40 percent. According to engineering index data, a large portion of the silt content is very fine silt.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric- epipedon - the zone from the soil mineral surface to a depth of 6 to 15 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 15 inches to 50 inches (Bw1 and Bw2, and BC horizons)
SIR = NC0245 MLRA = 130B
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data is available from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE; pedon number S88NC-121-008A.
Revised 02/11-BPS: Taxonomic Classification -- 11th Keys, update competing and associated series, MLRA clarification
02/2022 revision: Oi had 6 to 3 inch depths and Oe had 3 to 0 inch depths, corrected to be 0 to 3 inch horizon depths and 3 to 6 inch horizon depths then add 2 inches to all horizon depths throughout the typical pedon. WJN
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.