LOCATION HIGDON MOEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Higdon silt loam, on a 3 percent slope in a pasture at an elevation of 470 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots throughout; common fine black (10YR 2/1) masses of manganese accumulation throughout; 2 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt wavy boundary.
A--5 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common fine black (10YR 2/1) masses of manganese accumulation throughout and common fine black (10YR 2/1) manganese nodules throughout; neutral (pH 7.1); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Ap and A horizon is 5 to 10 inches)
E--9 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common faint discontinuous dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt coatings on faces of peds; common fine strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron nodules throughout; common fine black (10YR 2/1) masses of manganese accumulation throughout and common fine black (10YR 2/1) manganese nodules throughout; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
Bt1--16 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, many faint brown (10YR 5/3) mottles; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots between peds; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; common fine strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron nodules throughout; common fine black (10YR 2/1) masses of manganese accumulation throughout and common fine black (10YR 2/1) manganese nodules throughout; 3 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.1); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--23 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, many fine and medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots between peds; common distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; common fine strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron nodules throughout; common fine black (10YR 2/1) masses of manganese accumulation throughout and common fine black (10YR 2/1) manganese nodules throughout and common fine and medium grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions pedogenic between peds; neutral (pH 7.1); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 7 to 72 inches)
2Bt3--33 to 40 inches; 60 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and 40 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots between peds; many distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; common medium dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron-manganese accumulation throughout and few fine strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron concretions throughout; few fine black (10YR 2/1) manganese nodules; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt4--40 to 51 inches; 55 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and 45 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, many medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; friable; few very fine roots between peds; many distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds; few medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron nodules throughout; common medium black (10YR 2/1) manganese nodules throughout; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt5--51 to 65 inches; 55 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and 45 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, common medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots between peds; few prominent discontinuous dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds and many distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; common fine dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation throughout; few medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron concretions throughout and common medium black (10YR 2/1) manganese nodules throughout; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt6--65 to 76 inches; 60 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and 40 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; many medium and coarse faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to wek fine subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots between peds; few prominent discontinuous dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on vertical faces of peds and few distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; common fine dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation throughout and common medium black (10YR 2/1) masses of iron-manganese accumulation throughout and few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions throughout; neutral (pH 7.1); gradual wavy boundary.
2Bt7--76 to 91 inches; 50 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and 30 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and 20 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; weak medium prismatic structure; firm; few very fine roots between peds; few prominent discontinuous gray (10YR 5/1) clay films on vertical faces of peds; few fine dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron-manganese concretions throughout and few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron-manganese concretions throughout; neutral (pH 7.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Madison County, Missouri; 3,900 feet south and 2,700 feet east of the northwest corner of section 36, T. 31 N., R. 7 E.; Allbright USGS quadrangle, latitude 37 degrees 19 minutes 11 seconds N. and longitute 90 degrees 13 minutes 37 seconds W., CONUS 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Kind of rock fragments: Rounded or subrounded chert or siltstone
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral throughout
Ap or A horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 2 or 3
Fine-earth fraction: silt loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 2 percent gravel
E horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Fine-earth fraction: silt loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 2 percent gravel
Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 2 to 6
Fine-earth fraction: silt loam or silty clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 3 percent gravel
Redoximorphic features: iron depletions with chroma of 2 or less
2Btg, Btg, 2Bt or lower part of the Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7
Chroma: 1 to 6
Fine-earth fraction: loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 40 percent gravel
Redoximorphic features: iron depletions with chroma of 2 or less
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hartz, Ogontz, and Sardinia series. Hartz soils are moderately well drained and have a 2Bk horizon. Ogontz soils are moderately well drained and have free carbonates within a depth of 24 to 48 inches. Sardinia soils are moderately well drained and have a Btx horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Higdon soils are on stream terraces and footslopes. Slopes range from 0 to 9 percent. They formed in silty colluvium and alluvium. The mean annual temperature is 55 to 58 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is 38 to 48 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bearthicket, Deible, Hontas, and Moniteau soils. All of these soils are on similar landscape positions as Higdon soils. Bearthicket soils are well drained. Hontas soils are moderately well drained and do not have an argillic horizon. Deible and Moniteau soils are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Permeability is moderately slow. The saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high. Runoff potential typically is high to very high, but is negligible in concave positions. An apparent water table is within 2 feet of the surface at some time from December through April in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for pasture and hay production. Native vegetation is mixed hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Ozark area (MLRAs 116A and 116B) of southern Missouri. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Madison County, Missouri, 2000. The name is from a small community in Madison County.
REMARKS: Higdon soils were previously included in the Freeburg series in mapping in southern Missouri. Freeburg soils are superactive.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 16 inches (Ap, A, and E horizons)
2) Argillic horizon - the zone from 16 to 91 inches (Bt and 2Bt horizons)
3) Redoximorphic features: iron or iron-manganese nodules, masses of manganese or iron-manganese accumulation throughout
ADDITIONAL DATA: University of Missouri Soil Characterization Laboratory sample number M9412323