LOCATION KEIFFER LAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, carbonatic, thermic Rendollic Eutrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Keiffer clay loam, on a convex 3 percent slope in native grasses and forbs. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated.)
A--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; firm; many fine and medium roots; many worm casts; many fine and medium calcium carbonate nodules; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick.)
A/B--5 to 11 inches; 60 percent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) (A) and 40 percent yellow (2.5Y 7/6) (B) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; firm; many fine and medium roots; common fine and very fine black specks and bodies; few fine and medium shell impressions; many fine and medium calcium carbonate nodules; many fine prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick.)
Bk1--11 to 18 inches; yellow (2.5Y 7/6) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; firm; common fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine black specks and bodies; many fine and medium shell impressions; many fine and medium lime nodules; many fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick.)
Bk2--18 to 24 inches; yellow (2.5Y 7/6) silty clay loam; weak fine prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots; many fine and very fine black specks and bodies; many fine and medium shell impressions; many fine and medium calcium carbonate nodules; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; common fine distinct pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) iron depletions; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick.)
Bk3--24 to 32 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) silty clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; many fine and very fine black specks and bodies; many fine and medium shell impressions; many fine and medium soft accumulations of lime; many coarse distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of iron accumulation; many fine distinct pale olive (5Y 6/3) iron depletions; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick.)
Bkss1--32 to 43 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; many intersecting slickensides; brownish yellow seams along vertical and horizontal pressure faces with masses of calcium carbonate accumulation at seams; many fine and very fine black specks and bodies; many fine and medium shell impressions; many coarse prominent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick.)
Bkss2--43 to 51 inches; bedded layers of pale olive (5Y 6/3) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) silty clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; strata of calcium carbonate accumulation are 1 inch thick and 5 inches apart; many intersecting slickensides; brownish yellow seams along vertical and horizontal pressure faces and slickensides with masses of calcium carbonate accumulation at seams; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick.)
Bk/C--51 to 96 inches; bedded layers of light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) clay; massive; firm; strata of calcium carbonate accumulation are 1 inch thick and 5 inches apart; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Sabine Parish, Louisiana; 2.8 miles west of Florien; .5 miles north of Dess fire tower, 100 feet east of woods road; NE1/4NW1/4 sec. 12, T. 5 W., R. 12 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. The calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 40 to 85 percent in the control section. Non-carbonatic clay content ranges from 18 to 35 percent. Soil does not crack to the surface. Reaction is slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. The A horizon commonly is clay loam, loam, or silty clay loam, but the range includes clay, silty clay loam, and silt loam. Calcium carbonate nodules larger than 2 mm make up as much as 15 percent by volume of the A horizon.
The A part of the A/B horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. The B part has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is silty clay loam, silt clay, or clay.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6. Iron accumulations in shades of brown or yellow, and iron depletions in shades of olive range from few to many. Texture commonly is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay, but the range includes clay loam and silt loam. Calcium carbonate nodules larger than 2 mm. or soft masses of calcium carbonate accumulation make up 5 to 15 percent by volume of the Bk horizon.
The Bkss horizon consists of thin bedded layers with hue of 5Y and 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Mottles in shades of brown, yellow or olive range from few to many. Texture is silty clay, clay, or silty clay loam. Slickensides that intersect are few to many. Masses of calcium carbonate accumulation commonly are concentrated in seams or along pressure faces.
The Bk/C horizon, C/Bk or C horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 8; or it is variegated in shades of yellow, brown, olive, or gray. Texture is silty clay, clay, or silty clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Sumter series in the same family, and the Brassfield series in a closely related family. The Sumter series is moderately deep to chalk and weathered bedrock. The Brassfield series has a mean annual soil temperature of less than 59 degrees F. and has more than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Keiffer soils occur exclusively as open prairie areas on nearly level to moderately sloping topography in the Western Coastal Plain uplands. Slopes range from 1 to 12 percent. They are formed in calcareous marine sediments or marl of Tertiary age. The climate is humid temperate. The mean annual air temperature is 64 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 54 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Bellwood, Hollywood, Oktibbeha, and Vaiden soils. Bellwood soils are acid throughout. Hollywood soils have smectitic mineralogy. Oktibbeha and Vaiden soils are more acid in the upper sola and are underlain by materials higher in carbonates.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very high rate of runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are not used as cropland, pastureland, or woodland. Areas remain as open prairies. Areas that were once cultivated or used for pastureland are returning to their native vegetation. Eastern red cedar, native grasses, forbs, and shrubs grow on these prairies.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Coastal Plain uplands of Louisiana and possibly eastern Texas. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sabine Parish, Louisiana, 1990.
REMARKS: This soil was formerly included with the Sumter series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon ------------- 0 to 11 inches (A and A/B horizons).
Cambic horizon --------------11 to 51 inches (Bk, Bkss, and Bk/C horizons).
Intersecting slickensides ---32 to 51 inches (Bkss1, Bkss2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data on the type location pedon (sample no. S88LA085-22) were run by Louisiana State University. Laboratory data on a pedon sampled in Winn Parish from the Louisiana Natural Heritage Foundation were run by Louisiana State University.