LOCATION KONZA KS

Established Series
Rev. WAW, CEW, BKN
07/2020

KONZA SERIES

The Konza series consists of deep and very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in loess over colluvium on uplands. Konza soils are on open depressions on hillslopes on uplands in the Bluestem Hills, MLRA 76. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 840 millimeters (33 inches), and mean annual air temperature is about 13 degrees C (55 degrees F), at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Udertic Paleustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Konza silty clay loam - on an east-facing, concave, linear, 1 percent slope summit in rangeland at an elevation of 433 meters (1420 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.) As described on March 1, 1990.

A--0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, sticky and plastic; many fine roots throughout; very few distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) discontinuous sand or silt coats on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 centimeters (3 to 8 inches) thick.) Lab sample # 90P02873.

Bt1--15 to 43 centimeters (6 to 17 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium columnar structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine roots between peds; common distinct very dark brown (10YR 2/2) continuous clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds, and few black (10YR 2/1) faint organic coats on vertical faces of peds; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. Lab sample # 90P02874.

Bt2--43 to 71 centimeters (17 to 28 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine roots between peds; many distinct very dark brown (10YR 2/2) continuous clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds, and few black (10YR 2/1) patchy organic coats on vertical faces of peds; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 50 to 110 centimeters (20 to 44 inches).) Lab sample # 90P02875.

Btk1--71 to 86 centimeters (28 to 34 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky, and very plastic; few very fine roots between peds; common distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) continuous clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds, and very few very dark brown (10YR 2/2) faint organic coats on vertical faces of peds; few fine rounded carbonate concretions; common fine irregular masses of oxidized iron throughout; sodium adsorption ratio of 7; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. Lab sample # 90P02877.

Btk2--86 to 127 centimeters (34 to 50 inches); mixed brown (10YR 5/3) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam; mixed brown (10YR 4/3) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) faint clay films on vertical faces of peds; common fine and medium rounded carbonate concretions; common fine irregular masses of oxidized iron and common very fine spherical manganese masses throughout; sodium adsorption ratio of 8; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizons is 30 to 75 centimeters (12 to 30 inches).) Lab sample # 90P02878.

2Btn1--127 to 157 centimeters (50 to 62 inches); mixed brown (7.5YR 4/4) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, mixed dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) faint clay films on vertical faces of peds; common fine irregular masses of oxidized iron and common very fine spherical manganese masses throughout; sodium adsorption ratio of 8; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. Lab sample # 90P02879.

2Btn2--157 to 178 centimeters (62 to 70 inches); mixed brown (7.5YR 4/4) and reddish brown (5YR 4/3) silty clay; mixed dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) continuous clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common fine irregular masses of oxidized iron and common very fine spherical manganese masses throughout; sodium adsorption ratio of 8; 1 percent gravel, mostly chert and limestone pebbles; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. Lab sample # 90P02880.

2Btn3--178 to 200 centimeters (70 to 80 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/3) silty clay; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) continuous clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common fine irregular masses of oxidized iron and common very fine spherical manganese masses throughout; sodium adsorption ratio 7; 1 percent gravel, mostly chert and limestone pebbles; slightly alkaline. (Combined thickness of the Btn horizons is 50 to 110 centimeters (20 to 44 inches).) Lab sample # 90P02881.

TYPE LOCATION: Geary County, Kansas; about 23 kilometers (14 miles) south and 6 kilometers (4 miles) west of Manhattan; located about 244 meters (800 feet) south and 61 meters (200 feet) east of the northwest corner of section 25 T. 12 S., R. 7 E. Public Land Survey location); White City NE, Kansas USGS topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees, 59 minutes, 4 seconds N; longitude 96 degrees, 36 minutes, 48 seconds W, WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture regime: ustic bordering on udic
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 90 centimeters (20 to 36 inches)
Argillic horizon thickness: 120 to 190 centimeters (48 to 75 inches)
Depth to a subhorizon containing more than 40 percent clay: less than 23 centimeters (9 inches)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: greater than 60 centimeters (24 inches)
Depth to redoximorphic concentrations: usually greater than 60 centimeters (30 inches)
Depth to bedrock: 100 centimeters to more than 150 centimeters (40 to more than 60 inches)
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is intermittently moist in some part from March through October; driest in November through February
Mean annual soil temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C (53 to 58 degrees F)
Particle size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 40 to 55 percent
Sand content: 1 to 20 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral.
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 0 to 2

Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay, clay, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline in the lower part.
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 5 to 12.

Btk horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay, clay, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 30 to 45 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 5 to 12

2Btn horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 7 to 15.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loess over colluvium and sometimes over residuum
Landform: hillslopes on uplands
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent
Elevation: 300 to 505 meters (980 to 1660 feet)
Mean annual air temperature: 12 to 14 degrees C (54 to 58 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 790 to 1060 millimeters (31 to 42 inches)
Precipitation pattern: Precipitation is usually evenly distributed throughout the year with the exception of November through February being the driest months and May and June being the wettest months. Summer precipitation occurs during intense summer thunderstorms.
Frost-free period: 160 to 200 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
These are Benfield, Clime, Florence, Irwin, and Ladysmith soils.
The Benfield and Clime soils have shale at depths less than 100 centimeters (40 inches) and are on slopes below the Konza soils.
The Florence soils are clayey-skeletal and are on slopes below the Konza soils.
The Irwin and Ladysmith soils are on similar topographic positions as Konza soils. Irwin soils are greater than 23 centimeters (9 inches) to horizons containing more than 40 percent clay. Ladysmith soils have sodium adsorption ratio less than 2 throughout.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: moderately well
Runoff: high or very high
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: low

USE AND VEGETATION: About half is cultivated; wheat and sorghum are the principal crops. The remainder is used as rangeland. Native vegetation is mixed prairie.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Kansas; Land Resource Region H, Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range; MLRA 74 Central Kansas Sandstone Hills; MLRA 76 Bluestem Hills. The series is of moderate extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Geary County, Kansas, 1991. The name is from the nearby Konza Prairie Research Natural Area.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: The zone from 15 to 65 centimeters (6 to 26 inches). (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: the zone from the 0 to 71 centimeters (0 to 28 inches). (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 15 to 200 centimeters (6 to 80 inches). (Bt1, Bt2, Btk1, Btk2, 2Btn1, 2Btn2, and 2Btn3 horizons).
Secondary carbonates: the zone from 71 to 127 centimeters (28 to 50 inches). (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons)
Salt accumulations: the zone from 127 to 200 centimeters (50 to 80 inches). (2Btn1, 2Btn2, and 2Btn3 horizons)
Redoximorphic features: the zone from 71 to 200 centimeters (28 to 80 inches). (Btk1, Btk2, 2Btn1, 2Btn2, and 2Btn3 horizons)

These soils were formerly mapped as Dwight and Irwin soils. Dwight soils have a natric horizon, the Konza soils do not. Irwin soils have a surface layer greater than 8 inches thick.

06/2003 Horizon nomenclature corrected the "b" was removed as these soils have a welded paleosol and not a buried soil.

4/2017 BKN updated introduction and added on an east-facing, linear, 1 percent slope summit in rangeland at an elevation of 433 meters (1420 feet) to typical pedon. Updated to metric. Added lab sample numbers. Added redox features to horizon descriptions for Btk1, Btk2, 2Btn1, 2Btn2, and 2Btn3 horizons. Removed Bt3 horizon as it is not commonly seen in the field nor is it present at the type location. Added n to the nomenclature for the horizons from the second parent material as lab data supports significant salt accumulations in these horizons. Added soil moisture, soil temperature, MAST, PSCS, clay, sand, depth to bedrock, secondary carbonates, redox, and thickness of the argillic to the RIC. Added clay and sand to horizon RIC. Updated SAR. Added Btk horizon in RIC. Changed geographic setting to tabular. Added elevation, precipitation pattern and FFD to geographic setting. Changed permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity. Updated distribution and extend to meet standards. Added PSCS, carbonates, redox, and salts to remarks.

Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Twelfth Edition, 2014.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Analysis from the type location was made by the National Soil Survey Laboratory. Sample numbers 90P2873 to 90P2882 (pedon 90KS061001) at the following site:
http://ssldata.sc.egov.usda.gov/rptExecute.asp?p=16824&r=1&submit1=Get+Report

Analysis from two additional pedons are also available, sample numbers 91P6658-6660 and 87P2343-2351.
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.