LOCATION LEATHERBARK WVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, subactive, frigid Aquic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Leatherbark on a 2 percent slope, in an area of red spruce, yellow birch and sugar maple at an elevation of 4625 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed forest litter.
Oe--1 to 2 inch; moderately decomposed forest litter.
A--2 to 4 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; 5 percent rock fragments; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
E--4 to 7inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; 5 percent rock fragments; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 11 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; friable; few fine roots; common coarse prominent gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions; continuous distinct brown (10YR 5/3) coatings on faces of peds; 5 percent rock fragments; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--11 to 20 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) silty clay loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; friable; few fine roots; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) iron concentrations in the matrix and common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; 5 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; gradual irregular boundary.
Bw3--20 to 37 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) channery silt loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; firm; many coarse distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions and many coarse prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron concentrations in the matrix; few prominent brown (10YR 5/3) coatings in pores and on rock fragments; 20 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 17 to 32 inches)
C--37 to 40 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very channery silt loam; massive; friable; many medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions and common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron concentrations in the matrix; 35 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Cr--40+ inches; black (10YR 2/1) gray (10YR 5/1) and reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) fractured siltstones and shales. (Excavation difficulty is moderate requiring impact energy or foot pressure when using a tile spade.)
TYPE LOCATION: Pocahontas County, West Virginia; on Back Allegheny Mountain; 4000 feet north 38 degrees west of Bald Knob and 5600 feet north 66 degrees west of the Cass Scenic Railroad observation platform. U.S.G.S. Cass topographic quadrangle; Latitude 38 degrees, 27 minutes, 25 seconds N and Longitude 79 degrees, 56 minutes, 22 seconds W; NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Siltstone, shale and sandstone rock fragments range by volume, from 5 to 20 percent in the A and E horizons, 5 to 35 percent in the BE, and Bw horizons, and 20 to 55 percent in the C horizon. The soil ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam or loam.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam or loam.
Some pedons have a BE horizon. The BE horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 or 3. It is silt loam or loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 8. Redoximorphic features have hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 to 8. It is silty clay loam, clay loam, silt loam or loam.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 3 to 6. Redoximorphic features have hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 1 to 8. It is silty clay loam, silt loam or loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Leatherbark soils formed in residuum weathered from interbedded siltstone, shale and sandstone and are on nearly level to strongly sloping broad ridgetops and upland depressions on mountains. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Climate is humid continental with long winter snow cover. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 44 to 46 degrees F, mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 60 inches, frost-free days range from 90 to 130, and elevation ranges from 3500 to 6000 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Briery, Gauley, Mandy, Simoda, Snowdog, Summers, and Trussel series. Briery, Gauley, Mandy, and Summers soils are well drained. Simoda and Snowdog soils are moderately well-drained and have a fragipan. Trussel soils are poorly drained and have a fragipan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible to very high. Permeability is moderately slow. In undisturbed areas the depth to the top of a perched seasonal high water table ranges from one half foot to one foot for some time in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for timber production consisting of American beech, yellow birch, black cherry, red spruce, sugar maple, red maple, striped maple, eastern hemlock and mountain holly. Ground cover consists of clubmoss, ground pine, ferns and wood sorrel.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 127. In West Virginia and possibly Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pocahontas County, West Virginia, 1992. The name is from a stream in the area.
REMARKS: Leatherbark soils were formerly included in the Cavode, Cookport or Nolo series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the typical pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 7 inches (A and E horizons).
b. Cambic horizon - the zone from 7 to 37 inches (Bw1, Bw2 and Bw3 horizons).
c. Aquic moisture regime - redoximorphic features in the horizon below the E horizon.
Prior edits: DGF-WFH-ART-MEM 01/2002. Current changes were to update depths.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Interpretation Record - WV0125