LOCATION LICKING            OH+KY WV
Established Series
Rev. RJG-NHM-DHK
07/2007

LICKING SERIES


The Licking series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in a mantle of silty material over clayey lacustrine sediments. Permeability is moderately slow in the upper part of the solum and slow in the lower part. These soils are on terraces and have slopes ranging from 0 to 25 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 40 inches, and mean annual temperature is 53 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Licking silt loam, on a 9 percent convex southwest-facing slope in a pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium granular; friable; many fine and very fine roots between peds; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)

BE--7 to 11 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and very fine roots between peds; many distinct brown (10YR 4/3) organic stains on faces of peds and many distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt coats on all faces of peds; few medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2)iron depletions and common fine strong brown (7.5YR 5/6)masses with accumulated iron and manganese; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

Bt1--11 to 19 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and very fine roots between peds; many distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4)clay films on all faces of peds; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6)masses with accumulated iron and manganese and common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2)iron depletions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

2Bt2--19 to 25 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; common very fine roots between peds; many prominent brown (10YR 5/3)clay films on all faces of peds; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2)iron depletions and many medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6)masses with accumulated iron and manganese; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

2Bt3--25 to 36 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots between peds; few fine black (10YR 2/1)manganese masses and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6)masses with accumulated iron and manganese and many medium prominent gray (10YR 6/1)iron depletions; many distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2)clay depletions on faces of peds; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons is 15 to 33 inches.)

2CB--36 to 48 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) stratified silty clay loam and silty clay; weak coarse angular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots between peds; few fine black (10YR 2/1)manganese masses and many medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6)masses with accumulated iron and manganese and many coarse prominent gray (10YR 5/1)iron depletions; many distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2)clay depletions on faces of peds; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 28 inches thick)

2C1--48 to 61 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) silty clay; massive; firm; common distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6)masses with accumulated iron and manganese and many coarse prominent gray (10YR 5/1)iron depletions; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

2C2--61 to 84 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) stratified silty clay loam to silty clay; massive; firm; common coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6)masses with accumulated iron and manganese and many coarse prominent gray (10YR 5/1)iron depletions; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Gallia County, Ohio; about 1.7 miles southwest of Northup in Green Twp, about 1,700 feet north and 360 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 19, T. 5 N; R. 15 W.; USGS Rodney, Ohio topographic quadrangle; Latitude 38 degrees 45 minutes 57.5 seconds N. and Longitude 82 degrees 18 minutes 27.4 seconds W., NAD 1927.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges in thickness from 30 to 70 inches. Thickness of the silt mantle ranges from 12 to 30 inches. If present, carbonates are at a depth of more than 60 inches. Some pedons have up to 2 percent coarse fragments in the upper part of the solum. The particle-size control section has an average of 35 to 50 percent clay.

The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. It is moderately acid to very strongly acid. Undisturbed pedons have an A horizon 1 to 4 inches thick that has value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2.

In most cultivated pedons, the E horizon is mixed in the Ap horizon. Undisturbed pedons have an E horizon 3 to 8 inches thick that has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is silt loam and is strongly acid or very strongly acid.

The BE horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silt loam or silty clay loam.

The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 4 or 5; and chroma of 3 to 8. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. It is very strongly acid to moderately acid.

The 2Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 4 or 5; and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silty clay or clay with clay content ranging from 40 to 60 percent. Some stratification or lamination is evident and thin strata of silty clay loam, silt loam, or fine sandy loam are in some pedons. The 2Bt horizon is strongly acid to neutral.

The 2C horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 3 to 5; and chroma of 3 to 6. It is silty clay, silty clay loam, or clay and includes thin strata silt loam, or fine sand. It is moderately acid to mildly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Banister, Branchville, Cardinal, Celina, Eudy, Hartville, Jerktail, Loudon, Tarlton and Whippany series. Banister and Cardinal soils do not have a lithologic discontinuity within the solum. Branchville and Loudon soils have more rock fragments and the lower part of the solum formed in residuum from bedrock. Celina soils have carbonates within 36 inches. Eudy, Jerktail and Tarlton soils have bedrock within 80 inches. Hartville soils are more acid in the lower part of the solum. Whippany soils do not have 2B and 2C horizons with a sharp increase in clay content at a depth of 12 to 30 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Licking soils occur on terraces. Slope gradients range from 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in clayey lacustrine sediments and in a silty mantle 12 to 30 inches thick. They are believed to be primarily of local origin with glacial meltwater probably contributing sediments in some areas. The present terraces are above flood plain level and are adjacent to strongly sloping to steep valley walls. The mean annual precipitation varies from 35 to 44 inches, and the mean annual temperature varies from 49 to 58 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the, Chagrin, Gallipolis, Gilpin, Holly, Keene, Latham, McGary, Nolin, Otwell, Pope and Zanesville. The fine-loamy Chagrin and Holly soils, the fine-silty Nolin soils and the coarse-loamy Pope soils are on alluvial flood plains. The Gilpin, Keene, Latham and Zanesville soils are on the upland hills and formed dominantly in residuum from bedrock. The somewhat poorly drained McGary soils are on flats and depressions on the same terraces. The fine silty Otwell and Gallipolis soils are on similar positions on the same terraces.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Index surface runoff is medium to very high. Permeability is moderately slow in the upper part of the solum and slow in the lower part.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of these soils are used for pasture, meadow, and cultivated crops, including corn and wheat. Original vegetation was deciduous hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Ohio, northwestern West Virginia, and Kentucky. The series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stark County, Ohio, 1973.

REMARKS: Series revisions in 2007 are based on extensive field studies in Ohio of soils mapped Licking and Wyatt. The study resulted in recorrelation of map units in 9 counties and moving the Licking Type Location to a more central location in the area of distribution. Additional laboratory data indicate an active CEC activity class rather than semiactive (series was reclassified).

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of about 11 inches (Ap and BE horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 11 to 48 inches (Bt1, 2Bt2 and 2Bt3 horizons).
Lithologic discontinuity at a depth of 19 inches (top of 2Bt2 horizon).

Revised: 07/2003-LAT; 07/2007-RJG, NHM, DHK


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.