LOCATION LIEBER IN

Established Series
Rev. BGN-KKN
11/2021

LIEBER SERIES

The Lieber series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in loess and in the underlying paleosol in till. Lieber soils are on till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1118 mm (44 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 12.2 degrees C (54 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Aeric Epiaqualfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Lieber silt loam, on a 1 percent slope in a cultivated field at an elevation of 191 meters (625 feet) above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (9 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; common very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 28 cm (6 to 11 inches) thick]

EBg--23 to 30 cm (9 to 12 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; weak medium and thick platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common faint light gray (10YR 7/2) clay depletions on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 inches) thick]

BE--30 to 48 cm (12 to 19 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few fine prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; many fine prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; common prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay depletions on vertical faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [0 to 25 cm (10 inches) thick]

Btg--48 to 86 cm (19 to 34 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine black (10YR 2/1) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions; common faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay depletions on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [30 to 66 cm (12 to 26 inches) thick]

Btgx1--86 to 102 cm (34 to 40 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium and fine prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; firm; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and vesicular pores; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine black (10YR 2/1) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions; common faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay depletions on faces of peds; 30 percent brittle; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Btgx2--102 to 129 cm (40 to 51 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; firm; few very fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular and vesicular pores; common distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; few fine black (10YR 2/1) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) extremely weakly cemented iron-manganese concretions; 40 percent brittle; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Btgx horizon is 30 to 56 cm (12 to 22 inches).]

Btx--129 to 145 cm (51 to 57 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) silt loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; friable; common fine and very fine tubular and vesicular pores; common distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; few prominent black (10YR 2/1) mangans lining pores; common fine dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) extremely weakly cemented iron concretions; few fine prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 40 percent brittle; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. [10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 inches) thick]

2Btb1--145 to 170 cm (57 to 67 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) silt loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm; few fine vesicular pores; common distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common fine dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) extremely weakly cemented iron concretions; few fine prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. [0 to 30 cm (12 inches) thick]

2Btb2--170 to 203 cm (67 to 80 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; friable; common fine vesicular pores; common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; many light gray (10YR 7/2) clay films on vertical prism faces; many fine strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely weakly cemented iron concretions; few fine black (5YR 2.5/1) weakly cemented manganese concretions; many fine prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 2 percent fine gravel; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Clay County, Indiana; 1,400 feet west and 250 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 18, T. 13 N., R. 6 W.; USGS Brazil, Ind. topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 34 minutes 31 seconds N. and long. 87 degrees 6 minutes 44 seconds W., NAD 27; UTM Zone 16, 490361 easting and 4380624 northing, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the base of the argillic horizon: more than 203 cm (80 inches)
Thickness of the loess: 127 to 178 cm (50 to 70 inches)
Depth to horizon with brittle properties: 81 to 117 cm (32 to 46 inches)
Particle-size control section: averages 24 to 32 percent clay and 5 to 10 percent sand

Ap horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam
Reaction: very strongly acid or strongly acid in unlimed areas, and ranges to neutral in limed areas

BE, EBg horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 8; where the chroma in the matrix is 3 or more, 50 percent or more of the faces of peds have chroma of 2 or less
Texture: silt loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Sand content: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid in the upper part and very strongly acid or strongly acid in the lower part

Btg, Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 8; where the chroma in the matrix is 3 or more, 50 percent or more of the faces of peds have chroma of 2 or less
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 24 to 32 percent
Sand content: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid in the upper part and very strongly acid or strongly acid in the lower part

Btgx, Btx horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 8
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent
Sand content: 10 to 20 percent
Brittleness: 30 to 40 percent of volume is slightly brittle
Reaction: strongly acid or moderately acid

2Btb horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 4 to 8
Texture: silt loam, loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Sand content: 28 to 38 percent
Rock fragment content: 1 to 3 percent gravel
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Canal, Lauer, Taggart, and Tiro series. Canal and Tiro soils are less than 203 cm (80 inches) to the base of the argillic horizon. Lauer soils have less than 28 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section. Taggart soils do not have subhorizons within the argillic horizon with brittle properties.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lieber soils are on summits and shoulders of till plains of Illinoian age. Slope ranges from 0 to 6 percent. The soils formed in 127 to 178 cm (50 to 70 inches) of loess and in the underlying paleosol in till. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1067 to 1143 mm (42 to 45 inches). Mean annual temperature ranges from 11.7 to 12.8 degrees C (53 to 55 degrees F). Frost-free period is 170 to 200 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arney, Ava, Cincinnati, Hoosierville, and Stinesville soils which are on till plains. The moderately well drained Arney soils are on swells and shoulders. The moderately well drained Ava and well drained Cincinnati soils are on lower lying shoulders and backslopes. The poorly drained Hoosierville soils are on broad level summits. The well drained Stinesville soils are on higher lying summits, shoulders and backslopes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. In undrained areas, depth to the top of an intermittent perched high water table ranges from 15 to 46 cm (0.5 to 1.5 feet) between November and May in normal years. In drained areas, depth to the top of an intermittent perched high water table ranges from 15 to 61 cm (0.5 to 2 feet) between December and April in normal years. Potential for surface runoff is low to high. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the upper part of the solum and moderately low in the lower part. Permeability is moderate in the upper part of the solum and slow in the lower part.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for growing corn and soybeans. A few areas are used for small grain, hay or pasture, or are in woodland. Native vegetation is mixed deciduous hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 114B in south-central Indiana. The series is of small extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owen County, Indiana, 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 48 cm (Ap, EBg, BE horizons).
Argillic horizon: from a depth of 48 to 203 cm (Btg, Btgx, Btx, 2Btb horizons).
Aquic conditions: redox depletions in all horizons below a depth of 23 cm.

These soils have been mapped and correlated as Iva in adjacent subset soil surveys, and were included in mapping with the Vigo soils in the 1964 Owen County Soil Survey.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data available for the typical pedon (S93IN-21-2) and pedon (S92IN-119-36) is at the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.