LOCATION LOUISA                  GA+AL NC SC VA

Established Series
Rev. LWF: RLV/RHB
10/2021

LOUISA SERIES

The Louisa series consists of shallow, somewhat excessively drained soils which formed over mica gneiss and schist bedrock. They occur on Piedmont uplands. Slopes are 6 to 80 percent. Near the type location the mean annual temperature is about 61 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 51 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, micaceous, thermic, shallow Typic Dystrudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Louisa gravelly loam--forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oi--0 to 2 inch; slightly decomposed organic matter.

Oe--2 to 3 inch; moderately decomposed organic matter.

A--3 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; many fine and medium flakes of mica; about 20 percent fragments of quartz and schist; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

Bw--7 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; few coarse roots; many fine and medium flakes of mica; 20 percent fragments of quartz and schist; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bw/Bt--11 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly loam; weak medium granular and subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium and coarse roots; many fine and medium flakes of mica; about 20 percent fragments of quartz and schist; small pockets of clay loam in lower part between tilted layers of broken schist extending from C horizon, make up about 15 percent by volume; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the B horizon is 6 to 15 inches)

C--15 to 21 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) very channery loam; many fragments of schist have thin discontinuous clay films on surface; few small pockets of clay loam are between tilted layers of schist; very strongly acid; gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

Cr--21 to 63 inches; weathered olive gray (5Y 4/2) mica schist, with varying degrees of hardness.

TYPE LOCATION: Carroll County, Georgia; 1.5 miles north of Temple, on Georgia Highway 113; 50 yards west of highway.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to a paralithic contact, ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The underlying saprolite grades into hard rock at depths of 5 to 10 feet or more. Volume fragments of gneiss, quartz and schist ranges from 5 to 25 percent in the solum and 5 to 60 percent in the C horizon. Clay content of the particle size control section, between depths of 10 inches and the paralithic contact ranges from 12 to 30 percent. Reaction ranges from very
strongly acid to moderately acid, except surface layers which have been limed. Flakes of mica range from common to many in all horizons.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or their gravelly analogues.

The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR through 5YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 3 through 8. It is loam, sandy loam, clay loam, or their gravelly analogues. In each pedon, there is a Bt horizon 3 to 6 inches thick, or pockets of argillic material. It is loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or their gravelly analogues.

The C horizon, where present is weathered gneiss and schist saprolite with few to common pockets or lenses of the cambic or argillic horizon tonguing into the upper part. The saprolite breaks down to loam or sandy loam or their gravelly or channery analogues.

The Cr horizon is weathered mica schist and gneiss bedrock with varying degrees of hardness.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Series of closely related families are the Chandler, Goldston, Hector, Louisburg, Montevallo, Ramsey, Steekee, Talladega, Tallapoosa, and Wilkes series. Chandler and Talladega soils have mesic temperatures; in addition, Talladega soils have less mica. Goldston, Hector, Ramsey, and Steekee soils have siliceous mineralogy, in addition, Goldston soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section. Hector and Ramsey soils have a lithic contact at less than 20 inches. Louisburg and Montevallo soils have mixed mineralogy. Montevallo soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section. Tallapoosa soils have continuous argillic horizons less than 10 inches thick. Wilkes soils have base saturation of more than 60 percent.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Louisa soils are on ridges and sideslopes in highly dissected areas of the Piedmont Plateau. Slope gradients are 6 to 80 percent. Elevation is 800 to 1200 feet. Louisa soils formed in residuum weathered from micaceous gneiss and schist rocks. The climate is warm and humid. The average annual temperature ranges from about 60 to 65 degrees F., average annual precipitation ranges from about 45 to 55 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Louisburg and Tallapoosa series and the Cecil, Grover, Hulett, Madison, and Pacolet series. Cecil, Grover, Hulett, Madison, and Pacolet soils have continuous argillic horizons; in addition, Cecil, Hulett, Madison, and Pacolet soils have clayey Bt horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; moderate to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of Louisa soils are used for woodland. Red, white, post, and blackjack oaks, hickory, dogwood, sourwood, loblolly, and shortleaf pine are the principal trees.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina; and Virginia. The series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Campbell County, Virginia; 1909.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to approximately 7 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - the zone from approximately 7 to 15 inches (Bw and Bw/Bt horizons) This zone has an argillic horizon in 10 to 40 percent of the pedon.
Shallow feature - the paralithic contact at approximately 21 inches (Top of the Cr horizon)
Revised 1/93. 2006 revision reclassifies Louisa as Typic Dystrudepts to better fit the central concept of the series.
Revised soil horizon depths to ensure description began at the soil surface.

SIR = GA0041

MLRA = 136

ADDITIONAL DATA:

SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
GA0041 LOUISA 6-80 60-65 220-225 45- 55 800-1200

SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
GA0041 NONE 6.0-6.0 - 10-20 SOFT

SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
GA0041 0- 7 GR-L GR-SL GR-FSL 0- 5 60- 75 10-25 -
GA0041 0- 7 L SL FSL 0- 0 75- 95 10-25 -
GA0041 7-15 GR-L GR-SL 0- 5 60- 80 12-27 -
GA0041 15-21 CNV-L CN-L 25- 40 60- 70 10-25 -
GA0041 21-63 WB - - - -

SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
GA0041 0- 7 4.5- 6.0 .5-2. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
GA0041 0- 7 4.5- 6.0 .5-2. 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
GA0041 7-15 4.5- 6.0 - 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
GA0041 15-21 4.5- 6.0 - 0- 0 2.0- 6.0 LOW
GA0041 21-63 - - - 0.00-0.06

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.