LOCATION MACON AL+AR

Established Series
Rev. JAC: GWH; GRB
04/2014

MACON SERIES

The Macon series consist of very deep, well drained, slowly permeable soils in the margin between the Alabama and Mississippi Blackland Prairie (MLRA 135A) and the Southern Coastal Plain (MLRA 133A) along with the Cretaceous Western Coastal Plain (MLRA 135B) Major Land Resource Areas. They formed in thick beds of loamy and clayey marine sediments. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 67 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 60 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Paleudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Macon fine sandy loam, in a pasture (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).

Ap--0 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; few very fine black (10YR 2/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) nodules; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

Bt1--9 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; few fine black (10YR 2/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) nodules; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)

Bt2--12 to 24 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm, plastic; few fine roots; few black (10YR 2/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) nodules; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--24 to 36 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay loam, moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm, plastic; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine black (10YR 2/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) nodules; discontinuous black (10YR 2/1) coatings; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt4--36 to 50 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay; weak to moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, plastic; common faint clay films on faces of peds; common fine black (10YR 2/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) nodules; thin black coatings; common medium distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt5--50 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, plastic; few fine black (10YR 2/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) nodules; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; many fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and many distinct gray (10YR 6/1) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons range from 50 to more than 73 inches in thickness)

BC--60 to 75 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) sandy clay, massive; firm, plastic; few to common fine black (10YR 2/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) nodules; many fine distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) masses of iron accumulations and many faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) and gray (10YR 6/1) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Greene County, Alabama. Approximately 1.5 miles west of the courthouse in Eutaw, on new Mt. Hebron Road. About 200 feet south of road and east of private road, SW1/4, NE1/4 Sec. 32, T. 22 N., R.2 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout, except where the surface has been limed. The control section has more than 20 percent silt. Nodules in shades of black and brown range from none to common throughout the profile.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is fine sandy loam or loam.

The upper part of the Bt horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 or 6. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam.

The middle part of the Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Redoximorphic accumulations in shades of brown, red and yellow range from few to common. Texture is sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay or clay.

The lower part of the Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Yr or 5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, red, yellow and gray range from common to many. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay, or clay.

The BC horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown, yellow and gray range from common to many. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay, or clay.

COMPETING SERIES: The Kamie series is the only known series in the same family. Kamie soils are in the Ouachita Mountains (MLRA 119), Cherokee Prairies (MLRA 112) and the Boston Mountains (MLRA 117) Major Land Resource Areas.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Macon soils are at the margin between the Southern Coastal Plain and Alabama and Mississippi Blackland Prairie along with the Cretaceous Western Coastal Plain. They formed in thick beds of moderately fine and fine-textured materials. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. The climate is humid subtropical. Near the type location, the average annual temperature is about 67 degrees F. and average annual precipitation is 60 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Angie, Boswell, Kipling, Mayhew, Oktibbeha, Vaiden and the Wilcox series. All of these soils have more clay in the control section and are on similar to higher positions. Angie and Boswell soils are moderately well drained. In addition, Angie soils have yellower subsoils and Boswell soils have vertic properties. The somewhat poorly drained Kipling soils have calcium carbonate concretions in the lower subsoil. Mayhew, Oktibbeha, Vaiden and Wilcox soils are Vertisols. In addition, Mayhew soils are poorly drained, Oktibbeha soils are moderately well drained, while Vaiden and Wilcox soils are somewhat poorly drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Macon soils have been cleared and are used for growing corn, cotton, pasture and hay. Forested areas consist of mixed hardwoods, loblolly pine and shortleaf pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alabama and Mississippi. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Macon County, Alabama; 1940.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 9 inches (Ap horizon).

Argillic horizon - the zone from 9 to more than 75 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5 and BC horizons).

Macon soils are in MLRAs 133A, 135A and 135B.

ADDITIONAL DATA: There is no known laboratory data on the Macon series.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.