LOCATION MERRY OAKS NCEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, thermic Aeric Epiaquults
TYPICAL PEDON: Merry Oaks silt loam--woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; friable; many fine roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
E--5 to 10 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 22 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) silt loam; moderate medium platy primary structure, parting to weak fine subangular blocky secondary structure; friable; common fine roots; common medium prominent light gray (10YR 7/2) and common fine prominent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) iron depletions; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--22 to 31 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; common medium prominent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and common fine prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Btg--31 to 43 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common medium prominent yellow (10YR 7/6) and common fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation; few fine clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 15 to 30 inches thick)
BCg--43 to 51 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; many medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and common fine distinct yellow (10YR 7/6) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
BC--51 to 60 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loam; weak thick platy structure; firm, very weakly cemented; few fine roots; many medium prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) and common fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) iron depletions; very strongly acid. (0 to 10 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Chatham County, North Carolina; 2.2 miles east of Moncure on Secondary Road 1011, south onto Woodland Road, cross railroad tracks, right onto dirt road, follow until it ends, 150 feet south southeast in woods; USGS Moncure topographic quadrangle; lat. 35 degrees 36 minutes 47 seconds N. and long. 79 degrees 02 minutes 21 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 40 to more than 60 inches.
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 60 inches
Depth to High Water Table: 0.5 to 1.5 feet below the soil surface, mostly during the months of November to March
Rock Fragments: 0 to 10 percent by volume, rounded and subrounded quartz pebbles
Depth to Highly Stratified Materials: Greater than 40 inches
Content of Mica: 0 to 20 percent by volume, throughout
Soil Reaction: Extremely acid to strongly acid, except where surface layers have been limed
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
Ap or A horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 4
Texture--loam, silt loam, or very fine sandy loam
Mottles--in shades of yellow or brown are in some pedons
(This horizon is less than 6 inches in thickness in pedons with a value of 3)
E horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 4
Texture--loam, silt loam, or very fine sandy loam
The BA or BE horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam
Redoximorphic features: iron depletions in shades of gray; iron accumulations in shades of brown
Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8 or is mottled in shades of these colors
Texture--silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam. Clay content of the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon ranges from 18 to 35 percent and silt plus clay exceeds 50 percent.
Redoximorphic features: iron depletions of chroma 2 or less; iron accumulations in shades of yellow and brown are present in some pedons
Btg horizon (occurs at depths of 20 inches or below):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, or neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2
Texture--silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 35 percent and silt plus clay exceeds 50 percent.
Redoximorphic features: iron accumulations in shades of red or brown
BCg horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, or neutral, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 0 to 2
Texture--silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, or loam
Redoximorphic features: iron accumulations in shades of red or brown
BC horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8
Texture--silt loam, loam, fine sandy loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam
Redoximorphic features: iron depletions in shades of gray or white
C horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8
Texture-variable; mainly silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam
Redoximorphic features: iron accumulations in shades of red or brown
COMPETING SERIES:
There are no competing series in this family
Competing series in related families:
Amy soils--are dominated by gray colors just beneath the A or Ap horizon
Augusta soils--have more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon
Chapanoke soils--formed in alluvial sediments derived from Coastal Plain sediments
Lynchburg soils--have more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon, and occur on uplands in the Coastal Plain
Nahunta soils--have solum thickness of greater than 60 inches and occur on uplands in the Coastal Plain
Summerfield soils--have more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon and clayey lower B horizons
Sylacauga soils--have a lithologic discontinuity and endosaturation
Wahee soils--have more than 35 percent clay
Yemassee soils--have more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Thermic Southern Piedmont river and stream valleys
Landform: Low river and stream terraces
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 60 degrees F.
Mean Annual Precipitation: 47 inches
Frost Free Period: 180 to 260 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Chenneby soils--lack argillic horizons and are on adjacent floodplains
Chewacla soils--lack argillic horizons, have a fine-loamy particle size class, and are on adjacent floodplains
Mattaponi soils--are well drained, have a fine particle size class, and are on adjacent, older, high terraces
Moncure soils--are poorly drained and occur on similar landscapes
Peawick soils--are moderately well drained, have a fine particle size class, and are on adjacent, older, high terraces
Riverview soils--are well drained, have a fine-loamy particle size class, and are on adjacent floodplains
Shellbluff soils--are well drained and are on adjacent floodplains
Wehadkee soils--are poorly drained, have a fine-lomay particle size class, and are on adjacent floodplains
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Somewhat poorly drained
Surface Runoff: Slow
Permeability of Restrictive Layer (upper 60 inches): Slow
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Mixed hardwood and pine forest
Dominant Vegetation: Where forested-loblolly pine, red maple, sweet gum, black gum, water oak, winged elm, and willow oak
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Thermic region of Piedmont in the Carolina Slate Belt of North Carolina and possibly Virginia
Extent: Small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chatham County, North Carolina; 2005
REMARKS: Merry Oaks soils were included in the Sylacauga and Wahee series. Sylacauga soils have a lithologic discontinuity and endosaturation. Wahee soils have a fine particle size class.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon-the zone from the soil surface to a depth of 5 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon-the zone from 10 to 43 inches (Bt and Btg horizons)
Series control section-0 to 60 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Reference particle-size data is available from the project soil survey staff, Pittsboro, North Carolina.
Data Map Unit ID:
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
Merry Oaks 0-2 57-65 180-260 40-55 150-450
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
NONE COMMON 0.5-1.5 Perched NOV-MAR 60-60
FREQ 0.5-1.5 Perched NOV-MAR 60-60
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
0-10 SIL L VFSL 0-0 95-100 7-20 -
10-43 SIL SICL CL 0-0 95-100 18-35 -
43-60 SIL L FSL 0-0 95-100 7-20 -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
0-10 3.6-5.5 1-3 0-0 0.6-2.0 LOW
10-43 3.6-5.5 .5-1 0-0 0.06-0.2 LOW
43-60 3.6-5.5 .5-1 0-0 0.6-2.0 LOW