LOCATION METCALF LA+TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Glossaquic Paleudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Metcalf silt loam on broad interstream divide. 2 percent slope, in hardwood and pine woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; many medium and fine roots; few fine pores; few wormcasts; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
E--3 to 8 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots; common fine pores; few wormcasts; dark grayish brown silt loam in wormcasts; common fine black concretions; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; many fine pores; thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds and in pores; few wormcasts; light yellowish brown loam in wormcasts; few fine black concretions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--16 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common fine pores; thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds and in pores; few fine black concretions; many prominent medium red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of oxidized iron; few medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--23 to 30 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common fine pores; thin discontinuous clay films on surfaces of peds and in pores; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt coats on some peds; few fine black concretions; common continuous prominent 1/2 to 2 cm. wide red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of oxidized iron lining vertical root channels; and common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 0 to 34 inches)
Bt/E--30 to 38 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam; gray (10YR 6/1) silt intrusions of albic material 1 to 1-1/2 cm. wide make up 20 percent of the horizon; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable; few fine roots; common fine pores; few medium concretions; thin patchy clay films in pores; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; common continuous prominent 1/2 to 2 cm. wide red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of oxidized iron lining vertical root channels; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
2Btg1--38 to 55 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to angular blocky; firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; pressure faces on some vertical and horizontal faces of peds; thin patchy silt coats between prisms; common medium prominent red (10R 4/8) and few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)
2Btg2--55 to 65 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many shiny faces on peds; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; very strongly acid. (10 to 30 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Caddo Parish, Louisiana, 1.6 miles west of Keithville, 4.4 miles west on LA 525 from intersection of U.S. 171 and LA 525, 1.4 miles south on Keith Road from intersection of Keith Road and LA 525, 400 feet west of Keith Road, NW1/4NW1/4 sec. 36, T. 16 N., R. 15 W., Stonewall, Louisiana USGS 7.5 Minute Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to about 100 inches. Depth to the clayey discontinuity ranges from 27 to 40 inches. Except for surface horizons that have been limed, soil reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid throughout the solum.
The A1 or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value that ranges from 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam.
An E/Bt horizon is present in some pedons. The E part of the E/Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is silt loam, loam, or very fine sandy loam in the E parts, and silty clay loam, silt loam, loam, or clay loam in the Bt parts.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. The lower part of the Bt horizon has few to common iron depletions with chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Some pedons do not have a Bt horizon above the Bt/E horizon.
The Bt part of the Bt/E horizon is variegated in hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 through 6. It has few to common iron or clay depletions with chroma of 1 or 2. All, or some subhorizon of the Bt/E horizon has more than 15 percent intrusions of albic material. Texture is silty clay loam, silt loam, loam, or clay loam. The E part of the Bt/E horizon is a grayish, uncoated silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
The 2Btg or 2Bt horizon is variegated in shades of gray, red, and brown. Texture is silty clay, clay, silty clay loam, or clay loam containing more than 35 percent clay.
A 2Cg horizon is present below a depth of 60 inches in some pedons. It is variegated in shades of gray and brown. Texture is loam, silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Keithville series in the same family, and the Abita, Bernaldo, Evangeline, Fred, Frizzell, Glenmora, Hicota, Messer, Pooleville, Raino, Rodessa, Scottsville, Timpson, Tippo, and Wanilla series in closely related families. Abita and Glenmora soils do not have a discontinuity to Tertiary materials, and have are in an active activity class. Bernaldo, Evangeline, Frizzell, Keithville and Scottville soils do not have a glossic horizon. In addition, Scottsville soils have an abrupt textural change at the discontinuity. Fred soils have mixed mineralogy. Hicota and Wanilla soils are coarse-loamy in the control section. Messer and Tippo soils are coarse-silty in the control section. Pooleville soils do not have a clayey discontinuity. Raino and Scottsville soils have an abrupt textural change within the control section. Rodessa soils have more than 35 percent clay in the upper part of the argillic horizon. Timpson soils are coarse-silty in the control section and are 45 to 60 inches to the clayey discontinuity.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Metcalf soils are on broad level, nearly level marine or stream terraces on the Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in Pliestocene age loamy marine or alluvial sediments over Tertiary age clayey deposits. The climate is warm and humid; the mean annual precipitation is about 45 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 65 degrees F. in the type location.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Keithville series, the closely related Scottsville and Timpson series, and the Cadeville, Guyton, Malbis, and Wrightsville series. Keithville and Scottsville soils are on similar landscape positions to Mescalf soils. Timpson soils are on slightly higher or mounded landscape positions. Cadeville, Woodtell, and Wrightsville soils have fine textured control sections. In addition, Wrightsville soils are gray throughout the solum. Guyton soils have 1 or 2 chroma control sections. Malbis soils have fine loamy control sections and lack clayey IIB horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; rate of runoff is medium on slopes less than 1 percent, and high on slopes up to 2 percent; very slow permeability. Metcalf soils are saturated below a depth of 1.5 to 2.5 feet and above the clayey discontinuity for periods of 8 to 16 weeks from December through April in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Metcalf soils are used for pasture or urban. A small acreage is in mixed hardwood and pine forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. Extent is moderate.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Caddo Parish, Louisiana; 1978.
REMARKS: The series was updated in 2002 to allow the glossic horizon to begin at the top of the argillic horizon in some pedons. The classification was changed in October, 2004 from and Aquic Glossudalf to a Glossaquic Paleudalf due to a change in 9th ed. Keys to Taxonomy which places Paleudalfs higher on the key than Glossudalfs. Paleudalfs now may have a Glossic horizon. Diagnostic and other features recognized in the type location pedon include:
Ochric epipedon.............the zone from 0 to 8 inches deep (A and E horizons)
Argillic horizon............the zone from 8 to 65 inches deep (Bt, Bt/E and Btg horizons)
Glossic horizon.............the zone from 30 to 38 inches deep (Bt/E horizon)
Lithologic discontinuity....at 38 inches deep (top of the 2Btg1 horizon)