LOCATION MONTEAGLE               TN

Established Series
Rev. JLP:JCJ
03/2022

MONTEAGLE SERIES

The Monteagle series consists of very deep, well drained moderately permeable soils. These soils formed in loamy residuum from sandstone. They are on ridgetops on the Cumberland Plateau. Slopes range from 2 to 12 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Paleudults

TYPICAL PEDON: Monteagle loam-forested (colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated).

Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially weathered leaves.

A--1 to 2 inch; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine and common medium pores; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

E--2 to 5 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; common very fine, fine and medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and common fine and medium pores; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)

Bt1--5 to 13 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay loam; few medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and common fine and medium pores; few faint clay films in pores; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt2--13 to 22 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine, fine and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine, fine and medium pores; common distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt3--22 to 33 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium pores; common distinct reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt4--33 to 59 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) clay loam; few medium prominent yellow (10YR 7/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; common distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

Bt5--59 to 73 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) clay loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine pores; few distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds; about 5 percent fragments of sandstone 1/2 to 3 inches across; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 50 to 75 inches)

BC--73 to 80 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; about 10 percent fragments of sandstone of 1/2 to 3 inches across; strongly acid. (0 to 12 inches)

Cr--80 to 86 inches; weathered sandstone bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Grundy County, Tennessee; 0.6 miles north on Summerfield Road from the intersection with State Highway 56 at Summerfield, 100 feet east of the road.(Latitude: 35 degrees, 15 minutes, 37.8 seconds N; Longitude: 85 degrees, 47 minutes, 30.4 seconds W) Burrow Cove Quadrangle

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to soft sandstone bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Reaction is strongly acid or very strongly acid, except the surface layer is less acid where limed. Fragments of sandstone, 1/2 to 3 inches across, range from 0 to 15 percent in the A and Bt horizons and 0 to 35 percent in the C horizon.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 to 3. The Ap horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 6. Texture is silt loam or loam.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is silt loam or loam.

Some pedons have a transitional horizon between the A and E horizon and the Bt horizon.

The BE or Bt1 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is dominantly clay loam, but includes silt loam or loam.

The remaining Bt horizons have hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. Some pedons have mottles in shades of brown yellow and red. Texture is clay loam, clay, or less commonly sandy clay loam or sandy clay.

Some pedons have a transitional horizon between the Bt and the C horizon.

The Cr horizon is weathered sandstone bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Canmer, Doniphan, Frederick, and Macedonia series in the same family. Canmer soils have redder hues and lower values in the upper part of the Bt horizon. Doniphan soils have more than 25 percent chert in the upper part of the pedon. Frederick soil formed in residuum from limestone and have a lower sand content in the Bt horizon. Macedonia soils have Bt horizons with hue of 10YR or 7.5YR.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These gently sloping and sloping soils are on ridgetops on the Cumberland Plateau. They formed in residuum from acid sandstone formations. Slopes range from 2 to 12 percent. The average annual temperature is 56 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is 60 inches near the type location.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alticrest, Beersheba, Clarkrange, Hendon, Lily, Lonewood, and Ramsey series. Alticrest, Beersheba, Lily, and Ramsey soils are less than 40 inches to bedrock. They are normally on more highly dissected topography. Clarkrange soils are on broader ridgetops and have a fragipan in the subsoil. Hendon soils are fine-loamy and have a brittle layer in the subsoil. Lonewood soils are fine-loamy and have bedrock at 40 to 70 inches.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability; medium runoff.

USE AND VEGETATION: More than one-half the acreage of these soils is used as woodland. Cleared areas are used mostly for corn, hay, pasture, vegetables and nursery crops. Wooded areas consists chiefly of upland oaks, hickories, blackgum, elm, yellow-poplar, shortleaf pine and Virginia pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee and possibly the Cumberland Plateau and mountains in Kentucky. The series is of minor extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grundy County, Tennessee; 1990.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 1 to 5 inches (A and E horizons)
Argillic horizon - 5 to 73 inches (Bt1 to Bt5 horizons)
(S88TN-061-004)
This soil has previously been included in the Lonewood series in Tennessee.

03/2022 revision: Oi had 1 to 0 inch depths, corrected to be 0 to 1 in horizon depths then added 1 inch to all horizon depths throughout the typical pedon. WJN

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.