LOCATION MORELAND           LA+AR OK
Established Series
Rev. JDS
7/97

MORELAND SERIES


The Moreland series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils that formed in clayey alluvium of Permian Red Bed origin. These soils are on level to gently undulating flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, thermic Oxyaquic Hapluderts

TYPICAL PEDON: Moreland clay--cropland.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very firm; many fine and medium roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

A--6 to 16 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very firm; few fine and medium roots; shiny surfaces on peds; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (total thickness of the Ap and A horizons is 12 to 20 inches)

Bw--16 to 26 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) clay; thin strata of reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very firm; few fine roots; few shiney pressure faces; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)

Bkss1--26 to 52 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay; few fine prominent gray (N 5/0) iron depletions; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very firm; common intersecting slickensides and pressure faces; common fine and medium soft masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; mildly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)

Bkss2--52 to 63 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay; weak coarse angular blocky structure; firm; common intersecting slickensides and pressure faces; common fine and medium soft masses and hard nodules of calcium carbonate; few dark iron manganese stains; strongly effevescent; mildly alkaline. (0 to 15 inches thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana; about 2.4 miles southeast of Powhatan on Highway 1; then 0.5 mile west on a farm road; then 300 feet north of culvert crossing on canal; SW 1/4 SW 1/4 sec. 27, T.10 N., R.8 W.; 31 degrees, 50 minutes, 47.6 seconds N. Latitude, 93 degrees, 11 minutes, 9.9 seconds W, Longitude, USGS Powhatan 7.5 Minute Topoquad.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to calcareous layers ranges from 10 to 40 inches. Intersecting slickensides are within 40 inches of the surface. COLE values range from .09 to .12 in the upper 40 inches.

The Ap and A horizons have hue of 5YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 2 or 3; or hue of 7.5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 2. Texture is clay, silty clay, or silty clay loam. Some pedons have a surface mantle of new material up to 10 inches thick that has texture of silt loam. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline.

The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 to 4; or it has hue of 7.5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 2. Texture is clay or silty clay. Clay content averages 35 to 60 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

The Bkss horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is clay. Thin lenses of silty clay loam or silty clay are in the Bkss horizon in some pedons. Clay content averages 60 to 90 percent. Few to common iron depletions in shades of gray are within 30 inches of the surface. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Concretions or soft masses of calcium carbonate are few to common. Slickensides are few to common.

The BCkss horizon, where present has the same color as the Bkss horizon. Texture is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. Some pedons have thin strata of silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Slickensides are few or common. Concretions or masses of calcium carbonate are few or common.

Some pedons have a buried A horizon between depths of 40 and 80 inches that is silt loam, silty clay loam, or clay.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Houston series. Houston soils formed in alkaline clays and chalk on Blackland Praries.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moreland soils are on flood plains. They formed in clayey sediments transported by streams from the Permian Red Beds. Most of these soils are protected from stream overflow by levees. Typically they are level, but some areas of this soil are undulating. The climate is warm and humid. Thornthwaite P-E index is greater than 64. Average annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 58 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 57 to 70 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Buxin, Billyhaw, Caspiana, Coushatta, Desha, Gallion, Latanier, Lebeau, Norwood, Perry, Portland, and Roebuck series. Buxin soils have a burried A horizon within a depth of 40 inches and are on slightly lower landscape positions. Billyhaw soils are not saturated within a depth of 40 inches for more than one month in normal years. Caspiana, Coushatta, Gallion, and Norwood soils are coarser textured and do not have grayish mottles within a depth of 30 inches. They are on slightly higher landscape positions. Desha and Portland soils do not have intersecting slickensides within 40 inches. Latanier soils have a loamy discontinuity within a depth of 40 inches. Lebeau soils have a dark surface layer that is 8 inches or less in thickness. Perry soils are grayer and are more strongly acid. They are on lower landscape positions. Roebuck soils are wetter and are on slightly lower landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Moreland soils are saturated in the Ap horizon for more than 30 cumulative days during December through April. They are moist in the layers below that. Runoff is slow. Permeability is very slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly as cropland and pastureland. The native vegetation was bottomland hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The series is of large extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dean Lee Agricultural Center, Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Type location was moved to Natchitoches Parish in 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Cambic horizon..................16 to 63 inches (Bw & Bkss horizons).
Intersecting slickensides.......26 to 63 inches

LAB DATA: Physical and Chemical Analysis by Soil Characterization Laboratory, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station. Clay minerology by NSSL, Lincoln, Neb. Sample no.S79LA-69-3.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.