LOCATION MOTEN TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Aquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Moten fine sandy loam--forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
E1--4 to 21 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam; massive; hard, friable; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine pores; few crayfish burrows; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
E2--21 to 30 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam; massive; hard, friable; few medium and coarse roots; common fine pores; common crayfish krotovinas that are filled with light brownish gray fine sandy loam; the krotovina walls are coated with dark gray silt; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (combined E subhorizons are 16 to 30 inches thick)
Btg/E1--30 to 48 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; very hard, firm; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; few fine pores; faint clay films on surfaces of prisms; about 15 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) intrusions of albic material on surfaces of prisms and in streaks and spots in the matrix (E); common crayfish krotovinas that are filled with grayish brown material and containing pockets of very pale brown clean sand grains; common krotovina terminals that contain very dark gray clay cups and coatings; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Btg/E2--48 to 71 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; few thin bands of dark gray (10YR 4/1) material; few faint clay films on surface of prisms; about 30 percent intrusions of light gray (10YR 6/1) albic material on surfaces of prisms and in streaks and spots in the matrix; thick continuous black (10YR 2/1) organic coatings on surfaces of some peds; few soft white masses throughout the horizon; common medium distinct brown (10YR 5/3) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
2C--71 to 78 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) weakly consolidated siltstone with texture of silt loam; massive; very hard, firm; few fine roots; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Walker County, Texas; from the junction of Texas Highway 19 and Farm Road 230 in Trinity, Texas, west on Farm Road 230 11.2 miles; then north on county road 2.1 miles; then west on fire lane road 0.2 mile and 30 feet south of road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. The weighted average clay content of the particle-size control section is 12 to 18 percent, and silt content is 30 to 55 percent. Combined thickness of the A and E horizons is 20 to 35 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5, and chroma of 2, or value of 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. Redox concentrations or masses range from none to common. Texture is fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The Bt/E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redox concentrations or masses range from none to common in the upper part, and few to many in the lower part. They have colors in shades of brown, red, or yellow. Albic materials (E) on the surface of peds or in streaks and spots in the matrix range from 10 to 35 percent, but are more than 15 percent in some subhorizon at least 2 inches thick. Texture is fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid in the upper part, and from very strongly acid to neutral in the lower part. Electrical conductivity ranges from 1.5 to 4.0. Crayfish krotovina range from common to many in some part of the glossic horizon.
The 2C horizon, where present, is variable and is a mudstone, sandstone, shale, siltstone or is stratified with these materials. The texture ranges from very fine sandy loam to clay loam. Some pedons have strata of clay or silty clay. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Wanilla series in the same family, and the Alazan, Kurth, Keltys, Multey, and Penning series in closely related families. Alazan, Kurth, Keltys, and Multey soils have a glossic horizon with chroma of 3 or more. In addition, Kurth, Keltys, and Multey soils do not have a water table within 40 inches of the surface. Penning soils have a clay shale discontinuity within a depth of 60 inches. Wanilla soils do not have a discontinuity of geologic materials within a depth of 80 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moten soils are on nearly level stream terraces. They are on smooth areas, or on intermound positions on mounded landscapes. Slope gradients are mainly less than 1 percent but range to 2 percent. The soil formed in loamy alluvial sediments and the surface layer in most areas has been modified by wind. The climate is humid temperate with mean annual precipitation ranging from 40 to 50 inches. The average annual temperature ranges from 65 to 68 degrees F. Frost free days range from 235 to 245. The elevation ranges from 150 to 370 feet above sea level. The Thornthwaite annual P-E index ranges from 64 to 82.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the closely related Keltys and Multey series, and the Gomery, Goreen, and Rosenwall series. Gomery soils are on slightly higher areas, and have a sandy epipedon more than 20 inches thick. Goreen and Rosenwall soils are on higher nearby landscapes, and have a fine textured particle-size control section. Keltys soils are on higher upland positions. Multey soils are on slightly higher associated mound positions on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow permeability. Runoff is very low. The soil has a saturated zone with its upper boundary at a depth of 1 to 2.5 feet that is perched above the 2C horizon for brief to long durations in the winter and early spring in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly in forest with a minor acreage being used for pasture. Timbered areas consist mostly of loblolly and shortleaf pine, water oak, sweetgum, and red oak. Grasses are mainly pinehill bluestem, beaked panicum, low paspalums, longleaf uniola, and sedges. Most areas have a few scattered waxleaf myrtle and/or palmetto.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Coastal Plain (MLRA 133B) in eastern Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Walker County, Texas; 1975.
REMARKS: A previous revision (1993) changed the classification from Aeric Glossaqualfs to Oxyaquic Glossudalfs. Additional peizometer studies in Trinity County, Texas indicate that the soil does saturate for 60 to 90 consecutive days in normal years in the epipedon and in the upper part of the argillic horizon, and that the chroma 2 material in the upper part of the glossic horizon probably is reduced. The classification was changed to Aquic Glossudalfs in 2000 and the saturated zone was was changed from 2.5 to 5.0 feet to 1.0 to 2.5 feet.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the type location pedon include:
Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 30 inches (A and E horizons).
Albic horizon ---- 4 to 30 inches (E horizons).
Glossic horizon -- 30 to 71 inches (Btg/E horizons).
Lithologic discontinuity -- 71 inches (2C horizon).