LOCATION MT ROGERS VA
Established Series
MHC-DHK/Rev. JRT
07/2013
MT ROGERS SERIES
The Mt Rogers series consists of very deep, well drained soils on convex interfluves and side slopes at high elevations in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. They formed in colluvium or soil creep derived from materials weathered from felsic, intermediate, and mafic, high-grade metamorphic or igneous rocks such as mica, gneiss, hornblende gneiss, rhyolite, and granite. Near the type location, mean annual air temperature is about 45 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 52 inches. Slope ranges from 2 to 80 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Typic Humudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Mt Rogers gravelly loam on a 6 percent southeast facing summit at 4780 feet elevation--rangeland/pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 10 inches; black (10YR 2/1) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure very friable; common fine roots; 5 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
A2--10 to 16 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; 25 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 10 to 19 inches)
Bw--16 to 33 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; few fine roots; 25 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 45 inches thick)
C--33 to 62 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very cobbly coarse sandy loam; massive; very friable; 40 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Grayson County, Virginia (Jefferson National Forest, Mt. Rogers National Recreations Area); about 3.6 miles southwest (210 degrees) of intersection of US-16 and VA-603 and 4,700 feet southwest of the gate at the "Scales" on Pine Mountain in a pasture field. USGS Troutdale Quad; lat. 36 degrees 39 minutes 32 seconds N. and long. 81 degrees 28 minutes 47 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 25 to 60 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid. Rock fragment content ranges from 20 to 90 percent by volume. Average rock fragment content in the particle-size control section ranges from 35 to 90 percent by volume. Rock fragment size ranges from gravel to boulders. Typically, the amount of rock fragments increases with depth. Rock fragment content is typically more than 50 percent in the C horizon.
The A horizon has hue or 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3, or is neutral with value of 2 or 3. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bloodyhorse (T),
Gamelake,
Illahee,
Scaredman, and
Stackyards series.
Balsam soils are very deep and are in cove positions. Bloodyhorse soils are moderately deep. The Coffeebutte, Gamelake, Illahee, Scaredman, and Stackyards soils formed in welded tuffs and flow basalts, contain fragments of those rocks, and are in the Western
Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mt Rogers soils are gently sloping to very steep convex parts of summits, shoulders and backslopes at high elevations in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Slope is commonly between 15 and 50 percent, but ranges from 2 to 80 percent. Elevation is generally above 4000 feet on cool aspects and 4400 feet on warm aspects in the vicinity of the type location. Mt Rogers soils formed in colluvium or soil creep derived from materials weathered from felsic, intermediate, and mafic high-grade metamorphic or igneous rocks such as mica gneiss, granite, rhyolite, hornblende gneiss, and hornblende schist. Mean annual temperature ranges from 40 to 47 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 60 inches. Moist atmospheric conditions are prevalent and fog and cloud inundation is common in these high mountain areas.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Blackarn (T),
Bloodyhorse (T),
Buzzrock (T),
Craggey, and
Tanasee Soils. Blackarn soils have a dark surface more than 20 inches thick. Bloodyhorse soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Buzzrock soils have bedrock at 40 to 60 inches. Craggey soils have bedrock at 10 to 20 inches. Tanasee soils have fewer rock fragments throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained with moderately rapid permeability. Runoff class is very low on gentle slopes; low on strongly sloping to moderately steep areas; and medium on steep and very steep areas.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are forested. In areas with elevations higher than about 5200 feet, red spruce and Fraser fir are the dominant trees. At the lower elevations, northern red oak, yellow birch, black birch, black cherry, sugar maple, eastern hemlock, American beech, and yellow buckeye are common. Common understory plants are serviceberry, striped maple, American chestnut sprouts, silver bell, witch hobble, rhododendron, blueberry, and smooth blackberry. Trillium, yellow mandarin, wood sorrel and New York fern are common forbs. The main uses of this soil are for wildlife and recreational activities such as hiking, hunting, and scenic viewing.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Virginia and possibly North Carolina and Tennessee. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grayson County, Virginia, 2006
REMARKS: The Mt Rogers series was proposed in the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area for a special project. It appears on the legend for that area. It was used on the legend for the Grayson County Soil Survey Area.
The 8/2000 revision updates this series to the 8th edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The mineralogy class is estimated from other series that are somewhat similar and have lab data (such as Balsam). The 7/2013 revision updates the Series Status and Series Established Section and updates this series to the 11th edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Umbric epipedon - 0 to 16 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
b. Cambic horizon - 16 to 33 inches (Bw horizon).
c. Skeletal property - average content of more than 35 percent by volume rock fragments in the control section (zone from 10 to 40 inches - A2, Bw, and C horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: There are no known data available. Transect data are available from the Grayson County Soil Survey Area.
MLRA = 130
Revised: 6/19/95-MHC; 8/2000-DHK; 7/2013-JRT
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.