LOCATION OLIVIER LA+MS
Established Series
JLD; Rev. JDS
10/2018
OLIVIER SERIES
The Olivier series consists of somewhat poorly drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in loess. These soils have a brittle fragipan in the lower part of the subsoil. They are on terraces of Pleistocene age. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, thermic Aquic Fraglossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Olivier silt loam--cropland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; weak medium granular structure; friable; common fine roots; common fine and medium black and brown concretions; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
E--6 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam; common medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and few fine faint grayish brown mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common fine and medium pores; common medium black and brown concretions; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores lined with thin clay films and black stains; thin patchy clay films and black stains on peds; thin patchy silt coats on peds; common medium black, brown, and yellowish red concretions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Bt2--15 to 30 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; few medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) mottles; many fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and brown (10YR 5/3) mottles; compound weak medium prismatic and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores lined with thin clay films and black stains; thin patchy clay films and black stains on peds; thin patchy silt coats on prisms; common medium black, brown, and yellowish red concretions; very strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Btx/E--30 to 37 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; common fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and brown (10YR 5/3) mottles; compound moderate very coarse prismatic and moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; prisms are 10 to 20 cm in diameter; about 75 percent of horizontal cross section is firm and brittle, remainder is friable; few fine roots between prisms; common fine and medium pores inside of peds lined with clay films and black stains; thin patchy clay films and black stains on peds; common medium (17 percent) faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) veins of silt between prisms; common medium black, brown, and yellowish red concretions; very strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Btx--37 to 52 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; common fine distinct grayish brown and light gray mottles; compound moderate very coarse prismatic and moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; prisms are 10 to 20 cm in diameter; very firm and brittle in about 75 percent of the horizontal cross section, remainder is friable; few fine roots between prisms; common fine and medium pores inside peds lined with clay films and black stains; thin patchy clay films and black stains on peds; thin patchy silt coats, and thick light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam vertical veins between prisms; common medium black and brown concretions; strongly acid; diffuse irregular boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
BC--52 to 86 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; common medium distinct gray (5Y 6/1) silty clay loam vertical veins between prisms; weak very coarse prismatic structure; firm; common fine pores lined with light gray clay films; few medium black concretions; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: East Baton Rough Parish, Louisiana; 1 mile west of Plains; 100 feet north of Plains-Port Hudson Highway; southeast part of northern segment of sec. 61, T. 4 S., R. 1 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 4 to 8 feet. Depth to the fragipan ranges from about 13 to 42 inches. Typically, these soils contain less than 10 percent sand which is mainly very fine sand. Grayish iron depletions caused by wetness are within 10 inches of the top of the argillic horizon.
The Ap or A horizon has value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 1 to 3. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The E horizon has value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 2 to 4. In some pedons the E horizon is mottled with strong brown or gray. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The Bt horizon has value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 3 to 8. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. In some pedons, the Bt horizon has reddish mottles. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
The Btx horizon and the Btx part of the Btx/E horizon have value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 3 to 8. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam. The E material in the B/E horizon has value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 2 or 3. In the lower part of the Btx horizon, the vertical streaks are silty clay loam 1/2 to 1 inch wide. The streaks have hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Reaction of the Btx horizon typically ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid, but it ranges to neutral in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Calloway series in the same family. Other competing series are the Bryson,
Bude,
Coteau,
Dulac,
Edisto,
Grenada,
Jay,
Leverett,
Longview,
Loring,
Providence,
Splendora, and
Tippo series. Bryson soils have an umbric epipedon. Bude soils have more than 10 percent fine sand and coarser in the upper 48 inches. Calloway soils have more than 15 percent albic intrusions throughout the argillic horizon above the fragipan. Coteau soils do not have a fragipan. Dulac, Loring, and Providence soils do not have aquic conditions or gray iron depletions in the upper part of the argillic horizon. Edisto soils are coarse-loamy. Grenada soils have a bisequum and do not have aquic conditions within a depth of 40 inches. Jay soils have a darker colored A horizon and do not have aquic conditions within a depth of 40 inches. Leverett and Tippo soils are coarse-silty and do not have a fragipan. Longview soils do not have a fragipan. Splendora soils are fine-loamy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Olivier soils are on nearly level to slightly convex broad stream divides and gently sloping terraces along streams. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The soil formed in loess 4 to 20 feet thick under forest vegetation. The mean annual temperature is about 68 degrees F., and the average annual rainfall is about 55 inches. Thornthwaite P-E index is about 70.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the closely related
Loring series and the
Calhoun and
Memphis series. Calhoun soils are poorly drained and grayish throughout. Memphis soils are well drained and brown throughout. In addition, the Calhoun and Memphis soils do not have a fragipan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability in the upper part of the profile and slow in the fragipan. The soil is saturated in the layers that are below a depth of about 1 to 2.5 feet and above the fragipan from December to April in normal years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cultivated row crops, pasture, and pine forest. Native vegetation was mixed hardwoods and pine with an understory of bluestems.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South Louisiana loess belt where trees were native vegetation, and possibly southern Mississippi. Olivier soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: AUBURN, ALABAMA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Iberia Parish, Louisiana; 1911.
REMARKS: The classification of the Olivier series was changed from an Aquic Fragiudalf to an Aquic Fraglossudalf in 2002 and a glossic horizon was recognized in order to be more consistent with the description of the type location pedon and other survey area typical pedons. The series was also assigned to an active activity class. Diagnostic horizons and other significant features recognized in the type location pedon include:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 9 inches (Ap and E horizons).
Albic horizon: 6 to 9 inches (E horizon).
Argillic horizon: 9 to 52 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btx part of the B/E horizon, and the Btx horizons).
Glossic Horizon: 30 to 37 inches (Btx/E horizon).
Fragipan: 30 to 52 inches (Btx/E and Btx horizons.
Aquic conditions: Within 10 inches of the top of the argillic horizon, 15 to 19 inches (Bt2 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: East Baton Rouge Parish Soil Survey. Laboratory data for type location is in the Lincoln Soil Survey Laboratory Report for Selected Samples (1961) from East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana - Profile S61LA-17-1 under the name of Calloway silt loam.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.