LOCATION OSIER GA+AL DE FL LA MD MS NC SC TX VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Siliceous, thermic Typic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Osier loamy fine sand - forested. (Colors are for moist soil stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy fine sand; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and coarse roots; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
A2--3 to 8 inches; mixed dark gray (10YR 4/1) and grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loamy sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and coarse roots; thin strata of sand; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons range from 2 to 20 inches.)
Cg1--8 to 16 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; thin strata of gray (10YR 6/1) sand; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg2--16 to 36 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sand; single grained; loose; few fine roots; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg3--36 to 48 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sand; single grained; loose; few fine roots; common coarse distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg4--48 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) coarse sand; single grained; loose; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; common medium faint light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg5--60 to 75 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) coarse sand; single grained; loose; many coarse faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Irwin County, Georgia. Approximately 4 miles south of Ocilla, Georgia, along U.S. Highway 129, about 2.3 miles southwest along county road, and about 250 feet east of road in wooded bottom area.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the sand is 80 inches, or more. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid throughout the profile. The silt plus clay content of the 10 to 40 inch zone is 5 to 15 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Where the value is 2 or 3, it is less than 10 inches thick. Texture is fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand or sand.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 5GY, value of 3 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, yellow, and gray range from none to common. Texture is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, fine sand, sand; and in the lower Cg horizons, can include coarse sand. Most pedons have thin strata of material ranging from sand to sandy loam.
In some pedons, the C horizon is underlain or interrupted by an Ab horizon. It has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Duckston, Solite, and Totness in the same family. Duckston and Solite soils have less than 5 percent silt plus clay in the control section. In addition, Solite soils formed in reworked homogenous sandy spoil. Totness soils have thick strata of loamy material in the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Osier soils are on flood plains, depressions, or rarely on stream terraces of the Coastal Plain. They formed in recent sandy alluvium. The climate is warm and humid. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The average annual temperature ranges from 65 to 69 degrees F, and the average annual precipitation ranges from 43 to 49 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Albany, Bibb, Blanton, Chipley, Echaw, Johnston, Kershaw, Lakeland, Lynchburg, Ochlockonee, Ocilla, Pactolus, Paxville, Pelham, Pickney, Plummer, Rains, and Rutlege series. Albany, Blanton, Lynchburg, Ocilla, Paxville, Pelham, and Rains soils have argillic horizons. Bibb and Ochlockonee soils have more than 15 percent silt plus clay in the 10 to 40 inch control section. In addition, Ochlockonee soils are well drained. The somewhat poorly to moderately well drained Chipley soils are on higher adjacent uplands. The moderately well drained Echaw soils are on higher adjacent positions. The excessively drained Kershaw and Lakeland soils are on higher adjacent uplands. The very poorly drained Johnston, Pickney, and Rutlege soils are on lower positions and have umbric epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Osier soil is in forest. The vegetation consists primarily of sweetgum, blackgum, water oak, red maple, swamp holly, bay, slash pine, and longleaf pine. The understory vegetation is mostly briars, vine, canes, myrtle, and gallberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Coastal Plain of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, northern Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pitt County, North Carolina, l969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to approximately 8 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
The water table is within 12 inches of the surface for 3 to 6 months in most years. Osier soils are frequently flooded for brief periods.