LOCATION PENNING TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Aquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Penning very fine sandy loam--woodland.
(Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very fine sandy loam; few fine faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) redox concentrations; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine and medium roots; few fine pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
E1--4 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam; few fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) redox concentrations; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine roots; common fine pores; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
E2--9 to 19 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam; few fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) redox concentrations; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine roots; common fine pores; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (combined E horizons are 10 to 30 inches thick)
Bt/E1--19 to 24 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) very fine sandy loam; common fine distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) redox depletions; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; common fine roots; common fine pores; few patchy clay films; about 15 percent of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) albic material (E) on surface of prisms and in streaks and spots of matrix; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt/E2--24 to 38 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) loam; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) redox depletions; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable; common fine roots; few fine pores; few patchy clay films; about 20 percent of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) albic material (E) along surface of prisms and in streaks and spots of matrix; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt/E3--38 to 50 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sandy clay loam; few fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) redox concentrations; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; few patchy clay films; about 15 percent of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) albic material (E) along surface of prisms and in streaks and spots of matrix; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt/E4--50 to 56 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam; common fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) redox concentrations; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; common thin clay films on surface of prisms; about 15 percent of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) albic material (E) on surface of prisms and in streaks and spots of matrix; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (combined Bt/E horizons are 20 to 40 inches thick)
2C--56 to 70 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) shale with clay texture; few fine faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) spots; angular rock-like structure; few fine roots; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Houston County, Texas; from intersection of Texas Highway 7 and Farm Road 2781 in Kennard, 3.5 miles south on Farm Road 2781; 200 feet west in forest. (Latitude: 31N, 18, 53; Longitude: 95W, 12, 02)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 60 inches. The weighted average clay content in the control section ranges from 18 to 25 percent, and silt content from 30 to 45 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is very fine sandy loam or loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The E horizon has a hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It commonly has redoximorphic features in shades of brown, yellow, or gray. Texture is very fine sandy loam or loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The Bt/E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Redoximorphic features are in shades of brown, gray, yellow or red and range from few to common. In some pedons the lower part has a mixed matrix of these colors . Texture is very fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam. The E part, or albic materials, make up 5 to about 25 percent. However, some part of this horizon that is 4 inches or more thick contains 15 percent or more albic materials. Electrical conductivity ranges from 0 to 4.0 mmho/cm. Typically, the EC increases with depth. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2C horizon has matrix colors in shades of gray or brown. Redoximorphic features or strata in shades of brown, gray, yellow or red range from few to many. It is shale, mudstone, or stratified layers of these materials with strata of siltstone and sandstone in some pedons. The texture is mainly clay but some pedons are clay loam. Electrical conductivity ranges from 2.0 to 8.0 mmho/cm. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Alazan, Kurth and Sawlit series in the same family, and the similar Keltys, Multey and Wanilla series. The Alazan and Sawlit soils have solum thickness greater than 60 inches. Kurth soils have 15 to 30 percent silt in the particle-size control section. Keltys, Multey, and Wanilla soils less than 18 percent clay in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Penning soils are on low uplands. These soils formed in early Pleistocene or late Pliocene loamy sediments over the Yegua Formation. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The average annual temperature ranges from 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The average rainfall ranges from 40 to 46 inches and the Thornwaite P-E index ranges from 70 to 76. The elevation ranges from 230 to 400 feet above sea level. Frost free days range from 230 to 240.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Fuller, Keltys, Kurth, Moten and Mollville soils. Fuller soils are on similar or slightly lower positions and have gray subsoil. The competing Keltys and Kurth soils are on slightly higher positions. Moten and Mollville soils have a grayish subsoil and are in slightly lower, wetter positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Penning soils are moderately well drained. They are moderately permeable. Runoff is very low. A perched water table is at a depth of 1.5 to 4 feet during the winter and spring seasons for very brief to brief durations. The water table is present for a cumulative period of 1 to 2 months during most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for woodland, pasture and hayland. Loblolly pine, water oak, willow oak, red oak, and sweetgum are the main trees on this soil. Improved bermudagrass, common bermudagrass and bahiagrass are adapted for pasture and hay crops. Native woodland understory includes dogwood, southern bayberry (waxmyrtle), American beautyberry, bluestems, yellow indiangrass, switchgrass, panicums with other grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern coastal plain of East Texas, (MLRA 133B). The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES PROPOSED: Houston County, Texas; 1992.
REMARKS: The Penning soils were formerly included with the Alazan series. The name Penning is from a nearby community in Houston County called Pennington.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 19 inches (A and E horizons).
Argillic horizon -19 to 56 inches (Bt/E horizons).
Glossic horizon - 19 to 56 inches (Bt/E horizons).
Redoximorphic features - redox concentrations are at a depth of 4 to 19 inches (E1 and E2); redox depletions are at a depth of 19 to 38 inches (Bt/E1 and Bt/E2).