LOCATION PIKEVILLE AL+AR MS TNEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Typic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Pikeville loam--forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine and medium roots and pores; 4 percent gravel by volume; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
E2--4 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; many fine and medium pores; 1 to 2 percent gravel by volume; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--12 to 30 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) loam; weak and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 4 percent gravel by volume, 1/4 to 2 inches in diameter; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
Bt2--30 to 48 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) gravelly loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common fine and medium pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 15 to 20 percent gravel by volume, 1/4 to 2 inches in diameter; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Bt3--48 to 65 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; compact in places; common fine and medium pores; thin clay films on gravel; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; 70 to 75 percent gravel by volume, 1/4 to 3 inches in diameter; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 30 inches thick)
C--65 to 90 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/8) very gravelly fine sandy loam; massive; friable; many fine and medium pores; 60 percent gravel 1/4 to 3 inches in diameter; few thin clay films on gravel; many strata of yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy loam that are 1 to 5 inches wide and 1 to 4 inches apart; massive; strata are generally continuous horizontally and sand grains are coated and bridged with clay.
TYPE LOCATION: Marion County, Alabama; approximately 1.5 miles west of Hamilton Courthouse in the SW1/4, NE1/4, Sec. 33, T. 10 S., R. 14 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Depth to horizons containing more than 15 percent gravel ranges from 30 to 48 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid throughout except where the surface layer has been limed.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, values of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 through 4. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, values of 4 through 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam.
The BE horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR through 10YR, values of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 through 8. Texture is sandy clay loam, loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam.
The upper part of the Bt horizon, to a depth of 30 inches, has hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 6 or 8. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, or loam.
The lower part of the Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR, values of 4 or 5, and chroma of 6 or 8. Gravel content is mainly from 15 to 35 percent. Texture is gravelly sandy clay loam, gravelly clay loam, gravelly loam, gravelly sandy loam, or gravelly fine sandy loam.
The C horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 through 8. Gravel content ranges from 15 to 80 percent. Texture is gravelly sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, gravelly loam, gravelly sandy clay loam, or their very gravelly counterparts.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Bama, Ironcity, and Minvale in the same family. Bama soils are on similar to higher positions and broad ridges and have less than 15 percent coarse fragments in the profile. Ironcity soils are in the Highland Rim of Tennessee and have lithologic discontinuities within the profile. Minvale soils are in the Highland Rim and South Appalachian Valley.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Pikeville series are on narrow ridges and side slopes of the upland Slopes range from 1 to 35 percent. They formed in loamy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual temperature ranges from 62 to 68 degree F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 55 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Bama series along with Lucy, Orangeburg, Saffell, and Smithdale soils. Lucy soils have sandy surface and subsurface layers 20 to 40 inches thick. Orangeburg and Smithdale soils are Kandic and have less coarse fragments in the profile. Saffell soils are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Pikeville soils are in woodland. A few areas have been cleared for pasture. The vegetation consists of loblolly pine, longleaf pine, water oak, shortleaf pine, sweetgum, hickory, dogwood, and other hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Southern Coastal Plain of Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marion County, Alabama. 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 12 inches (A and E horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 12 to 65 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization Sample S74AL-093-002. Sample by Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory, Auburn, Alabama.