LOCATION PILOT MOUNTAIN NCEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, parasesquic, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Pilot Mountain extremely cobbly fine sandy loam (in an area of Braddock-Pilot Mountain complex, 15 to 45 percent slopes, rubbly), on a 19 percent east-facing colluvial fan, in woodland. (Colors are for moist soil, unless otherwise indicated.)
Oi--0 to 2 inch; slightly decomposed plant material; mostly hardwood litter; extremely acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A--2 to 4 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely cobbly fine sandy loam; moderate fine granular structure; very friable; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 60 percent, by volume rounded metaquartzite gravel, cobbles, stones, and boulders; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
AB--4 to 12 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very cobbly fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; 55 percent, by volume rounded metaquartzite gravel, cobbles, stones, and boulders; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--12 to 16 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) very cobbly fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium, few fine and coarse roots; few fine tubular pores; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron; 55 percent, by volume rounded metaquartzite gravel, cobbles, and stones; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--16 to 22 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) very cobbly sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in old root channels; common fine distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) masses of oxidized iron; 50 percent, by volume rounded gravel, cobbles, and stones of metaquartzite; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--22 to 30 inches; red (2.5YR 4/8) very cobbly clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, very sticky, moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in old root channels; few medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron; few fine flakes of mica; 40 percent, by volume rounded metaquartzite gravel, cobbles, and stones; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 15 to 40 inches.)
BC--30 to 44 inches; red (2.5YR 4/8) extremely cobbly fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; few medium roots; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and common medium prominent dark red (10R 3/6) masses of oxidized iron; few fine flakes of mica; 65 percent, by volume rounded metaquartzite gravel, cobbles, and stones; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C/B--44 to 60 inches; 45 percent red (2.5YR 4/8) and 45 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) extremely stony fine sandy loam (C part) and 10 percent red (2.5YR 4/8) sandy clay loam (B part); massive, very friable (C part); weak medium subangular blocky structure, friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic (B part); few fine flakes of mica; 70 percent, by volume rounded metaquartzite gravel, cobbles, and stones; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Surry County, North Carolina; about 2.7 miles south of the town of Pilot Mountain, 0.6 mile west of the intersection of Secondary Roads 2053 and U.S. Highway 52 on Secondary Road 2053, 0.5 mile north of Secondary Road 2053 on Campsite Road, 500 feet southwest of campsite number 12, in hardwood forest; USGS Pinnacle, NC topographic quadrangle; lat. 36 degrees 20 minutes 47 seconds N. and long. 80 degrees 28 minutes 27 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to top of Argillic horizon: 2 to 15 inches
Depth to base of Argillic horizon: 30 to 60 inches or more
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 60 inches
Rock Fragment Content: 35 to 80 percent, by volume in the A and E horizons and 35 to 70 percent in the B and C horizons; mostly metaquartzite gravel, cobbles, stones, and boulders. Some pedons contain as low as 15 percent rock fragments in individual subhorizons.
Soil Reaction: Extremely acid to strongly acid, unless limed
Mica Content: 0 to 20 percent, by volume mica flakes throughout
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
O horizon:
Slightly to highly decomposed plant material, mostly decomposed leaf litter
A horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, chroma of 2 to 4
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam
AB or BA horizon (if they occur):
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Bt horizon (upper part):
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--typically, fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam and includes sandy clay, or clay
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
Bt horizon (lower part):
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--typically, sandy clay or clay and includes fine sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
BC horizon:
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 6 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, o clay loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
C horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 6 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--masses of oxidized iron in shades of red, yellow, or brown
C/B horizon:
C part--same as the C horizon
B part--same as the Bt or BC horizon
COMPETING SERIES: None
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Blue Ridge Mountain, Pilot Mountain
Landform: Mountain, fan
Geomorphic Component: Mountain flank, mountain base
Hillslope Profile Position: Backslope, footslope
Parent Material: Colluvium and alluvium from felsic to mafic metamorphic rock
Slope: 2 to 45 percent
Elevation: 1100 to 2000 feet
Frost Free Period: 160 to 190 days
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 52 to 57 degrees
Mean Annual Precipitation: 40 to 55 inches
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Braddock soils--have less than 35 percent, by volume rock fragments in the particle-size control section; on similar landforms
Brevard soils--have less than 35 percent, by volume rock fragments in the particle-size control section; on similar landforms
Cliffield soils--are 20 to 40 inches to hard bedrock and formed in residuum; on similar landforms
Cowee soils--are 20 to 40 inches to soft bedrock and formed in residuum; on similar landforms
Edneytown soils--have less than 35 percent, by volume rock fragments in the particle-size control section and formed in residuum; on similar landforms
Evard soils--have less than 35 percent, by volume rock fragments in the particle-size control section and formed in residuum; on similar landforms
Fairview soils--have less than 35 percent, by volume rock fragments in the particle-size control section and formed in residuum; on similar landforms
Greenlee soils--do not have an argillic horizon
Peaks soils--are 20 to 40 inches to hard bedrock and formed in residuum; on similar landforms
Sauratown soils--are 20 to 40 inches to hard bedrock and have less than 35 percent, by volume rock fragments in the particle-size control section
Tate soils--have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and formed in alluvium and colluvium of the Southern Appalachian Mountains; on similar landforms
Thurmont soils--have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and a seasonal high water table above 6 feet; on similar landforms
Unison soils--have a fine particle-size control section and formed in alluvium and colluvium
Wintergreen soils--have a fine particle-size control section; on lower-lying landforms
Woolwine soils--have less than 35 percent, by volume rock fragments in the particle-size control section and formed in residuum; on similar landforms
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Depth Class: Very deep (greater than 60 inches) to bedrock
Drainage Class (Agricultural): Well drained
Internal Free Water Occurrence: Very deep
Flooding Frequency and Duration: None
Ponding Frequency and Duration: None
Index Surface Runoff: Low to high
Permeability: Moderate
Shrink-Swell Potential: Moderate
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Woodland
Dominant Vegetation: Chestnut oak, white oak, red oak, hickory, yellow poplar, and red maple with a few Virginia pines scattered throughout
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Pilot Mountain and along the Blue Ridge Escarpment of North Carolina and Virginia
Extent: Small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Surry County, North Carolina, 2003.
REMARKS: The high content of rock fragments throughout the soil profile and increased clay in the lower Bt horizon restricts vertical water movement within these soils and increases lateral water movement. This results in the formation of masses of oxidized iron within the B and C horizons of most pedons. Although, this process results in the development of redoximorphic features, water is not present in the soil profile for a significant enough period to identify aquic conditions or a seasonal high water table.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the typical pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to 12 inches (A and E horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 12 to 30 inches (Bt horizon)
Other soil features identified with this pedon:
Series control section--the zone from 0 to 60 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory Data: Series classification based on sample pedon S92NC-171-005 from the type location and data from several other pedons of the Pilot Mountain soils in Surry County, NC and Patrick County, VA.
Database Information:
Typical Pedon Data Mapunit ID--82722
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation 2-45 52-57 160-205 40-55 1100-2000FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness NONE - >6.0 - - >60 -
Depth Texture 3-inches No-10 Clay% -CEC- 0-2 SPM MPM HPM 15-80 - - 75-200 2-12 FSL SL L 15-80 50-95 5-20 2-20 12-22 FSL L SCL CL 35-70 50-95 18-40 3-10 22-30 SCL CL SC C 35-70 50-95 20-50 4-15 30-60 SCL FSL SL L 15-70 50-95 10-30 2-5
Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll 0-2 3.0-5.0 30-90 0-0 >20 - 2-12 3.5-5.5 0.5-6 0-0 2.0-6.0 LOW 12-22 3.5-5.5 0.3-.5 0-0 0.6-2.0 LOW 22-30 3.5-5.5 0.3-.5 0-0 0.6-2.0 MODERATE 30-60 3.5-5.5 0 0-.5 0-0 0.6-6.0 LOW