LOCATION PINEBARREN AL

Established Series
SP, JK, GRB
10/2018

PINEBARREN SERIES

The Pinebarren series consists of very deep, poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils on upland flats, gentle side slops and toe slopes of the Southern Coastal Plain Major Land Resource Area (MLRA 133A). They formed in fluvial material and slope alluvium over clayey Miocene-age sediments. Near the type location, the average annual air temperature is about 66 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is about 62 inches. Slopes range from 1 to 5 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, semiactive, thermic Plinthaquic Paleudults

TYPICAL PEDON: Pinebarren loamy fine sand, on a gently sloping are of sparsely populated pine, sweetbay and gallberry that is characterized by pitcher plant habit and scattered crawfish mounds at an elevation of about 220 feet above sea level (Colors are for moist soil).

A--0 to 2 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) loamy fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common very fine, fine and medium roots; about 2 percent, by volume, spherical nodules of ironstone 2 to 5 mm in diameter; few medium prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

E--2 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; about 2 percent, by volume, spherical nodules of ironstone 2 to 5 mm in diameter; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; common medium distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and many coarse faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

Bt--6 to 21 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots, few coarse roots; about 4 percent, by volume, spherical nodules of ironstone 2 to 20 mm in diameter; common coarse distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and many coarse faint pale brown (10YR 6/3) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 inches thick)

Btv--21 to 27 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium, few coarse roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; about 10 percent by volume, plinthite; about 10 percent, by volume, spherical nodules of ironstone 5 to 75 mm in diameter; common medium prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/8) masses of iron accumulations; many medium and coarse light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

Btvg--27 to 35 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/1) gravelly sandy clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots; common clay films on faces of peds and along seams; about 10 percent by volume, medium and coarse plinthite; about 30 percent by volume, spherical nodules of ironstone, 5 to 50 mm in diameter; many fine and coarse strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)

Cg--35 to 46 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly sandy clay loam; massive; very firm; seams of gray (10YR 6/1) sandy loam; about 15 percent, by volume, spherical nodules of ironstone, 5 to 400 mm in diameter; many coarse prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) areas of iron accumulations; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)

2Btvg/Cg--46 to 54 inches; 40 percent light gray (10YR 7/1), 30 percent yellowish red (5YR 4/6), 15 percent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and 10 percent red (2.5YR 4/6) gravelly clay; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm; compact and brittle material consists of about 40 percent of the horizon; excavation by hand tools is moderately difficult; about 15 percent by volume, medium and coarse plinthite; about 15 percent, by volume, spherical nodules of ironstone, 5 to 50 mm in diameter; many fine to coarse distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

2BCg--54 to 62 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) clay; massive; very firm; excavation by hand tools is very difficult; about 20 percent by volume, medium and coarse plinthite; common medium to coarse prominent dark reddish gray (10R 3/1), common medium prominent weak red (10R 4/3), pale red (10R 6/3) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) areas of iron accumulations; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Btv and 2BCg is 10 to 20 inches in thickness)

2Cg--62 to 80 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) clay loam; massive; extremely firm; common pockets of brittleness; excavation by hand tools is extremely difficult; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and few fine dark red (10R 3/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Washington County, Alabama; Vinegar Bend topographic quadrangle; about 430 feet north and 470 feet east of the southwest corner of Sec. 9; T 4 N; R. 3 W. Lat. 31 degrees 19 minutes 22.7 seconds N.; long. 88 degrees 17 minutes 37.2 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid in the A, E, Bt and Btv horizons and from extremely acid to very strongly acid in the Btvg, 2Btv, 2BCg, Cg and 2Cg horizons.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 4. Thickness of A horizons with value of 3 is less than 8 inches. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown and gray range from none to many. Content of quartz pebbles and/or ironstone nodules 2 to 5 mm in diameter ranges from 0 to 3 percent, by volume. Texture is loamy sand or loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam.

The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. Content of quartz pebbles and/or plinthite ranges from 0 to 3 percent, by volume. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, red and gray range from common to many. Texture is loamy sand, loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam.

The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Content of plinthite ranges from 0 to 7 percent, by volume. Content of quartz pebbles and/or ironstone nodules 2 to 5 mm in diameter ranges from 0 to 3 percent, by volume. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown, yellow and gray range from common to many. Texture is fine sandy loam or sandy loam.

The Btv horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 6; or it has no dominant matrix color and is multicolored in shades of yellow, brown, red, and gray. Content of plinthite ranges from 5 to 30 percent, by volume. Content of ironstone that is 2 to 75 mm in diameter ranges from 5 to 30 percent, by volume. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown, yellow and gray range from common to many. Texture is sandy loam, sandy clay loam or their gravelly analogs.

The Btvg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown and red range from common to many. Content of plinthite ranges from 10 to 35 percent, by volume. Content of ironstone that is 2 to 75 mm in diameter ranges from 5 to 50 percent, by volume. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown, yellow and gray range from common to many. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay, clay or their gravelly or very gravelly analogs.

The 2Btvg and 2BCg horizons, where present, have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic accumulations in shades of red, yellow and brown range from common to many. Some pedons have no dominant color and are multicolored in shades of yellow, brown, red and gray. Content of plinthite in the 2Btvg horizon ranges from 5 to 20 percent, by volume. Content of ironstone that is 2 to 75 mm in diameter ranges from 5 to 25 percent, by volume. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown, yellow and gray range from common to many. Texture is clay loam, sandy clay, clay or their gravelly analogs.

The Cg and 2Cg horizons, where present, have the same range of colors as the 2Btvg and 2BCg horizons. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay, clay or their gravelly analogs.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family. Escambia soils are in a closely related family. The somewhat poorly drained Escambia soils are on higher positions, are underlain by loamy marine sediments and have siliceous mineralogy.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pinebarren soils are on upland flats, gentle side slopes and along drainage ways of the Southern Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 1 to 5 percent. They formed in loamy over clayey marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual air temperature ranges from 64 to 68 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 55 to 66 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Atmore, Cowpen, Poarch and Tibbie series. The poorly drained Atmore soils are on lower positions or slightly higher positions in discharge seep areas. The somewhat poorly drained Cowpen soils are on slightly higher positions. The moderately well drained Poarch soils are on higher positions. Tibbie soils are on slightly lower less sloping positions and have fine-loamy control sections.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; moderately rapid in the surface and subsurface and very slow in the subsoil and substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Pinebarren soils are used for woodland. Some areas are used for grazing. Common trees include longleaf pine, slash pine, sweetbay, southern magnolia and swamp red maple. The understory vegetation consists of gallberry, pitcher plant, Carolina red root, sundew and other hydrophytic plants and shrubs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal Plain of Alabama, possibly Florida and Mississippi.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washington County, Alabama; 2011.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 6 inches (A and E horizons).

Argillic horizon - the zone from 9 to 50 inches (Bt, Btv, Btvg, 2Btvg and 2BCg horizons).

Plinthic horizon - the zone from 21 to 54 inches and from 46 to 62 inches (Btv, Btvg and 2Btvg horizons).

Pinebarren soils are in MLRA 133A.

ADDITIONAL DATA: There is no laboratory data available at this time in the national soil database.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.