LOCATION PITTSBORO NCEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, thermic Oxyaquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Pittsboro gravelly sandy loam--on a 3 percent slope in a mixed hardwood forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable; slightly sticky, non-plastic; many fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
A2--5 to 9 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam; weak coarse granular structure; friable; slightly sticky, non-plastic; common fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
BE--9 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Btss1--16 to 24 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common distinct nonintersecting slickensides; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btss2--24 to 33 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; common fine prominent black (10YR 2/1) soft masses of manganese accumulation; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common distinct nonintersecting slickensides; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btss horizons is 0 to 20 inches)
BCt--33 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; weak coarse angular blocky structure; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common medium prominent light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions in the matrix and common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions lining old root channels; neutral; wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
C--36 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; massive; firm; very sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Cr--38 to 43 inches; weathered moderately fractured meta-basalt.
R--43 inches; unweathered slightly fractured meta-basalt
TYPE LOCATION: Chatham County, North Caronia; about 6.9 miles north of Pittsboro on Secondary Road 1516; 450 feet left on gravel road; about 20 feet north of road; in a small patch of red cedar trees remaining in a clear cut area; USGS Bynum topographic quadrangle; lat. 35 degrees 48 minutes 32 seconds N. and long. 79 degrees 00 minutes 45 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 20 to 40 inches
Depth to soft bedrock: 20 to 40 inches to weathered bedrock (paralithic contact--Cr)
Depth to hard bedrock: 40 to more than 60 inches to unweathered bedrock (lithic contact--R)
Content of mica flakes: None or few
Content and size of rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent, by volume, in the A, Ap, E, EB, and BE horizons and less than 35 percent, by volume, throughout the rest of the profile; mostly iron and manganese concretions, quartz pebbles, or dark colored mafic rocks.
Rock fragments on the surface: None to 15 percent; mostly cobbles, stones, or boulders
Soil reaction: Very strongly acid to slightly alkaline in the A, Ap, E, EB, and BE horizons unless limed and strongly acid to moderately alkaline in the Bt, Btss, BC, and C horizons.
Note: While an argillic horizon is required, some pedons may lack either a Bt or Btss horizon. It is not required to have both.
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A or Ap horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--dominantly loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or silt loam; where eroded, sandy clay loam or clay loam
E horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or silt loam
EB or BE horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--loam, silt loam, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Bt horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--clay, clay loam, silty clay, or sandy clay
Mottles (if they occur)--shades of yellow or brown
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron or clay depletions in shades of gray below the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon; iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, or yellow; iron-manganese accumulations in shades of black or gray
Btss horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--clay, silty clay, or sandy clay
Mottles (if they occur)--shades of yellow or brown
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron or clay depletions in shades of gray below the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon; iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, or yellow; iron-manganese accumulations in shades of black or gray
BCt horizon:
Color--matrix has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 4 to 8, or is multicolored in shades of brown, yellow, black, or white
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--sandy clay, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, sandy loam, or loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron or clay depletions in shades of gray or brown; iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, or yellow; iron-manganese accumulations in shades of black or gray
C or CB horizon:
Color--matrix is multicolored in shades of brown, yellow, black, gray, or white
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--variable; commonly clay loam, sandy loam, loam, or silt loam saprolite
Cr layer:
Type of bedrock--weathered, moderately fractured to highly fractured mafic rock
R layer:
Type of bedrock--unweathered, slightly fractured to moderately fractured mafic rock
COMPETING SERIES:
There are no known series in this family. Similar soils in related families are:
Brewback (T) soils--have iron depletions in the upper Bt
Brickhaven soils--are semiactive, have a paralithic contact within a depth of 40 to 60 inches, a moderate shrink-swell potential, and form in residuum weathered from Triassic rocks
Carbonton soils--are semiactive, have a moderate shrink-swell potential, and form in residuum weathered from Triassic rocks
Crawfordville (T) soils--have an abrupt textural change between the A and Bt horizon
Virgilina soils--have a lithic contact within a depth of 20 to 40 inches
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Ridges and hill slopes
Landform Position: Summits and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum derived from basalt, greenstone, gabbro, diabase, diorite, and other dark-colored mafic rocks
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 60 degrees F
Mean Annual Precipitation: 47 inches
Frost Free Period: 180 to 260 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the similar
Brewback,
Crawfordville, and
Virgilina soils, they are:
Cid soils--have a moderate shrink-swell potential and are on similar landforms
Badin soils--are well drained, have a moderate shrink-swell potential, and are on similar landforms
Enon soils--are well drained, have no paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches, and are on similar landforms
Georgeville soils--are well drained, have a red Bt horizon, no paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches, a low shrink-swell potential, and are on similar landforms
Herndon soils--are well drained, have no paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches, a low shrink-swell potential, and are on similar landforms
Iredell soils--have a paralithic contact within a depth of 40 to 60 inches, a very high shrink-swell potential, and are on similar landforms
Nanford soils--are well drained, have a paralithic contact within a depth of 40 to 60 inches, a low shrink-swell potential, and are on similar landforms
Tarrus soils--are well drained, have a red Bt horizon, a paralithic contact within a depth of 40 to 60 inches, a low shrink-swell potential, and are on similar landforms
Sedgefield soils--have no paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches and are on similar landforms
Winnsboro soils--are well drained, have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches, and are on similar landforms
Wynott soils--are well drained and are on similar landforms
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Agricultural drainage class: Moderately well drained
Surface runoff: Medium to very rapid
Permeability of Restrictive Layer (upper 60 inches): Very slow
USE AND VEGETATION:
Woodland, pasture, hayland, and cropland--mainly corn, soybeans, and small grain
Dominant Overstory Species:
Southern red oak, white oak, hickory, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, post oak, blackjack oak, and sweetgum
Dominant Understory Species:
Eastern red cedar, winged elm, flowering dogwood, eastern redbud, red maple, hawthorn, and sassafras
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Thermic Piedmont area of North Carolina and possibly South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia
Extent: Small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chatham County, North Carolina; 2005
REMARKS: This series was formerly included with Zion, Orange, and Wynott soils. Zion soils are well drained and have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Orange soils have redoximorphic features in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon and have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches. Wynott soils are well drained.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 9 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone between depths of 16 and 38 inches (Btss, BCt, and Ct horizons)
Paralithic contact--the occurrence of weathered bedrock at a depth of 38 inches (upper boundary of the Cr horizon)
Lithic contact--the occurance of unweathered bedrock at a depth of 43 inches (upper boundary of the R horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data will be available from the Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska; pedon number S98NC-037-00?
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
NC PITTSBORO 2-15 57-65 170-200 41-53 200-850
NC PITTSBORO 2-15 57-65 170-200 41-53 200-850
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertble Kind Months Bedrock Hardness
NC NONE 1.0-2.0 PERCH NOV-APR 20-40 SOFT
NC NONE 1.0-2.0 PERCH NOV-APR 20-40 SOFT
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC-
NC 0-9 GR-L GR-SL GR-FSL 0-5 55- 90 5-20 5-15
NC 0-9 ST-L ST-SL ST-FSL 10-25 55- 90 5-20 5-15
NC 9-16 CL SICL L 0-10 85-100 20-35 20-40
NC 16-33 C CL SIC 0-10 85-100 35-65 20-40
NC 33-38 CL SICL L 0-10 85-100 18-28 20-40
NC 38-60 WB - - - -
NC 0-9 SL L FSL 0-5 85-100 5-20 5-15
NC 0-9 L SIL 0-5 90-100 10-27 5-15
NC 0-9 CL SCL 0-5 85-100 20-35 5-15
NC 9-16 CL SICL L 0-5 85-100 35-65 20-40
NC 16-33 SC SCL CL 0-5 85-100 20-45 10-25
NC 33-38 CL SICL L 0-5 85-100 18-28 20-40
NC 38-60 WB - - - -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- -O.M.- Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll
NC 0-9 4.5-7.8 0.5-2.0 0-0 2.0-6.0 LOW
NC 0-9 4.5-7.8 0.5-2.0 0-0 2.0-6.0 LOW
NC 9-16 4.5-7.8 0-0.5 0-0 0.20-0.6 MODERATE
NC 16-33 4.5-7.8 0-0.2 0-0 0.06-0.6 HIGH
NC 33-38 5.0-8.2 0-0.2 0-0 0.20-0.6 MODERATE
NC 38-60 - - - - -
NC 0-9 4.5-7.8 0.5-2.0 0-0 2.0-6.0 LOW
NC 0-9 4.5-7.8 0.5-2.0 0-0 2.0-6.0 LOW
NC 9-16 4.5-7.8 0-0.5 0-0 0.20-0.6 MODERATE
NC 16-33 4.5-7.8 0-0.2 0-0 0.06-0.6 HIGH
NC 33-38 5.0-8.2 0-0.2 0-0 0.20-0.6 MODERATE
NC 38-60 - - - - -