LOCATION SAVANNAH MS+AL AR LA TN VA
Established Series
Rev. CCH; RMT; CH; GRB
10/2018
SAVANNAH SERIES
The Savannah series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils on uplands and terraces in the Southern Coastal Plain. They formed in loamy marine or fluvial terrace deposits. Near the type location, the average annual temperature is about 66 degrees, F., and the average annual precipitation is about 54 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Typic Fragiudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Savannah fine sandy loam, in a gently sloping loblolly pine plantation (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam; weak fine and medium granular structure; very friable; common very fine and fine roots, few medium to very coarse roots; few fine black (10YR 2/1) concretions; about 1 percent, by volume, subrounded quartz pebbles; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
E--5 to 10 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots, few medium to very coarse roots; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) Ap material in some old root channels; few fine brown (10YR 4/3) iron concretions; about 3 percent, by volume, subrounded quartz pebbles; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 21 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine and fine roots between peds; few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay films on vertical faces of peds; few fine brown (10YR 4/3) iron concretions; about 3 percent, by volume, subrounded quartz pebbles; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--21 to 27 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots between peds; common faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay film on vertical faces of peds; about 3 percent, by volume, subrounded quartz pebbles; few fine brown (10YR 4/3) and black (10YR 2/1) iron and manganese concretions; many fine and medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and many fine and medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) irregular-shaped masses of iron accumulations; many fine, medium, and coarse distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons range from 12 to 20 inches)
Btx1--27 to 43 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, compact and brittle in about 70 percent of matrix; few fine roots in seams between prisms; few faint 10YR 4/6 clay films on vertical faces of peds and in cracks; common fine voids in matrix; common fine brown (10YR 4/3) iron concretions; about 3 percent, by volume, subrounded quartz pebbles; many fine and medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8), many fine and medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) irregular-shaped masses of iron accumulations; few fine and medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) irregular-shaped areas of iron depletions on the vertical faces of prisms; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btx2--43 to 57 inches: yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky structure, compact and brittle in about 70 percent of mass; firm; few fine and very fine roots in seams between prisms; common fine voids; common faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) discontinuous clay films on vertical faces of peds and in cracks; about 3 percent, by volume, subrounded quartz pebbles; common fine and medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) irregular-shaped seams of iron depletions on vertical faces of prisms; common fine brown (10YR 4/3) iron concretions; many fine, medium, and coarse prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) irregular-shaped masses of iron accumulations; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btx3--57 to 71 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, compact and brittle in about 60 percent of the matrix; about 3 percent, by volume, subrounded quartz pebbles; common fine and medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) irregular-shaped seams of iron depletions on vertical faces of prisms; many fine, medium, and coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) irregular-shaped masses of iron accumulations and common fine and medium faint light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) irregular shaped areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btx horizons ranges from 30 to more than 60 inches)
BC--71 to 88 inches; 30 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), 30 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8), 20 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and 20 percent and red (2.5YR 4/6) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure, friable; about 3 percent, by volume, subrounded quartz pebbles; the areas of yellowish brown, strong brown and red are iron accumulations and the areas of light brownish gray are iron depletions; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Clarke County, Mississippi; approximately 0.5 mile northwest of the town of Enterprise about 75 feet south of Highway 514 in a planted loblolly pine plantation. About 1,500 feet south and about 2,500 feet west of the NE corner of Sec.19; T. 4 N.; R. 15 E. USGS Stonewall topographic quadrangle: Latitude 32 degrees 10 minutes 38.4 seconds N., Longitude 88 degrees 48 minutes 07.6 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 50 to more than 80 inches. Quartz fragments and pebbles range from none to common throughout the profile. The clay content in the control section ranges from 18 to 32 percent, and silt content ranges from 20 to 50 percent. Depth to the fragipan ranges from 16 to 38 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid throughout except where the surface has been limed. Some pedons have few to common quartz pebbles or iron and manganese concretions on the surface or throughout the profile.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4, and chroma of 2 or 3; Texture is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, silt loam or loam.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 5 or 6; Texture is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam or silt loam.
The BE or EB horizon, where present, have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 5 or 6; Colors in severely eroded pedons are either a mixture of the Ap and B horizons or similar to the B horizon. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, silt loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Redoximorphic concentrations in shades of brown, yellow or red range from none to common. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam.
The Btx horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8 with redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, gray and red that range from common to many; or there is no dominant color and it is multicolored in shades of yellow, brown, gray and red. The fragipan has gray vertical seams that form a roughly polygonal pattern of prisms. The matrix of the prisms is very firm and brittle when moist, and in the major part of the fragipan it constitutes more than 60 percent of the volume. Texture is sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam. Some pedons have B't horizons with similar colors and textures as the Btx horizon.
The BC horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 8 with redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, gray and red that range from common to many; or there is no dominant color and it is multicolored in shades of yellow, brown, gray and red. Texture is sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Barger,
Cane,
Kizzia,
Ora and
Wax series. Barger soils formed on upland ridge tops in material with a high chert content, have a discontinuity within the solum, and are in MLRAs 118 (Arkansas
Ridge and
Valley), 125 (
Cumberland Plateau and Mountains), 128 (Southern Appalachian Ridge and Valley) and 129 (Sand Mountain). Cane soils have redder subsoils that weathered on uplands from sandstone, shale or limestone, and are in MLRAs 118, and 129. Kizzia soils have redder subsoils and are on interfluves of Cretaceous Western Coastal Plain of Arkansas and possibly Oklahoma. Ora soils are on similar positions but have redder subsoils. Wax soils formed from cherty limestone in MLRA 128.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Savannah soils are on nearly level to gently sloping loamy marine and fluvial terraces and uplands of the Southern Coastal Plain. The climate is humid subtropical. Slopes of 1 to 8 percent are dominant but can range up to 15 percent. The mean annual temperature ranges from 64 to 68 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 58 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing
Ora series along with the
Cahaba,
Mashulaville, McLaurin,
Myatt,
Paden,
Pheba,
Prentiss,
Quitman,
Ruston,
Smithdale and
Stough series. The well-drained Cahaba soils are on lower terrace positions, have redder subsoils and do not have a fragipan. The poorly drained Mashulaville and Myatt soils are on broad flats and depressions of uplands and terraces. The well-drained McLaurin, Ruston and Smithdale soils are on higher positions, have redder subsoils and do not have a fragipan. In addition, McLaurin soils have coarse-loamy control sections. Paden soils are on similar positions, have a bisequum and contain more silt throughout the solum. The somewhat poorly drained Pheba and Stough soils are on similar positions. In addition, Stough soils have coarse-loamy control sections. Prentiss soils are on similar positions but have coarse-loamy control sections. The somewhat poorly drained Quitman soils are on lower stream terraces and do not have developed fragipans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Savannah soils are moderately well drained. Runoff ranges from low to high. Permeability is moderate in the upper part of the solum and moderately slow in the fragipan. A water table is perched above the fragipan at a depth of 1.5 to 3.0 feet below the surface during wet seasons from January to March.
USE AND VEGETATION: Savannah soils are primarily used for growing cotton, corn, soybeans, small grains, truck crops, hay, pasture and woodland. The forested areas are dominated by shortleaf, longleaf, slash, and loblolly pines; white, post, and red oaks; hickory, and sweetgum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hardin County, Tennessee, 1926.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of about 10 inches (Ap and E horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 10 to 88 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btx1, Btx2, Btx3 and BC horizons).
Fragipan - the zone from approximately 27 to 71 inches (Btx1, Btx2 and Btx3 horizons).
Savannah soils are in MLRA 133A.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data: Characterization data for four pedons are published in SSIR No. 13, pp. 139-147. Physical and chemical data for one pedon are in Soil Survey of Neshoba County, Mississippi (issued April 1981) pp. 98-99; physical analyses for one pedon are in Soil Survey of Tishomingo County, Mississippi (issued October 1983) p. 81.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.