LOCATION SHANKLER TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Grossarenic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Shankler loamy fine sand--woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loamy fine sand; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--5 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy fine sand; single grained; soft, loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
E1--12 to 29 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy fine sand; single grained; soft, loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; very strongly acid, diffuse smooth boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)
E2--29 to 43 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loamy fine sand; single grained; soft, loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Bt1--43 to 65 inches; red (2.5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; weak coarse prismatic and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few patchy clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; very strongly acid; diffuse smooth boundary. (7 to 22 inches thick)
Bt2--65 to 80 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Newton County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 190 and Farm Road 2626 near Bon Wier, 4.5 miles north on Farm Road 2626, 1.25 miles east and 0.6 mile north on county road, 100 feet northwest in forest.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is greater than 80 inches. Thickness of the A horizons ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Base saturation at 72 inches ranges from 8 to 25 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 2 and 3. Where value is 3, the horizon is less than 6 inches thick. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to very strongly acid.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 through 7, and chroma of 3 and 4. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sand. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to very strongly acid.
The Bt horizons have hue of 2.5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. Brownish and reddish mottles range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. The average clay content in the upper 20 inches ranges from 18 to 35 percent. The Bt horizons are strongly acid or very strongly acid. Plinthite in the Bt horizons ranges from 0 to about 4 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the
Albany,
Blanton,
Darco,
Tehran, and
Troup series in the same family and the similar
Alaga,
Betis,
Boykin,
Briley,
Darden,
Gunter,
Kenney,
Letney, and
Tonkawa series. Alaga, Darden, and Tonkawa soils lack Bt horizons within
80 inches and are sandy throughout. Albany and Blanton soils have mottles with chroma of 2 or less in the lower A or upper Bt horizons. In addition, Blanton soils have A horizon with more than 50 percent of the uncoated sand grains. Betis soils have Bt horizon consisting of lamella or Bt horizons of loamy fine sand. Boykin, Briley, and Letney soils have sandy A horizons 20 to 40 inches thick. Darco soils have base saturation that is greater than 15 percent, summer soil moisture deficit of 4 to 6 inches, and summer rainfall of 25 to 30 inches; and Darco soils also are assumed to have other chemical or morphological differences or both. Gunter soils contain more than 5 percent plinthite in the Bt horizon. Kenney soils have more than 35 percent base saturation. Tehran soils have a higher percent of medium and coarse sand. Troup soils contain less silt, have low activity clays in the argillic horizon and typically have a slightly lower base saturation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shankler soils are on gently sloping to steep uplands of the Western Coastal Plain. Slope gradients are dominantly 8 to 20 percent, but range from 1 to 25 percent. The soils formed in sandy and loamy sediments of Pleistocene Age, mainly of the Willis formation. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 46 to 58 inches. Summer rainfall ranges from 30 to 40 inches. Summer moisture deficit ranges from 0 to 4 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 66 degrees to 70 degrees F., and
the Thornthwaite annual P-E indices exceed 72.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Boykin series and the Bonwier, Doucette, and Newco series. Boykin, Doucette, and Newco soils are on similar positions. Bonwier soils are slightly higher in the landscape. Bonwier and Newco soils have more clayey subsoils. Doucette soils have sandy A horizons 20 to 40 inches thick, and contain plinthite.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Shankler soils are well drained or somewhat excessively drained. Runoff is slow, and permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Shankler soils are used mainly for timber. Forest vegetation includes loblolly and shortleaf pine, red oak, and sweetgum trees with an understory of grasses and shrubs. A few areas are cleared and used for pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West Coastal Plains of Eastern Texas and Western Louisiana. The series is of major extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jasper and Newton Counties, Texas; 1980.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included with the Darco and Troup series. Series was assigned to a semiactive activity class and re-horizonated in 10/2001.