LOCATION SHELBYVILLE KYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Mollic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Shelbyville silt loam--on a slightly convex ridgetop of 2 percent slope in bluegrass pasture. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam; moderate
fine and medium granular structure; very friable; many fine
roots; common fine pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to
10 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 21 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam;
moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; friable; common fine roots; common fine pores; common thin patchy clay films; few fine black concretions;
slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--21 to 28 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silty clay
loam, moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to
moderate weak fine blocky; friable; few fine roots; common fine pores; many thin patchy brown clay films; few fine black
concretions; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--28 to 38 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silty clay loam;
common medium faint light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate
weak fine blocky; firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; many thin patchy clay films; few fine black concretions; neutral; clear
smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 15 to
40 inches.)
2Bt1--38 to 46 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4)
silty clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting
to moderate fine angular blocky; firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; nearly continuous thin brown clay films; common fine black concretions and stains; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
2Bt2--46 to 56 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty
clay; moderate coarse angular blocky structure parting to
moderate fine blocky; firm; few fine pores; many thin patchy
brown clay films; many black concretions, nodules, films, and
stains; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
2Bt3--56 to 65 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/6)
and dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky;
firm; many thin patchy clay films or pressure faces; many black
soft nodules, films and stains; mildly alkaline. (Combined
thickness of the 2B horizons is 20 to 50 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: Shelby County, Kentucky; 50 feet south of U. S.
60, 250 yards east of junction with KY 1871, about 2 miles east
of Shelbyville.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum thickness and depth to
bedrock is more than 50 inches. The upper solum formed from
loess ranges from 24 to 48 inches thick. The soil ranges from neutral to strongly acid in the upper part of the solum, and from strongly acid to mildly alkaline in the lower part. Limestone, siltstone, chert, or shale fragments range from 0 to 15 percent
in the lower solum and C horizons. Dark brown or black concretions from 1 to 5 mm in diameter range from 1 to 20 percent and stains, films, and nodules are few to common in the lower solum.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value less than 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. It has weak or moderate fine or medium
granular or subangular blocky structure. Some pedons have AB or
BA horizons with colors and textures like the Ap or Bt horizons.
The Bt1 horizon has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR, value of 4 or
5, and chroma of 4 or 6. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Structure is weak or moderate fine or medium blocky, and it is friable or firm.
The Bt2 and Bt3 horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or
5, and chroma of 4 or 6. Some pedons are mottled in shades of
brown. The texture, structure, and consistence are like the Bt1 horizon.
The 2B horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR, value of 4 to
6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Some pedons are mottled in shades of
brown, gray, or olive. It is silty clay or clay. Structure is
weak or moderate, fine to coarse, blocky. Some pedons have a 2C
or 2BC horizon with matrix and mottles in shades of brown, gray,
or olive. It is silty clay or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ashton, Batavia, Bowes, Downs, Festina, Frankville, Grays, Harvard, Hedrick, Juda, Knox, Luana, Massbach, Mellott, Mt. Carroll, Myrtle, Nasset, Newhouse, Newvienna, Richview, Watkins, Waubeek, and Wingate series. Ashton, Batavia, Bowes, Downs, Festina, Grays, Harvard, Juda, Knox, Mellott, Mt. Carroll, Myrtle, Newhouse, Newvienna, Richview, Watkins, Waubeek, and Wingate soils lack silty clay or clay 2B horizons. Frankville soils have bedrock at less than 40 inches. Hendrick, Luana, Massbach, and Nasset soils have sola less than 60 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shelbyville soils are on broad convex
ridges. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. Some areas have
karst topography. The soil formed in 24 to 48 inches of loess
and the underlying residuum from limestone. The average annual temperature range is 54 to 58 degrees F., and the average
annual precipitation range is 41 to 48 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cynthiana,
Fairmount,
Faywood,
Lowell, and
Nicholson series. Cynthiana and Fairmount soils are less than 20 inches to bedrock. Faywood and Lowell soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control
section. Nicholson soils have a fragipan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium. Permeability is moderate in the upper part of the solum, and moderately slow in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for corn, tobacco,
soybeans, small grain, hay, and pasture. Native vegetation was hardwood forest. Glades of native grass and canes were reported
by early settlers.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bluegrass region of Kentucky. Extent
is moderate.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Shelby County, Kentucky; 1916.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon, 0 to 9 inches, (Ap) (Mollic intergrade)
Argillic horizon, 9 to 65 inches, (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, 2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3)
Additional Data: Laboratory data is available from the type location, 77KY-211-31-(1-7).