LOCATION SPESSARD VA
Established Series
Rev. EPE
03/2022
SPESSARD SERIES
The Spessard series consists of very deep, well drained, very rapidly permeable soils on side slopes and toe slopes of ridges. They formed in sandy colluvium from acid sandstone. Mean annual temperature is 52 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation is 40 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Typic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Spessard loamy sand on a 17 percent slope, forested. (Colors are for moist soil.)
A--0 to 9 inches; very dark brown (10YR 3/2) loamy sand; single grain; loose; many fine and few medium roots; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 9 inches)
E--9 to 13 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and few medium roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches)
Bw1--13 to 20 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) loamy sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and few medium roots; 2 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--20 to 41 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine, few medium and coarse roots; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (28 to 46 inches thick)
C--41 to 62 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loamy sand; single grain; firm; 2 percent gravel; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Roanoke County, Virginia; approximately 7 miles west south west of intersection of Virginia routes 311 and 684; 250 feet north of Virginia route 684.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 72 inches. Rock fragments range from 0 to 10 percent in the A and E horizons and 0 to 20 percent in the Bw and C horizons. Reaction range from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The A horizon has a hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 through 4 and chroma of 1 through 3. It is loamy sand.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 and chroma of 4 through 8. It is loamy sand.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 4 through 8. It is loamy sand in the fine earth fraction.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 and chroma of 4 through 8. It is loamy sand or sand in the fine earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Abscota,
Biltmore,
Caesar,
Chute,
Dabney,
Hodge,
Oakville,
Penwood,
Perks,
Pinegrove,
Plainfield,
Sarpy,
Suncook,
Tyner,
Westport, and
Windsor soils in the same family. Abscota, Chute, Hodge and Spary soils are neutral to moderately alkaline throughout. Biltmore soils contain mica flakes throughout. Caesar soils are colder throughout the control section. Dabney soils have chroma of 2 or less in the C Horizon. Oakville, Plainfield and Tyner soils has fine sand and sand throughout the B horizon. Penwood soils have hue of 5YR in the B horizon. Perks, Suncook and Westport soils lack a B horizon. Windsor soils have sola less than 40 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Spessard soils are on side slopes and toe slopes of ridges. Slopes range from 7 to 60 percent. They formed in colluvium from acid sandstone. Mean annual temperature ranges from 50 to 58 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 45 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Berks,
Dekalb,
Laidig and
Weikert soils. The Berks, Dekalb and Weikert soils are on adjacent shoulders and side slopes of ridges. Laidig soils are on similar adjacent position on the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is very rapid. Surface runoff is medium.
USE AND VEGETATION: Native vegetation is mixed hardwoods and pines.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alleghney mountains in Virginia and possible Kentucky and Tennessee. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Roanoke County, Virginia, 199O.
REMARKS: Soils now within the Spessard series were previously included in the Vanderlip series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to a depth of 13 inches. (A and E horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Chemical and physical data available for typical pedon 87-VA-161(1-6) by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
03/2022: Oi layer was removed from the typical pedon description because /freshly fallen, or undecomposed leaf litter or simlar undeceomposed material should not be included as a surface layer in the soil description. The typical pedon originally had a top layer described as undecomposed leaf material or similar undecomposed material.WJN
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.