LOCATION SUBRAN AL

Established Series
Rev. LEM-PGM
10/2018

SUBRAN SERIES

The Subran series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in medium and fine textured marine sediments on uplands of the Southern Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. Average annual temperature is about 63 degrees F. and average annual precipitation is about 53 inches near the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, thermic Aquic Paleudults

TYPICAL PEDON: Subran fine sandy loam on a smooth 1 percent slope in a hay field. (Colors are for moist soil.)

Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; few fine brown and black nodules; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)

Bt--6 to 13 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few fine hard black nodules; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Btc1--13 to 22 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; many medium and coarse black nodules; common black stains on faces of some peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Btc2--22 to 33 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and few medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; many fine and medium, and common coarse black nodules; common black stains on faces of some peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

Btc3--33 to 45 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) clay; common medium distinct light gray (2.5Y 7/2) and few medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) mottles; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine and medium black nodules; common black stains on faces of some peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.

B't--45 to 65 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), light gray (5Y 7/2), and red (10R 4/6) clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure which parts to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; few fine black nodules; very strongly acid. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is more than 50 inches.)

TYPE LOCATION: Perry County, Alabama; about 1.7 miles west of Zimmerman on County Road 20, 200 feet south on farm road, 125 feet east of road; or about 500 feet south and 1,000 feet west of the northeast corner of section 19, T.19N., R.7E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction of the A and Bt horizons ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid. Reaction of the Btc and B't horizon ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid. Content of black nodules and stains (assumed to be MnO2) is few in the A, Bt, and B't horizons and ranges from common to many in the Btc horizons.

The Ap or A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is typically fine sandy loam or sandy loam but includes loam and clay loam in eroded areas.

Some pedons have a thin E or BE horizon with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam.

The upper part of the Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is typically clay loam, but ranges to clay. Mottles with chroma 2 or less are within 30 inches of the surface. The lower part has the same range in color as the upper part of the Bt horizon or it has no dominant matrix color and is mottled in shades of yellow, brown, gray, and red. Texture is clay loam, clay, or silty clay.

COMPETING SERIES: These include the Ackwater, Angie, Chrysler, and Tiak series. None of the competing series have significant accumulations of dark nodules and stains in the argillic horizon. Additionally, the Angie soils have gray Btg horizons in the lower part of the solum and the Chrysler and Tiak soils have dominant hue redder than 7.5YR in the upper part of the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Subran soils are on broad, nearly level ridgetops and gently sloping side slopes in the transitional area between the Southern Coastal Plain and the Blackland Prairie MLRA's. They formed in medium and fine textured marine sediments. The climate is warm and humid. Average annual temperature ranges from 60 to 65 degrees F. and average annual precipitation ranges from 48 to 58 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bama, Brantley, Eutaw, Kipling, Oktibbeha, Smithdale, and Vaiden series. Bama soils are on slightly higher positions and are fine-loamy. Brantley soils are on narrow ridges and steeper side slopes and have a decrease in clay content within 60 inches of the surface. The Eutaw, Kipling, Oktibbeha, and Vaiden soils are on slightly lower positions and have vertic properties. Smithdale soils are on lower side slopes and are fine-loamy.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Subran soils are moderately well drained. Runoff is slow to medium and permeability is slow. A water table is perched at a depth of 2 to 3.5 feet for short periods during winter and early spring.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas have been cleared and are used for row crops, hay, and pasture. Common crops include corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat, and grain sorghum. Common trees in forested areas include red oak, white oak, hickory, sweetgum, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, and longleaf pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Alabama. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama

SERIES PROPOSED: Perry County, Alabama; 1989.

REMARKS: The Subran series has been included in mapping with the Brantley series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to about 6 inches (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from about 6 inches to 65 inches (Bt, Btc1, Btc2, Btc3, and B't horizons)
Aquic properties - evidence of seasonal high water table including dark nodules and stains (assumed to be MnO2) and mottles of chroma 2 or less within a depth of 30 inches.

Additional data: Physical and chemical characterization data are available for the typical pedon (S87AL-105-4) and two additional pedons (S87AL-105-5 and S86AL-105-3).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.