LOCATION SUCARNOOCHEE            AL

Established Series
Rev. JLB-CRN-AMS
10/2018

SUCARNOOCHEE SERIES


The Sucarnoochee series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alkaline clayey alluvium. Sucarnoochee soils are on flood plains of the Alabama and Mississippi Blackland Prairie. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1400 millimeters (55 inches), and the mean annual temperature is about 18 degrees C (64 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Epiaquerts

TYPICAL PEDON: Sucarnoochee silty clay, in a pasture at an elevation of 43 meters (140 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 13 centimeters (0 to 5 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay; moderate fine and medium subangular structure; firm; very sticky, very plastic; many fine roots; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [10 to 20 centimeters thick (4 to 8 inches thick.)]

AB--13 to 25 centimeters (5 to 10 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; common fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds and few fine prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron along root channels; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. [13 to 61 centimeters thick (5 to 24 inches thick.)]

Bss--25 to 41 centimeters (10 to 16 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay; moderate coarse angular blocky structure, parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common large intersecting slickensides having polished and grooved surfaces; common fine faint grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions on faces of peds and slickensides; common fine and medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds and slickensides; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron and manganese concretions; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bssg1--41 to 56 centimeters (16 to 22 inches); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay; moderate very coarse angular blocky structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common large intersecting slickensides having polished and grooved surfaces; many medium and coarse faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and common fine and medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds and slickensides; few fine dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) organic stains on faces of peds and slickensides; few fine black (10YR 2/1) iron and manganese concretions; the areas of grayish brown are iron depletions and parent material; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

Bssg2--56 to 81 centimeters (22 to 32 inches); gray (2.5Y 5/1) clay; moderate very coarse angular blocky structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; common large intersecting slickensides having polished and grooved surfaces; many medium and coarse distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and common fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds and slickensides; the areas of gray are iron depletions and parent material; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

Bkssg--81 to 165 centimeters (32 to 65 inches); 45 percent very dark gray (5Y 3/1), 30 percent gray (2.5Y 5/1) 15 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) 10 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; moderate very coarse angular blocky structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; many large intersecting slickensides having polished and grooved surfaces; few fine and medium nodules of calcium carbonate; the areas of very dark gray and gray are iron depletions and parent material; the areas of strong brown and yellowish brown are masses of oxidized iron on faces of peds and slickensides; neutral. [Combined thickness of the Bss, Bssg, and Bkssg horizons is 89 to more than 152 centimeters (35 to 60 inches.)]

TYPE LOCATION: Sumter County, Alabama; about 3.2 kilometers (2.0 miles) south of Gainesville; 488 meters (1600 feet) south and 183 meters (600 feet) west of the northeast corner of sec. 27, T. 21 N., R. 2 W.; USGS Gainesville Quadrangle Sumter County, Alabama; Latitude: 32 degrees 46 minutes 19 seconds North; Longitude: 88 degrees 10 minutes 12 seconds West; WGS84; UTM 390421 East, 3626611 North, zone 16S.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is: 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches)
Depth to base of soil development: 0 to 165 centimeters (0 to 65 inches)
Thickness of the Ochric epipedon: 15 to 25 centimeters (6 to 10 inches)
Depth to Cambic horizon: 18 to 99 centimeters (7 to 39 inches)
Depth to masses of oxidized iron: 10 to 200 centimeters (4 to 79 inches)
Depth to iron and manganese concretions: 10 to 200 centimeters (4 to 79 inches)
Depth to iron depletions: 25 to 50cm to 200centimeters (10 to 20 inches to 79 inches)
Depth to slickensides: 18 to 75 centimeters (7 to 30 inches)

Ap or A horizons:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 30 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 20 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

AB horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 30 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 20 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Bss horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: silty clay or clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 20 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
In some pedons, hue is neutral with value of 3 to 6.

Bssg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silty clay or clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 20 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
In some pedons, hue is neutral with value of 1 or 2.

Bkss horizon, where present:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 2 to 6
Texture: silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 20 percent
Fragments: Soft masses and nodules of calcium carbonate range from few to many and range in size from fine to coarse.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
In some pedons, hue is neutral with value of 3 to 6.

Bkssg horizon:
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 3 to 6
Chroma: 1 to 6
Texture: silty clay, or clay
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Sand content: 0 to 20 percent
Fragments: Soft masses and nodules of calcium carbonate range from few to many and range in size from fine to coarse.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
In some pedons, hue is neutral with value of 3 to 6.

COMPETING SERIES:
Jackport soils are poorly drained and acid in the upper part of the solum. They are on terraces of the Mississippi Valley Major Land Resource Area (MLRA 131A).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent Material: 0 to 200 centimeters (0 to 79 inches) alkaline clayey alluvium
Landscape: Coastal plains (Blackland Prairie)
Landform: flood plains
Slopes: 0 to 2 percent
Elevation: 26 to 91 meters (85 to 310 feet)
Mean annual air temperature: 11 to 24.5 degrees C (52 to 76 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 1175 to 1600 millimeters (46 to 63 inches)
Frost free days: 219 to 246 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:

Catalpa soils are in similar positions on flood plains and do not have vertic properties.
Houlka soils are in similar positions on flood plains and are acid throughout the solum.
Leeper soils are in similar positions on flood plains and do not have intersecting slickensides within 102 centimeters (40 inches) of the soil surface.
Demopolis, Faunsdale, Houston, Kipling, Okolona, Sumter, and Vaiden soils are on adjacent uplands and are not subject to flooding.
Tuscumbia soils are poorly drained and are on similar and slightly lower depressional positions on flood plains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class: Somewhat poorly drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat): low
Water features: No free water has been observed in these soils except on slickenside faces or in large root channels. The dark surface, subsurface and low chroma matrix colors are derived from the colors of the parent material and hydrology.
Flooding frequency: occasional or frequent
Flooding duration: brief or very brief
Ponding frequency and Duration: None

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas have been cleared. Current use is dominantly pasture. About 30 percent of the acreage is in cultivated crops, mainly soybeans, corn, grain sorghum, and cotton. About 5 percent of the soils are in mixed hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): Alabama and Mississippi Blackland Prairie(MLRA 135A)
Extent: Moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sumter County, Alabama, 1982.

REMARKS:

Particle-size control section: 25 to 100 centimeters (10 to 39 inches) (Bss, Bssg1, Bssg2, and Bkssg horizons)

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon: 0 to 25 centimeters (0 to 10 inches Ap and AB horizons)

Cambic horizon: 25 to 165 centimeters (10 to 65 inches Bss and Bssg1, Bssg2, and Bkssg horizons)

Chromic feature: 0 to 81 centimeters (0 to 32 inches A, AB, Bss, Bssg1, and Bssg2)

Soil Taxonomy requirement for a Chromic feature for Epiaquerts: In one or more horizons within 30 centimeters of the mineral soil surface, one or both of the following in more than half of each pedon.
1. A color value, moist, of 4 or more; or
2. A color value, dry, of 6 or more.

Vertic features: intersecting slickensides, 25 to 165 centimeters (10 to 65 inches Bss, Bssg1, Bssg2, and Bkssg horizons)

Masses of oxidized iron: 13 to 165 centimeters (5 to 65 inches)

Iron depletions: 25 to 165 centimeters (10 to 65 inches)

Soil classified according to the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Particle-size, chemical, and mineralogy data are available for four Sucarnoochee pedons in Bullock, Hale, Perry and Wilcox Counties. National Cooperative Soil Survey and/or Auburn University, Soil Characterization Laboratory.http://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/querypage.aspx

OSD User Site ID: 1981AL119004
OSD User Pedon ID: 1981AL119004


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.