LOCATION SYLVA NC
Established Series
Rev. MLS:SCK:AG
03/2022
SYLVA SERIES
The Sylva series consists of very deep, poorly drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils on nearly level colluvial fans and flats in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These soils formed in colluvium and alluvium derived from materials weathered from felsic to mafic crystalline rocks such as granite, hornblende gneiss, and mica gneiss. Near the type location, mean annual temperature is about 55 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 80 inches. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, semiactive, acid, mesic Humic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Sylva loam on a colluvial flat, 1 percent slope--forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 2 inches, partially decomposed leaves, twigs, and roots.
A1--2 to 6 inches, black (N 2/) loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 10 inches, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) loam; common medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) streaks, and common medium faint dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) streaks; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; common fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 6 to 10 inches.)
Bg1--10 to 22 inches, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; common fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bg2--22 to 39 inches, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few medium roots; common fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bg horizon is 14 to 30 inches)
Cg--39 to 67 inches, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam; massive; friable; common fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, North Carolina; 0.25 mile south of Cashiers Lake on Cashiers Lake Road; 0.5 mile west on NC 107 highway from Highlands east on U.S. 64 to SR 1540 to Shortoff Church Road; on left in woods.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 22 to 40 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Rock fragment content, dominantly gravel, is 0 to 15 percent. Content of mica flakes ranges from few to many. Reaction is extremely acid to strongly acid unless limed. In the 10 to 40 inch control section, coarse-loamy materials that overlie sandy horizons have more than 50 percent fine and coarser sand.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of l to 3, or it is neutral with value of 2 or 3. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam.
An Ab horizon occurs in some pedons below a depth of 40 inches. It is similar in color and texture to the A horizon.
The Bg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2, or it is neutral with value of 4 to 6. It is loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam. Thin layers, lenses, or pockets of silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, or loamy sand are in the Bg horizon in some pedons.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2, or it is neutral with value of 4 to 7. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand. Thin layers of silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam are in the Cg horizon i some pedons. Also, some pedons have a 2Cg horizon below 60 inches that is saprolite weathered from felsic to mafic crystalline rocks such as granite, hornblende gneiss, or mica gneiss.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sylva soils are on nearly level colluvial fans and flats at the heads of drains in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Elevations range from 2,000 to 4,000 feet. These soils formed in colluvium and alluvium derived from materials weathered from felsic to mafic crystalline rocks such as granite, hornblende gneiss, and mica gneiss. Slope is commonly 0 to 2 percent, but ranges from 0 to 3 percent. Seeps and springs are common. Near the type location, mean annual temperature is about 55 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation is about 80 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cashiers,
Chandler,
Chatuge,
Chestnut,
Cleveland,
Cullasaja,
Cullowhee,
Dellwood,
Dillard,
Edneyville,
Haywood,
Nikwasi,
Plott,
Porters,
Reddies,
Spivey,
Statler, Sylva,
Toxaway,
Tuckasegee,
Tusquitee, and
Whiteside soils. Cashiers, Chandler, Chestnut, Cleveland, Edneyville, Plott and Porters are well drained soils that formed in residuum and are on higher ridges and side slopes. Chatuge, Dillard, and Statler soils are on terraces and have argillic horizons. Cullowhee, Dellwood, Nikwasi, Reddies, and Toxaway soils are on flood plains. Cullasaja, Haywood, Tuckasegee, Tusquitee, and Whiteside soils are in colluvial positions higher than Sylva soils and are well or moderately well drained. Whiteside soils are usually associated in the landscape with Sylva soils in slightly higher or convex areas.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is in forest that consists mainly of yellow poplar, red maple, eastern white pine, and white oak with a dense understory of rhododendron and dog hobble. Cleared areas are mostly idle and often supporting dense stands of rushes, sedges, alders, and red maple sprouts.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, and possibly Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Macon County, North Carolina, 1990. The name is from the town of Sylva in Jackson County, North Carolina.
REMARKS: The soils now placed in the Sylva series were previously included in the Toxaway series. However, Sylva soils lack the umbric epipedon, fine-loamy textures, and frequent flooding of the Toxaway soils.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Humic Haplaquept feature - The presence of moist color value less than 3.5 in the 0 to 8 inch A horizon, and the 8 inch thickness is less than one-third the depth to the base of the Bg horizon or a minimum of 10 inches.
Ochric Epipedon - 2 to 10 inches (A Horizon)
Cambic Horizon - 10 to 39 inches (Bg1 and Bg2 Horizons)
03/2022 revision: Oe had 2 to 0 inch depths, corrected to be 0 to 2 in horizon depths then added 2 inches to all horizon depths throughout the typical pedon. WJN
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.