LOCATION SAUCIER MS+AL LA
Established Series
Rev. WIS:WMK:RBH
10/2018
SAUCIER SERIES
The Saucier series consists of moderately well drained, slowly permeable soils that have a moderate amount of plinthite in the subsoil. These soils formed in marine sediment that is loamy in the upper part and clayey in the lower part. These are nearly level to strongly sloping soils on upland ridges and hillsides of the Southern Coastal Plain and Eastern Gulf Coast Flatwoods. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Plinthaquic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Saucier fine sandy loam--forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; common fine roots; few ironstone pebbles; many fine pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick).
BA--5 to 12 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; clay bridging and coating of sand grains; common root or worm channels filled with dark grayish brown fine sandy loam; few medium ironstone gravel; many fine pores; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--12 to 26 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly plastic; slightly sticky; few fine roots; patchy clay films on faces of peds; about 2 percent plinthite; common fine pores; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btv1--26 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) loam; common medium prominent dark red (10YR 3/6), common medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1), and few medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; friable; slightly plastic; slightly sticky; few fine roots; common clay films on faces of peds; about 10 percent plinthite; few pockets of uncoated sand grains; common fine pores; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 18 to 48 inches.)
2Btv2--38 to 48 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), dark red (10R 3/6), gray (10YR 6/1), and red (2.5YR 4/8) silty clay loam; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; firm; plastic; sticky; few fine roots; common coarse pockets of light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam; many clay films on faces of peds; about 5 percent plinthite; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2Bt1--48 to 60 inches; mottled gray (10YR 6/1), dark red (10R 3/6), yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) silty clay loam; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; firm; plastic; sticky; few fine roots; many clay films on faces of peds; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2Bt2--60 to 72 inches; mottled light gray (10YR 7/2), strong brown (7.5YR 5/8), and red (2.5YR 4/6) silty clay; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; firm; plastic; sticky; few fine roots; patchy clay films or pressure faces on peds; extremely acid. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 30 to 48 inches or more.)
TYPE LOCATION: Harrison County, Mississippi; 1 mile west of Saucier, on Saucier-Lizana road. 2 miles northwest on gravel road. 50 feet south into woods. SE1/4SW1/4 sec. 3, T. 5 S., R. 12 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to as much as 80 inches or more. Iron concretions, up to 2.5 centimeters in diameter, if present, are few to as much as 5 to 15 percent by volume. Within the depth between 20 and 45 inches, plinthite makes up from 5 to 25 percent of the volume of one or more horizons. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid in all horizons, except the surface layer in areas that have been limed.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 to 3, or hue of 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, chroma of 2. Some pedons have an E horizon with hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. The A horizon and E horizon are sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
The BA horizon, if present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 6. It has the same texture range as the A horizon.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 4 to 8, or it is mottled in shades of brown, yellow, gray, or red. Mottles having chroma of 2 or less are within a depth of 30 inches from the surface. Texture is loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam. The upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon has from 20 to 35 percent clay and from 20 to 45 percent silt. The lower part of the Bt horizon has the range in texture as the upper part but, in addition, includes silty clay loam. Fine to medium concretions, if present, are few to common.
The 2Bt horizon commonly is mottled in various shades of brown, yellow, gray, or red, and less commonly it has a matrix with few to many mottles of these colors. The 2Bt horizon is clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Clarendon,
Kirbyville, and
Robertsdale series of the same family and the closely related
Ardilla,
Basin,
Baxterville,
Beauregard,
Bowie,
Dothan,
Escambia,
Harleston, and
Malbis series in closely related families. Clarendon soils have 5 to 15 percent silt in the control section. Kirbyville soils have tonguing of the E horizon into the Bt horizon. Robertsdale soils have a matrix color in chroma of 2 or less within a depth of 20 inches of the surface and are somewhat poorly drained. Ardilla and Basin soils have fragic properties. In addition Basin is coarse-loamy. Baxterville, Bowie, Dothan, and Malbis soils do not have mottles with chroma of 2 or less within a depth of 30 inches from the surface. Beauregard soils have a fine-silty control section. Escambia and Harleston soils have a coarse-loamy control section. In addition Harleston has less than 5 percent plinthite.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Saucier soils are on uplands of the Southern Coastal Plain and Eastern Gulf Coast Flatwoods. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. The soil formed in marine sediment that is loamy in the upper part and clayey in the lower part. The climate is warm and humid. Average annual temperature near the type location is 68 degrees Fahrenheit; average annual precipitation is about 59 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing
Basin,
Escambia,
Harleston, and
Malbis series and the
Poarch and
Susquehanna series. Basin and Escambia soils, which are somewhat poorly drained soils, are on slightly lower slopes and in similar positions as the Saucier soils. Harleston soils, which are moderately well drained, are on low ridges. Malbis soils, which are well drained or moderately well drained, mainly are in higher positions on slopes and ridgecrests. Poarch soils, which are well drained or moderately well drained and have a coarse-loamy particle-size class, are on broader slopes. Susquehanna soils, which are somewhat poorly drained and have a fine particle-size class, are on steeper slopes and in similar positions as the Saucier soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow to medium runoff; slow permeability. A water table is at a depth of 2.5 to 4.0 feet below the surface from January to March.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of Saucier soils are used for woodland, and a small acreage for pasture and crops. Native vegetation consists of pines and mixed hardwoods.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower parts of the Southern Coastal Plain, and Eastern Gulf Coast Flatwoods in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harrison County, Mississippi; 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to a depth of approximately 5 inches (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 12 to 72 inches (Bt, Btv1, 2Btv2, 2Bt1, 2Bt2 horizons).
Aquic feature - mottles having chroma 2 or less within a depth of 30 inches from the surface (Btv1 horizon).
Plinthic feature - more than 5 percent plinthite in the zone from 20 to 45 inches (Btv1 and 2Btv2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data on the typifying pedon were obtained from the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska, sample 8132(93-99).
Saucier series is on the list of benchmark soil series for Mississippi.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.