LOCATION TAFTOWN INEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Taftown silt loam, on a 21 percent north-facing slope in an area of mixed hardwoods. (Colors are for moist conditions unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine granular; friable; many fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
E--4 to 9 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam; very fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; many fine roots; thin discontinuous dark gray (10YR 4/1) organic coats on faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 17 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots; thin discontinuous yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--17 to 29 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam; moderate medium angular and subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; thin discontinuous strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizon ranges from 15 to 35 inches.)
2Bt3--29 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; moderate medium angular and subangluar blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; thin continuous yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds; 14 percent soft sandstone fragments less than 1 inch in size; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
2Bt4--38 to 49 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silt loam; moderate medium angular and subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; thin patchy yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds; common black (10YR 2/1) iron and manganese oxide stains; 5 percent soft sandstone fragments less than l inch in size; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
2Bt5--49 to 64 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; thin discontinuous light gray (10YR 7/2) clay films on faces of peds; common black (10YR 2/1) iron and manganese oxide stains; 2 percent soft sandstone fragments less than 1/2 inch in size; medium acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of 2Bt horizons is 20 to 40 inches.)
2Cr--64 inches; soft, neutral interbedded sandstone and shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Gibson County, Indiana; about 1 mile north and 1 mile east of Princeton; 150 feet west and 100 feet south of the center of sec. 5, T. 2 S., R. 10 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 44 to 72 inches thick and is the same as the depth to bedrock. Loess thickness ranges from 24 to 40 inches. Clay content of the control section ranges from 12 to 18 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is slightly acid or medium acid.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. It ranges from slightly acid to strongly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It ranges from medium acid to very strongly acid.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. It is loam or silt loam. It ranges from medium acid to very strongly acid in the upper part but the lower part is medium acid or strongly acid. Coarse fragment content ranges from 0 to 15 percent.
The 2Cr horizon is interbedded neutral shale and sandstone. Shale is the dominant strata but proportion of shale and sandstone depends on hillside position.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. Wellston is a closely related series. Wellston soils are fine-silty and have lower base saturation at the critical depth.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Taftown soils are on side slopes in dissected uplands. Slopes range from 12 to 25 percent. This soil formed in 24 to 40 inches of loess and the underlying residuum from shale and sandstone. The mean annual temperature ranges from 53 degrees to 57 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 45 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alford, Gudgel, and Hosmer soils. Alford soils formed in more than 60 inches of loess and are dominantly on less sloping ridge tops and side slopes. Gudgel and Hosmer soils have fragipans and are on less sloping ridgetops and upper side slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is very rapid. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are dominantly woodland. The less sloping areas are hayland or pasture. Native vegetation was mixed hardwood trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest Indiana. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gibson County, Indiana, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of about 9 inches (A, E horizon); argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 9 to 64 inches (Bt1, Bt2, 2Bt3, 2Bt4, 2Bt5).
This soil was formerly included in the Wellston soil.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Available Lab Data S85IN51-5 Purdue University Soil Characterization Lab and 84T 1229 (base saturation only) NSSL.