LOCATION VERTEL TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, thermic Leptic Udic Haplusterts
TYPICAL PEDON: Vertel clay--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4.2) moist; strong medium blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; many vertical cracks 0.5 to 1.5 inches wide; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Bss1--6 to 20 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common vertical cracks 1/2 inch wide; few prominent slickensides and common wedge-shaped peds; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bss2--20 to 33 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common vertical cracks 1/2 inch wide; common prominent slickensides and wedge-shaped peds; common angular crystals of gypsum; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (combined Bss subhorizons are 18 to 36 inches)
Cr--33 to 66 inches; stratified dark gray (10YR 4/1), yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), yellow (10YR 8/6), and yellowish red (5YR 4/6) shale; medium and coarse platy rock structure; extremely hard, very firm; few vertical cracks in upper part; few crystals of gypsum; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Denton County, Texas; 5 miles east of Lewisville on Texas 121 to intersection of FR 423, 3.7 miles north on FR 423, 300 feet west into pasture (0.3 mile north of Eastvale Park entrance). (Latitude 33N, 07, 53; Longitude 96W, 53, 30)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The range in characteristics includes 50 percent or more of the pedon. Solum thickness and depth to a paralithic contact with shale ranges from 24 to 40 inches. Weighted average clay content of the particle-size control section ranges from 60 to 76 percent. When dry, cracks 0.5 to 1.5 inches wide extend to the C horizon. Cracks remain open 90 to 150 cumulative days in most years. Undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microlows 2 to 6 feet wide and 2 to 8 inches deep. The linear microhighs, 10 to 16 feet wide, extend up and down slopes.
The A horizon has color with hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Reaction ranges from neutral to slightly alkaline.
The Bss horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Mottles in shades of brown or red range from none to common. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Gypsum crystals range from few to common. Some pedons contain a few fine calcium carbonate nodules.
The Cr layer is a shale with varigated colors in shades of gray, brown, red, or yellow. Crystals of gypsum range from few to common in most pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Anhalt series in the same family and the similar Dalco, Greenvine, San Saba, and Crawford series. Anhalt and Crawford soils have hue of 7.5YR and redder and have a lithic contact to limestone bedrock. Crawford, Dalco, Greenvine, and San Saba soils have a fine particle-size control section. In addition, Dalco, Greenvine, and San Saba soils have chroma of 1 to a depth of 12 inches or more.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vertel soils are on gently sloping to strongly sloping uplands. Slopes range from 1 to 12 percent. Surfaces are convex. The soil formed in clayey marine shales of the Eagle Ford Formation of Upper Cretaceous Age. Mean annual precipitation is 30 to 42 inches. Mean annual temperature is 64 degrees to 68 degrees F. Frost free days range from 225 to 235. Elevation ranges from 450 to 850 feet above sea level. The Thornthwaite P-E index is 52 to 64.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Altoga, Ferris, Heiden, and Lewisville series. Altoga and Lewisville soils have fine-silty control sections, and are on terrace scarps lower in the landscape. In addition Altoga soils have carbonatic mineralogy. Ferris and Heiden soils have less than 60 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are on similar positions of adjacent areas with different parent material.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and very slow permeability. Runoff is medium on 1 to 3 percent slopes, high on 3 to 5 percent slopes and very high on 5 to 12 percent slopes. Infiltration is rapid when the soil is dry and cracked, but very slow when the soil is wet.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for pasture and rangeland. Some areas are cultivated to small grain or hay crops. Native vegetation is mostly bluestems, buffalograss, Texas wintergrass, and threeawns with scattered mesquite, elm, and hackberry trees. Pasture plants are bermudagrass and klein grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Along western edge of Blackland Prairie (MLRA 86A) of north central Texas. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Denton County, Texas; 1975.
REMARKS: This series was formerly included in the Ellis series. Classification changed from Udorthentic Chromusterts to Leptic Udic Haplusterts 2/94 based on Issue 16 of Soil Taxonomy.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon -- A horizon from 0 to 6 inches.
Cambic horizon -- Bss1 and Bss2 from 6 to 33 inches.
Vertic feature -- slickensides from a depth of 6 to 33 inches, and cracks when dry.
Paralithic contact at 33 inches.
Soil Interpretation Record Number: TX0529.