LOCATION VESSER IA+IL MO
Established Series
Rev. RID-MRL-RJB
06/2015
VESSER SERIES
The Vesser series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils formed in alluvium. These soils are on floodplains, base slopes, and alluvial fans. Slope ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 10 degrees C. Mean annual precipitation is about 915 millimeters.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Argiaquic Argialbolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vesser silt loam, on a nearly level flood plain, in a cultivated field. (All colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 centimeters; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; many fine roots; common distinct black (10YR 2/1) organic coats on all faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
A--20 to 38 centimeters; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many fine roots; common distinct black (10YR 2/1) organic coats on all faces of peds; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/3) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 50 centimeters.)
E1--38 to 58 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak thick platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; friable; many fine roots; many distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coats on all faces of peds; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/3) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
E2--58 to 79 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; friable; common fine roots; many distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coats on all faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry silt coats on all faces of peds; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/3) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizon is 30 to 60 centimeters.)
Btg1--79 to 94 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common distinct black (10YR 2/1) clay films on all faces of peds; common distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coats on all faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry silt coats on faces of all peds; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg2--94 to 119 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; many distinct black (10YR 2/1) clay films on all faces of peds; common distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coats on all faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry silt coats on all faces of peds; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg3--119 to 145 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable; few fine roots; common distinct black (10YR 2/1) clay films on all faces of peds; common distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organic coats on all faces of peds; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) dry silt coats on all faces of peds; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately acid.
Btg4--145 to 168 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; friable; few very fine roots; common distinct black (10YR 2/1) clay films on all faces of peds; few prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry sand grains on vertical faces of peds; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary (Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 30 to 90 centimeters.)
BCg--168 to 196 centimeters; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure; firm; few prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry sand grains; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary
Cg--196 to 200 centimeters; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; massive; firm; few prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry sand grains; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 109-Iowa and Missouri Heavy Till Plain; Wayne County, Iowa subset; about 3 miles north and 1 mile east of Corydon; about 1,043 feet west and 1,745 feet north of the southeast corner of section 5, T. 69 N., R. 21 W; USGS Corydon quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 48 minutes 7 seconds N. and long. 93 degrees 17 minutes 32 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the mollic epipedon--25 to 50 centimeters
Depth to carbonates--more than 200 centimeters
Clay content of the particle-size control section (weighted average)--30 to 35 percent
Sand content of the particle-size control section (weighted average)--10 to 20 percent
Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--15 to 30 percent
Sand content--10 to 20 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
E horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--15 to 30 percent
Sand content--10 to 20 percent
Reaction--very strongly acid to moderately acid
Btg horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--30 to 35 percent
Sand content--10 to 20 percent
Reaction--strongly acid or moderately acid
BCg and Cg horizons
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--20 to 35 percent
Sand content--10 to 20 percent
Reaction--strongly acid or moderately acid
Some pedons may have subhorizons with clay content up to 40 percent
Some pedons may have sandy materials below a depth of 160 centimeters
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Corley,
Ebbert,
Edgington,
Knight,
Marissa,
Normal,
Speed, and
Thorp series.
Corley--have a sand content of less than 5 percent in the particle-size control section
Ebbert--have a sand content of less than 10 percent in the particle-size control section
Edgington--have a sand content of less than 10 percent in the particle-size control section and have albic horizons that are less than 30 centimeters thick
Knight--have a sand content of more than 20 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Marissa--have carbonates within a depth of 152 centimeters
Normal--have albic horizons that are 10 to 25 centimeters thick
Speed--have a clay content of 18 to 30 percent in the particle-size control section
Thorp--have a clay content of 5 to 30 percent and have a sand content of 15 to 75 percent in the lower third of the series control section
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--alluvium
Landform--floodplains, base slopes, and alluvial fans
Slope--0 to 5 percent
Elevation--155 to 475 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--6 to 14 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--660 to 1,170 millimeters
Frost-free period--150 to 225 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Chequest,
Lawson,
Nodaway, and
Zook soils. These soils are in landscape positions similar to those of the Vesser soils on floodplains and do not have albic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--poorly drained--these soils are frequently saturated at the soil surface to a depth of 0.3 meter during the wettest periods of years when precipitation is within one standard deviation of the 30 year mean of annual precipitation
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--1.00 to 10.00 micrometers per second
Flooding--not flooded or rarely or occasionally flooded for brief duration
USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, oats, soybeans, and hay. Some areas are pastured or forested. The native vegetation is variable but predominantly big bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, and other grasses of the tall grass prairie. See Additional Data section for native vegetative cover in Iowa.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic sections--Eastern lake section, Dissected till plains and till plains
MLRAs--Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Drift Plain (95B),
Iowa and Missouri Deep Loess Hills (107B),
Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift, Eastern Part (108A),
Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift, East-Central Part (108B),
Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift, West-Central Part (108C),
Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift, Western Part (108D),
Iowa and Missouri Heavy Till Plain (109),
Central Claypan Areas (113), and
Central Mississippi Valley Wooded Slopes, Northern Part (115C)
LRR M; western, southern, and southeastern Iowa, northern Missouri, and Illinois
Extent--large
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Appanoose County, Iowa, 1970
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 79 to 129 centimeters;
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 196 centimeters.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 38 centimeters (Ap and A horizons);
albic horizon--the zone from a depth of 38 to 79 centimeters (E1 and E2 horizons);
argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 79 to 168 centimeters (Btg1, Btg2, Btg3, and Btg4 horizons);
udic moisture regime.
The series was formerly included with the Coppock series. Some pedons have dark sediments over a buried, light-colored soil.
Cation-exchange activity class is supported by laboratory data.
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, tenth edition, 2006.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska--user pedon id number 71IA185003 (http://ssldata.sc.egov.usda.gov/).
In Iowa, the native vegetative cover is a herbaceous wetland community commonly inhabited with Bluejoint Grasses, Fowl Bluegrasses, Green Muhlies, Fox Sedges, Field Sedges, Dudleys Rushes, Torreys Rushes, Swamp Milkweeds, False Sneezeweeds, False Asters, New England Asters, White Panicled Asters, and Wild Mints. Source: Iowa State Office, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Des Moines, IA.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.