LOCATION VIRGILINA VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Aquertic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Virgilina gravelly silt loam--on a 4 percent slope in a pine forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) gravelly silt loam; weak fine medium granular structure; very friable; slightly sticky, non-plastic; many very fine and fine roots; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
E--3 to 11 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) gravelly silt loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, non-plastic; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Btss--11 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay; strong medium angular blocky structure; extremely firm; very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few very fine discontinuous tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions on faces of peds and along old root channels; common distinct nonintersecting slickensides; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bt--28 to 32 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions on faces of peds; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
R--32 inches; unweathered slightly fractured meta-basalt
TYPE LOCATION: Halifax County, Virginia; about 1500 feet south of State Route 794 from the intersection with State Route 601, 200 feet east off State Route 794 in a forested area. USGS Virgilina topographic quadrangle; lat. 36 degrees 38 minutes 28 seconds N. and long. 78 degrees 45 minutes 37 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 20 to 40 inches
Depth to soft bedrock (if it occurs): 20 to 40 inches
Depth to hard bedrock: 20 to 40 inches
Content of mica flakes: None or few
Content and size of rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent, by volume, in the A, Ap, E, BA, and BE horizons and less than 10 percent, by volume, throughout the rest of the profile; mostly iron and manganese concretions, quartz pebbles, or dark colored mafic rocks.
Soil reaction: Very strongly acid to slightly alkaline in the A, Ap, E, BA, and BE horizons unless limed and strongly acid to moderately alkaline in the Bt, Btss, BC, and C horizons.
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
A or Ap horizon:
Color--hue of 10 YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam or loam
E horizon:
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam or loam
BA or BE horizons (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 6
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silt loam, loam, or silty clay loam
Btss horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--clay, silty clay, or sandy clay
Redoximorphic features--iron or clay depletions in shades of gray; and if they occur, iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, or yellow; or iron-manganese accumulations in shades of black or gray
Bt horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--clay, silty clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay
Redoximorphic features--iron or clay depletions in shades of gray within the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon; iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, or yellow; iron-manganese accumulations in shades of black or gray
BC or BCt horizon (if it occurs):
Color--matrix has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 to 8
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--silty clay loam or clay loam
Redoximorphic features (if they occur)--iron or clay depletions in shades of gray; iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, or yellow; iron-manganese accumulations in shades of black or gray
C horizon (if it occurs):
Color--matrix is multicolored in shades of brown, yellow, black, gray, or white
Texture (fine-earth fraction)--commonly loam or silt loam
Cr layer: (if it occurs)
Type of bedrock--weathered, moderately fractured to highly fractured mafic rock
R layer:
Type of bedrock--unweathered, slightly fractured to moderately fractured mafic rock
COMPETING SERIES:
There are no known competing series. Soils in similar families include the
Brewback (T) series and the
Crawfordville (T) series. Brewback (T) soils have mixed mineralogy and a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Crawfordville (T) soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches, an abrupt textural change, and mixed mineralogy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Piedmont uplands
Landform: Ridges and hill slopes
Landform Position: Interfluves and side slopes
Parent Material: Residuum derived from basalt, greenstone, gabbro, diabase, diorite, and other dark-colored mafic rocks
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 60 degrees F
Mean Annual Precipitation: 47 inches
Frost Free Period: 180 to 260 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the similar
Brewback soil, they are:
Cid soils--have a moderate shrink-swell potential, formed from Carolina slate, schist, or argillite, and are on similar landforms
Badin soils--are well drained, have a moderate shrink-swell potential, formed from Carolina slate, schist, or argillite, and are on similar landforms
Enon soils--are well drained, have no lithic or paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches, and are on similar landforms
Georgeville soils--are well drained, have a red Bt horizon, have no lithic or paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches, a low shrink-swell potential, formed from Carolina slate, schist, or argillite, and are on similar landforms
Herndon soils--are well drained, have no lithic or paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches, a low shrink-swell potential, formed from Carolina slate, schist, or argillite, and are on similar landforms
Iredell soils--have a paralithic contact within a depth of 40 to 60 inches or more and are on similar landforms
Nanford soils--are well drained, have a paralithic contact within a depth of 40 to 60 inches, a low shrink-swell potential, formed from Carolina slate, schist, or argillite, and are on similar landforms
Pittsboro soils--have a high shrink swell potential, have a lithic contact greater than 40 inches and are on similar landforms
Tarrus soils--are well drained, have a red Bt horizon, a paralithic contact within a depth of 40 to 60 inches, a low shrink-swell potential, formed from Carolina slate or argillite, and are on similar landforms
Sedgefield soils--have no lithic or paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches and are on similar landforms
Winnsboro soils--are well drained, have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches, and are on similar landforms
Wynott soils--are well drained, have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches, and are on similar landforms
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Agricultural drainage class: Moderately well drained
Surface runoff: Medium to very rapid
Permeability of Restrictive Layer (upper 60 inches): Very slow
USE AND VEGETATION:
Woodland, pasture, hayland, and cropland--mainly tobacco, and small grain
Dominant Overstory Species:
Southern red oak, white oak, hickory, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, post oak, blackjack oak, and sweetgum
Dominant Understory Species:
Eastern red cedar, winged elm, flowering dogwood, eastern redbud, red maple, hawthorn, and sassafras
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Thermic Piedmont area of Virginia and possibly North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
Extent: Small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Halifax County, Virginia, 2004
REMARKS: This series was formerly included with Iredell, Zion, Orange, Wilkes, and Wynott soils. Zion soils are well drained and have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Orange soils have redoximorphic features in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon and have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches. Zion and Orange soils are mesic due to the thermic/mesic break in MLRA 136. Wynott soils are well drained and have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 11 inches (A and E horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone between depths of 11 and 32 inches (Btss and Bt horizons)
Lithic contact--the occurrence of unweathered bedrock at a depth of 32 inches (upper boundary of the R horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Not available at this time.
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation
VA VIRGILINA 2-15 57-65 170-200 41-53 350-800
SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness VA NONE 1.0-2.0 PERCHED NOV-APR 20-40 HARDSOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- VA 0-11 GR-SIL GR-L 0-3 70-90 8-27 7-15 VA 11-28 C SIC SC 0-3 90-100 35-60 20-40 VA 28-32 C SIC SICL 0-3 90-100 28-60 10-25 VA 32 UWB - - - -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M. Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll VA 0-11 4.6-7.8 1.-2. 0- 0 0.6-2.0 LOW VA 11-28 5.1-8.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.0-0.06 VERY HIGH VA 28-32 5.1-8.5 0.-.5 0- 0 0.06-0.2 HIGH VA 32 - - - -