LOCATION YELLOWBOTTOM VA
Established Series
JHS-DGS-RP
10/2021
YELLOWBOTTOM SERIES
The Yellowbottom series consists of very deep, well-drained soils, with moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity, on uplands in the northern piedmont province. The soils formed in residuum of sericite schist, phyllonite, and metamonzagranite. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 40 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 55 degrees f.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Yellowbottom loam (Colors are for moist soil)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed plant material.
Oa--2 to 3 inches; highly decomposed plant material; clear smooth boundary.
Ap--3 to 5 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam; moderate coarse granular structure; very friable, semideformable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium, and very coarse roots throughout; common very fine and fine, moderate continuity interstitial and tubular pores; 5 percent angular quartzite gravel; very strongly acid, clear wavy boundary.
E--5 to 9 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) loam; moderate thick platy structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; friable, semideformable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and common medium and very course roots throughout; common medium, moderate continuity tubular pores; 5 percent angular quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; gradual broken boundary.
Bt1--9 to 13 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay loam; strongly coarse angular blocky structure; firm, semideformable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common medium roots between peds and common very coarse roots throughout; common medium, moderate continuity tubular pores; common faint patchy clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent angular quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--13 to 32 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, semideformable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common medium roots between peds and common very coarse roots throughout; common medium and very coarse, moderate continuity tubular pores; many distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent angular quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; clear irregular boundary.
Bt3--32 to 37 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), yellow (2.5Y 7/8), and red (2.5YR 4/8) clay; moderate coarse angular blocky structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm, semideformable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium and common very coarse roots throughout; few medium, moderate continuity tubular pores; common prominent discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; 3 percent angular quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; clear broken boundary.
C1--37 to 68 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/8), pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2), red (2.5YR 5/8) loam; common coarse prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4), moist and common coarse distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), moist, irregular mottles throughout; massive; firm, brittle, nonsticky, and nonplastic; 3 percent angular quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
C2--68 to 75 inches; white (2.5Y 8/1) clay loam; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6), moist, and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) moist, threads throughout; massive; friable, semideformable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 7 percent angular quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
C3--75 to 83 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8), yellow (2.5Y 7/6), and white (2.5Y 8/1) clay; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/8), moist, irregular mottles throughout; massive; friable, semideformable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 3 percent angular quartzite gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
C4--83 to 86 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), and white (2.5Y 8/1) clay; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) moist irregular mottles throughout; massive; friable, semideformable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 3 percent angular quartzite gravel; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Culpeper County, Virginia, from Richardsville, west 2.4 miles on Rt. 619. South-southwest on logging road 1.4 miles. Site is 200 west in woods; USGS Richardsville topographic quadrangle; lat. 38 degrees 23 minutes 6 seconds N. and long. 77 degrees 41 minutes 51.5 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: 25 to 50 inches.
Argillic thickness: 15 to 40 inches.
Depth to lithic/paralithic contact: greater than 60 inches.
Coarse fragments: schist or quartz fragments range from 0 to 35 percent in the A, E , and BE horizons; 0 to 40 percent in the Bt section, and 0 to 50 percent in the BC and C horizons.
Reaction: Extremely acid through strongly acid, except in areas where limed.
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
Ap horizon:
Hue=7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value=4 or 5
Chroma=2 to 6
Texture=sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam; silty clay loam or clay in eroded pedons
A horizon:(where present)
Hue=10YR or 2.5Y
Value=2 to 5
Chroma=2 to 6
Texture=fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam
E horizon:
Hue=7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value=4 to 6
Chroma=4 to 6
Texture=fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam
BE Horizon:(where present)
Hue=7.5YR or 10YR
Value=5
Chroma=6
Texture=loam or silt loam
Bt Horizon:
Hue=5YR to 10YR
Value=4 to 8
Chroma=1 to 8
Texture=clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay; some subhorizons of loam or silt loam (particle-size control section averages greater than 35 percent clay)
BC Horizon:(where present)
Hue=variegated, 2.5YR to 2.5Y, or is neutral
Value=3 to 8
Chroma=0 to 8
Texture=loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
C Horizon:
Hue=variegated, 2.5YR to 2.5Y, or is neutral
Value=3 to 8
Chroma=0 to 8
Texture=loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
COMPETING SERIES:
Buffstat,
Casville,
Clover,
Danripple, Mount
Rush (tentative),
Spears Mountain,
Totier, and
Warminster soils in the same family and
Diana Mills,
Littlejoe,
Lodi,
Penhook, and
Strawfield soils in closely related families. Buffstat soils are deep to paralithic contact. Casville soils formed in residuum from felsic or intermediate igneous or metamorphic rock. Clover soils formed in residuum from Triassic age materials. Danripple soils formed in old alluvium on stream terraces of the piedmont. Diana Mills soils are deep to paralithic contact. Littlejoe and Mount Rush (tentative) soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact. Lodi soils form in residuum from limestone. Penhook soils have a redder subsoil. Strawfield soils are moderately deep to lithic contact. Warminster soils are deep to paralithic contact and formed in residuum of Triasic red shale.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Summits and backslopes on ridges and hills in the mesic Southern Piedmont. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Soils form in residuum from sericite schist, phyllonite, phyllite, and metamonzagranite. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 36 to 45 inches and mean annual temperature ranges from 53 to 56 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing
Buffstat,
Littlejoe,
Penhook, and
Strawfield soils, these are the
Bugley and
Happyland soils. Bugley soils are shallow to paralithic contact. Happyland soils have less clay in the subsoil.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Saturated hydraulic
conductivity is moderately low to moderately high in the upper solum, low and moderately low in the lower solum. Runoff is low through very high.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for cropland, hay, pasture, and woodland.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Virginia. The series is of moderate extent.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Culpeper County, Virginia, 2006.
REMARKS: Yellowbottom soils were previously included in Buffstat map units. Variegation in C horizon may include neutral hues in some pedons. C horizons may have subhorizons of silty clay or clay in some pedons. The soil horizon depths were revised on 10/2021 to ensure the description began at the soil surface.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon - from the surface to 9 inches (O, Ap and E horizons)
2) Argillic horizon - from 9 to 37 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Typical Pedon Data Mapunit ID--407026
Benchmark Status: No
MLRA: 136 (mesic)
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.