LOCATION ABILENE TX+KS+OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Abilene clay loam--cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 17 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, slightly firm; many fine pores; many worm casts; thin nearly continuous clay films on faces of peds; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--17 to 28 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm; distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds; few masses and concretions of calcium carbonate up to 1/4 inch in diameter; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Btk--28 to 38 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm; common concretions up to 1/4 inch in diameter and films and threads of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)
BCk1--38 to 50 inches; pink (7.5YR 8/4) clay, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; mixture of segregated calcium carbonate and light brown clay containing many calcium carbonate masses and concretions; moderately alkaline; violently effervescent; diffuse wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
BCk2--50 to 65 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; less segregated calcium carbonate than in the BCk horizon; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Haskell County, Texas; 5.1 miles northwest of the Haskell County Courthouse via Farm Road 2163, 50 feet west of road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. Depth to a calcic horizon ranges from 28 to 60 inches. Masses of calcium carbonate are within 10 to 28 inches of the surface. The mollic epipedon is more than 20 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bt1 and Bt2 horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is clay loam, silty clay loam, or clay. Clay content ranges from 30 to 45 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Btk1 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. Clay content ranges from 35 to 45 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. Calcium carbonate content ranges from 5 to 15 percent. Coarse fragments range from none to about 5 percent and consist mainly of fine rounded siliceous pebbles and calcium carbonate concretions.
The Btk2 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. Clay content ranges from 35 to 45 percent. Reaction is moderately alkaline. Calcium carbonate content ranges from 5 to 15 percent. Coarse fragments range from none to about 5 percent and consist mainly of fine rounded siliceous pebbles and calcium carbonate concretions or nodules.
The BCk horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 2 to 6. Texture is loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. Clay content ranges from 20 to 45 percent and averages more than 20 percent less clay than the overlying Bt horizons. Calcium carbonate content ranges from 15 to 40 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Blanket (TX), Cutter (I NM), Dodson (TX), McLain (OK), and Wolco (OK) series. Similar soils are the Hollister, Rotan, and Sagerton series.
Blanket, and McLain soils do not have calcium carbonate segregations within 28 inches of the surface. In addition, McLain soils do not have a calcic horizon. Dodson soils do not have a calcic horizon. Wolco soils are moist in the control section for longer periods and have redoximorphic features in the Bt horizon. Hollister soils do not have a calcic horizon. Rotan and Hollister soils do not have a clay decrease of as much as 20 percent from the maximum within 60 inches of the soil surface, in addition Hollister soils have vertic properties and intersecting slickensides. Sagerton soils have mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Abilene soils are on nearly level or gently sloping uplands. Slopes are mainly less than 1 percent, but range to 3 percent. The soil formed in calcareous alluvium or outwash materials presumably of Quarternary Age. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 21 to 29 inches and mean annual temperature ranges from 57 to 66 degrees F. Frost free days range from 190 to 240 days and elevation ranges from 1,250 to 2,750 feet. Annual Thornthwaite P-E indices range from 30 to 44.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Altus, Grandfield, Hollister, Madge, Miles, Roscoe, Rowena, Sagerton, St. Paul, and Tipton series. Altus, Grandfield, Madge, Miles, St. Paul, and Tipton soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section and, in addition, Miles soils lack mollic epipedons. Hollister and Roscoe soils have intersecting slickensides. Rowena soils do not have argillic horizons and have COLE of more than .07. Sagerton soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately slow. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 1 percent and very low on 1 to 3 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly cultivated to cotton, wheat, and grain sorghum. Native vegetation is buffalograss, blue grama, sideoats grama, and vine-mesquite. Some areas have mesquite trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Rolling Red Plains (MLRA-78C) and Rolling Limestone Prairies of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. The series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Taylor County, Texas; 1915.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 28 inches. (Ap, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - 8 to 38 inches. (Bt1, Bt2 and Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon - 38 to 50 inches. (BCk horizons)