LOCATION AKSARBEN NE +KSEstablished Series
The Aksarben series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loess on uplands. Slope ranges from 0 to 11 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 11 degrees C, and mean annual precipitation is about 74 centimeters.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Aksarben silty clay loam with a convex slope of 1 percent - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 15 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many fine and medium tubular pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--15 to 30 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many fine and medium tubular pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 15 to 51 centimeters)
Bt1--30 to 46 centimeters; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine subangular blocky; hard, firm; common fine roots throughout; common fine tubular pores; many faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) continuous clay films (cutans) on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--46 to 66 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; brown (10YR 5/3) dry; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few fine roots throughout; few fine tubular pores; many faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) continuous clay films (cutans) on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; few fine irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--66 to 86 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few very fine roots throughout; few very fine tubular pores; many faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) continuous clay films (cutans) on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common fine irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt4--86 to 107 centimeters; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few very fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) discontinuous clay films (cutans) on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common fine irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 46 to 122 centimeters)
BC--107 to 152 centimeters; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; few very fine roots throughout; common fine tubular pores; common discontinuous pressure faces on vertical faces of peds; many fine and medium irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 51 centimeters thick)
C--152 to 203 centimeters; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; many fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; massive; hard, friable; common fine tubular pores; discontinuous pressure faces on vertical faces of peds; many fine and medium irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Saunders County, Nebraska; about 9.7 kilometers south and 6.4 kilometers east of Wahoo; 247 meters north and 571 meters west of the southeast corner, Sec. 4, T. 13 N., R. 8 E. USGS Wahoo Southeast topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees, 7 minutes, 12 seconds N. and long. 96 degrees, 31 minutes, 39 seconds W.,NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to argillic horizon: 15 to 51 centimeters
Depth to redox concentrations: 30 to 91 centimeters. The redox pattern is a relict feature and not considered indicative of present drainage conditions.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 61 centimeters (extends into the upper part of the Bt horizon) (>50 cm is Pachic would change classification)
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 42 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 (3 or 4 dry)
Chroma: 1 or 2 (moist and dry)
Texture: silty clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to strongly acid
Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR/upper part; 10YR or 2.5Y/lower part
Value: 3 or 4 (4 or 5 dry)upper part, 4 to 6 (5 to 7 dry)lower part
Chroma: 2 or 3 upper part, 2 to 4 lower part (moist and dry for both)
Redox Concentrations: hue 7.5YR or 10YR; chroma 4 or 5; value 4 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 42 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to strongly acid
BC horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 (5 to 7 dry)
Chroma: 2 to 4 (moist and dry)
Redox Concentrations: hue 7.5YR or 10YR; chroma 4 or 5; value 4 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately acid
C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 (5 to 7 dry)
Chroma: 2 to 4 (moist and dry)
Redox Concentrations: hue 7.5YR or 10YR; chroma 4 or 5; value 4 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content: 24 to 35 percent
Reaction: neutral to slightly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Mulholland,
Polo, Sarcoxie, and
Sharpsburg soils.
Mulholland soils are substantially more moist in the soil moisture control section during the 120 days following the summer solstice.
Polo soils have 7.5YR and 5YR hue in the lower part of the B horizon.
Sarcoxie soils have till at depths of 50 to 144 centimeters
Sharpsburg soils are substantially more moist in the soil moisture control section during the 120 days following the summer solstice, and have redoximorphic features which are indicative of wetness within the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loess that contains less than 5 percent sand
Landform: convex ridgetops, shoulders, backslopes and upland divides.
Slopes: 0 to 11 percent
Elevation: 305 to 457 meters
Mean annual temperature: 11 to 12 degrees C.
Mean annual precipitation: 71 to 81 centimeters
Frost-free period: 160 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Butler,
Geary,
Judson,
Mayberry,
Pawnee and
Yutan soils.
Butler soils are somewhat poorly drained and form a drainage sequence with the Aksarben soils and commonly are in the swale parts of the landscape.
Judson soils are on footslopes and formed in local colluvium.
Mayberry soils are on adjoining lower parts of the landscape. They formed in till or in paleosols formed in till.
Pawnee soils are on adjoining lower parts of the landscape. They formed in till or in paleosols formed in till.
Yutan soils have mollic colors less than 10 inches thick, average less clay in the particle size control section and are on shoulders and backslopes.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: Well drained.
Surface runoff: Low to moderately high.
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Moderately low
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated.
The main crops are corn, soybeans, small grains and grain sorghum.
Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Nebraska and northeastern Kansas. LRR 5, MLRA 106. They are extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brown County, Kansas, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 30 to 80 centimeters. (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 46 centimeters. (Ap, A, and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon: 30 to 107 centimeters. (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations (relict): 46 to 203 centimeters. (Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, BC, and C horizons)
Moisture regime: Udic
These soils were previously mapped as Sharpsburg soils. The Sharpsburg soils are moderately well drained and have a perched water table at a depth of 1.2 to 1.8 meters.
CL 6/30/2008 Removed the term mottling from the OSD and replaced with redox or redoximorphic features. All SE units were removed.