LOCATION ASHLAR VA+GA NC SCEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Ashlar sandy loam - woodland (Colors are for moist soils.)
Oi--2 to 0 inches; partially decomposed organic material.
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (l0YR3/2) sandy loam; weak very fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; few fine flakes of mica; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
E--3 to 9 inches; grayish brown (l0YR5/2) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; common fine and medium pores; 2 percent angular quartz gravel; few fine flakes of mica; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--9 to 18 inches; yellowish brown (l0YR5/4) sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; very friable; many fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; few fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 23 inches thick)
C--18 to 26 inches; brown (l0YR5/3) sandy loam; common medium distinct light brown (7.5YR6/4) mottles; massive; firm in place, very friable when dug out; few hard fragments of rock; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Cr--26 to 34 inches; multicolored in shades of brown, yellow, white and black strongly weathered granite easily crushed to gravelly sandy loam; firm in place; few fine flakes of mica; very strongly acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches)
R--34 inches; hard granitic gneiss.
TYPE LOCATION: Louisa County, Virginia; 300 yards east of Highway 651 near Ellis Mill Bridge On the North Anna River.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 10 to 38 inches and depth to hard bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments of quartz, granite and gneiss range from 0 to 35 percent throughout. Few to common flakes of mica are in the solum and C horizon. The soil ranges from moderately acid to very strongly acid in the A and E horizons and from strongly acid to extremely acid in the B and C horizons.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of l0YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of l0YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR through l0YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or coarse sandy loam in the fine earth fraction. A few sand grains are coated and weakly bridged with clay in some pedons.
The C horizon, where present, color is highly variable, commonly with hue of 5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 8. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, or loamy coarse sand in the fine earth fraction.
The Cr horizon, where present, is highly fractured to moderately fractured weathered bedrock.
The R horizon is slightly to moderately fractured unweathered bedrock.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Wateree series in the same family and the Goldston, Louisa, Louisburg, Manteo, Sekil, and Wake series in closely related families. Wateree soils have a lithic contactat at a depth greater than 40 inches. Goldston soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments. Louisa soils have more than 40 percent mica in the mineralogical control section. Louisburg soils are very deep. Manteo and Wake soils have a lithic contact within a 20 inch depth. Sekil soils have an argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ashlar soils are gently sloping to hilly on dissected uplands of the Piedmont Plateau. Slopes are dominantly convex with gradients commonly ranging from 15 to 35 percent but with an extreme range of 0 to 70 percent. Ashlar soil formed in moderately coarse textured material weathered mainly from granites and gneiss. The climate is temperate and humid. Mean annual temperature ranges from 57 degrees to 62 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 48 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Louisa, Louisburg, Wake, and Wateree soils and the Appling, Cecil, Durham, Grover, Madison, Pacolet, Rion, Wedowee, and Wilkes soils. The Appling, Cecil, Durham, Grover, Madison, Pacolet, Rion, Wedowee, and Wilkes soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained to excessively drained. Runoff is slow to very rapid. Permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are in forest or pasture with a minor acreage in cultivation. Natural vegetation consists of several species of oaks; hickory; dogwood; Virginia, shortleaf, and loblolly pines. Crops are corn, mixed hay, tobacco, and small grain.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stafford County, Virginia, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 9 inches (Ap and E horizons).
b. Cambic horizon - the zone from 9 to 18 inches (Bw horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA:
TABULAR SERIES DATA:
SOI-5 Soil Name Slope Airtemp FrFr/Seas Precip Elevation VA0008 ASHLAR 0-70 57-62 185-210 38-48 300-1200 VA0123 ASHLAR 0-45 57-62 180-210 38-48 250- 900 VA0230 ASHLAR 0-70 57-62 185-210 38-48 300-1200 VA0237 ASHLAR 0-45 57-62 185-210 38-48 300-1200SOI-5 FloodL FloodH Watertable Kind Months Bedrock Hardness VA0008 NONE >6.0 - 20-40 HARD VA0123 NONE >6.0 - 22-40 HARD VA0230 NONE >6.0 - 20-40 HARD VA0237 NONE >6.0 - 20-40 HARD
SOI-5 Depth Texture 3-Inch No-10 Clay% -CEC- VA0008 0-18 SL FSL 0- 2 75-100 5-15 - VA0008 18-34 SL FSL GR-SL 0- 8 50-100 5-15 - VA0008 34-38 UWB - - - -
VA0123 0-18 ST-SL ST-FSL 0- 5 65- 95 5-15 - VA0123 18-34 SL FSL GR-SL 0-10 50- 90 5-15 - VA0123 34-44 UWB - - - -
VA0230 0-18 GR-SL GR-FSL 0- 2 50- 75 5-15 - VA0230 0-18 GR-COS GR-LCOS 0- 2 50- 75 2-10 - VA0230 18-34 SL FSL GR-SL 0- 8 50-100 5-15 - VA0230 34-44 UWB - - - -
VA0237 0-18 LCOS COS 0- 2 75- 95 5-15 - VA0237 18-34 SL FSL GR-SL 2- 8 50- 90 5-15 - VA0237 34-44 UWB - - - -
SOI-5 Depth -pH- O.M Salin Permeab Shnk-Swll VA0008 0-18 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0008 18-34 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0008 34-38 - - - -
VA0123 0-18 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0123 18-34 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0123 34-44 - - - 0.00-0.01
VA0230 0-18 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0230 0-18 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0230 18-34 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0230 34-44 - - - -
VA0237 0-18 4.5-6.0 .5-1. 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0237 18-34 4.5-5.5 0.-.5 0-0 2.0- 6.0 LOW VA0237 34-44 - - - 0.0-0.01