LOCATION ATMORE AL+MSEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Plinthic Paleaquults
TYPICAL PEDON: Atmore silt loam--pasture.
(Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) silt loam; few fine
faint gray mottles; weak fine granular structure; friable; few
fine roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Eg--7 to 13 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) silt loam; few fine
distinct strong brown mottles; weak fine granular structure;
friable; common fine and medium roots; common fine pores; nodules
of ironstone; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bg/Eg--13 to 30 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam;
many coarse distinct yellow (2.5Y 7/6) and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly sticky; common fine and medium roots; common
fine pores; areas less than 2 inches in diameter of uncoated sand grains make up 12 percent by volume; few medium nodules of
ironstone; few medium yellowish red nodules of plinthite; gray
(5Y 6/1) material extending downward; strongly acid; clear
irregular boundary. (12 to 23 inches thick)
Btvg1--30 to 48 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam;
common coarse prominent yellow (10YR 7/8), yellowish red (5YR
5/6), and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles in vertical
discontinous streaks; weak coarse prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly sticky in the
saturated gray areas, 28 percent of the horizontal area is firm, brittle, and compact in the areas with higher color chroma;
common fine roots mostly in gray areas, areas void of roots are
less than 2.5 inches in diameter; few fine pores; few medium
nodules of ironstone; 10 percent medium nodules of plinthite;
thin patchy clay films on surfaces of peds and in pores; tongues filled with gray (5Y 6/1) material; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)
Btvg2--48 to 70 inches; mottled light gray (2.5Y 7/2), dark
red (2.5YR 3/6), and yellow (10YR 7/8) silty clay loam; weak
coarse subangular blocky parting to moderate medium subangular
blocky structure; sticky in saturated gray areas, firm, brittle,
and compact in the dark red area and in some of the yellow areas; common fine roots in gray area, void of roots in dark red areas;
few medium nodules of ironstone; 15 percent medium nodules of plinthite; thin nearly continuous clay films on surfaces of peds
and in pores; tongues filled with gray (5Y 6/1) material;
strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Escambia County, Alabama, in city of Atmore, 200 yards west of Swift Lumber Company and 50 yards south of road in
the NE1/4SE1/4SE 1/4 sec. 24, T. 1 N., R. 5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 70 inches. Depth to horizons with more than 5 percent
plinthite ranges from 24 to 50 inches. Nodules of ironstone
range from 0 to 5 percent. Reaction ranges from extremely acid
to strongly acid. Most pedons have 2 to 35 percent by volume of tongues of albic material in the B horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 2 through 4,
and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 3 or 4. The
Eg horizon and the Bg/Eg horizons have hue of 10YR through 5Y,
value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 1 or 2 with few to many
mottles in shades of red, brown, or yellow. Texture of these horizons is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam.
The Btvg horizons are mottled in shades of gray, brown, red, and yellow or they have hue of 10YR through 5Y or neutral, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 1 or 2 with few to many mottles in
shades of red, brown, and yellow. The upper part of the Btvg
horizon is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. The lower part of the Btvg horizon is loam, silt loam, silty clay
loam, or clay loam. Some pedons have a texture of clay or sandy
clay below a depth of about 50 inches. The upper 20 inches of
the Btvg horizon has more than 20 percent silt and 6 to 18
percent clay. Some pedons have a Btg horizon above the Btvg
horizon that has the same range in color and texture as the Btvg horizon, but less than 5 percent Plinthite.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family. Competing series in related families include the
Escambia,
Pansey,
Poarch,
Robertsdale, and
Saucier series. Escambia,
Poarch, Robertsdale, and Saucier soils have Bt horizons dominated
by chroma 3 or more. Pansey soils have more than 18 percent
clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on slight depressions and
gently sloping interstream divides of the Coastal Plain with gradients of 0 to 5 percent. The soil formed in loamy marine deposits. The climate is warm and humid. Near the type
location, the mean annual temperature is about 62 degrees F., and
the mean annual precipitation is about 58 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing series
and the
Basin,
Mashulaville, and
Smith series. These soils lack horizons with 5 percent or more plinthite.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow runoff;
moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the soil is used for woodland or pasture. Forested areas are of slash, loblolly, and longleaf
pine with an undergrowth of gallberry, saw palmetto, wiregrass,
and pitcher plant.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal plains of Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and possibly Louisiana, and Texas. This soil is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Escambia County, Alabama; 1969.