LOCATION BISSONNET TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Aeric Glossaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Bissonnet very fine sandy loam - woodland.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots; common fine pores; common worm casts; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
E1--6 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; few fine faint yellowish brown mottles and strong brown stains; many sand and silt grains are uncoated; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots, few fine pores; few worm casts; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
E2--24 to 28 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; few fine faint yellowish brown mottles; many sand and silt grains are uncoated; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; few worm casts; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt/E--28 to 32 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam (Bt), light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; common fine distinct mottles of yellowish brown, strong brown and red; 15 to 30 percent of the horizon is light gray (10YR 7/2) very fine sandy loam (E) that surrounds isolated bodies of the more clayey Bt material; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; reddish stains in old root channels; some are lined with clay; few clay films on surfaces of some peds; few black concretions; many uncoated sand grains; very strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Btg1--32 to 42 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate coarse prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; few fine roots; few fine pores; discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; some surfaces of peds are covered with uncoated fine sand and silt grains; very strongly acid; gradual boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
Btg2--42 to 70 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few fine prominent red mottles; moderate coarse prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; some surfaces of peds are covered with uncoated fine sand and silt grains; some organic staining on faces of prisms; mildly alkaline in lower part of horizon; noncalcareous.
TYPE LOCATION: Harris County, Texas; from Farm Road 1960 in Huffman, 3.4 miles south on Farm Road 2100, 1.72 miles west on Indian Shores Road, then 400 feet south in woodland.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 80 inches. The combined thickness of A and E horizons is greater than 20 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through medium acid.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. Mottles in shades of gray, brown, or yellow range from few to common. It is very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through medium acid.
The Bt/E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Mottles of strong brown (7.5YR 5/6, 5/8), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, 5/8), or red range from few to common. When the Bt/E horizon has matrix colors of 3 or 4, mottles with chroma of 2 are present. Mottles occur in the isolated bodies of more clayey Bt material. The E material occurs as tongues and interfingerings and occupies 15 to 35 percent by volume of the horizon. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through medium acid. It is loam, sandy clay loam, or silt loam.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6 or 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Mottles in shades of brown, yellow and red range from few to many. It is clay loam, sandy clay loam, or silty clay loam. The reaction ranges from very strongly acid through slightly acid in the upper part but ranges to mildly alkaline in the lower part of some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Talco series in the same family and the Acadia, Aldine, Alikchi, Caddo, Gessner, Guyton, Leggett, Mollville, Ozan, and Waller series. Acadia soils are in a fine family and do not have tongues of albic material penetrating the argillic horizon. The Aldine series have A and E horizons less than 20 inches thick. Alikchi, Caddo, and Guyton soils have dominant chromas of 2 or less to a depth of 30 inches. Gessner and Ozan soils are in a coarse-loamy family. Leggett, Mollville and Waller soils are in a fine-loamy family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bissonnet soils occur on 0 to 2 percent slopes. The soil formed in loamy sediments of Pleistocene age. The climate is humid with an average annual rainfall of 40 to 52 inches. The mean annual temperature is 68 to 70 degrees F. The Thornthwaite P-E index is 62 to 82.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Aldine, Gessner, and Waller soils and the Atasco, Midland, and Wockley series. The Atasco soils occupy a slightly higher position in the landscape than the Bissonnet soils and have finer textured control sections. The Midland soils occupy similar landscapes, but have fine textured control sections and are grayer throughout. The Wockley soils also occupy similar landscapes, but contain more than 5 percent plinthite.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff, slow permeability. These soils are saturated in the argillic horizon for periods of 1 to 4 months during wet seasons. They also have perched water tables in the A2 horizon for brief periods during some wet seasons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in pine and hardwood trees. Woodland grazing is the principal use. Vegetation consists mainly of loblolly pine, water oak, red oak, sweetgum, American beautyberry, hawthorn, yaupon, greenbrier, switchgrass, beaked panicum, Indiangrass, and sedges. A few areas have been cleared and are used for improved pastures and cultivated crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils occur in the southeastern part of Texas, mainly in the nearly level flatwood areas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harris County, Texas; 1973.
REMARKS: The Bissonnet soils were formerly included with those soils mapped as a thick surface phase of the Acadia series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 6 inches.
Albic horizon - 6 to 28 inches.
Argillic horizon - 28 to 70 inches.
Tongues of albic material penetrating the argillic horizon - 28 to 32 inches.
Aquic moisture regime.
Aeric feature - 6 to 28 inch zone.