LOCATION BURLESON TX+OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Udic Haplusterts
TYPICAL PEDON: Burleson clay--native pasture; in a pit midway between center of microdepression and microknoll. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
A1--0 to 6 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots; cracks from 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches wide extend through the horizon; few snail shell fragments; few fine siliceous pebbles; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
A2--6 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many fine roots; cracks from 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches wide extend through the horizon; common distinct pressure faces; few fine siliceous pebbles; slightly alkaline. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bss1--12 to 24 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; few wedge-shaped peds: very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; many large grooved slickensides tilted from horizontal 30 to 60 degrees; few fine siliceous pebbles; few fine iron-manganese concretions and masses; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)
Bss2--24 to 39 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; common wedge-shaped peds: very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; cracks from 1/2 to 1 inch wide extend through the horizon; many large grooved slickensides tilted from horizontal 30 to 60 degrees; few fine iron-manganese concretions and masses; few fine concretions and masses of calcium carbonate; few fine siliceous pebbles; very slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)
Bss3--39 to 51 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; few fine and medium streaks and spots of pink (5YR 7/4); moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; many wedge-shaped peds; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; many large grooved slickensides tilted from horizontal 30 to 60 degrees; few fine iron-manganese concretions and masses; few fine concretions of calcium carbonate; few fine siliceous pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
Bss4--51 to 76 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; common reddish brown (5YR 4/3) streaks and spots of; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; common wedge- shaped peds; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; many large grooved slickensides tilted from horizontal 30 to 60 degrees; few very dark gray crack fillings; few iron-manganese concretions; few concretions and masses of calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline. (0 to 36 inches thick)
2BCkss--76 to 80 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) silty clay; few streaks of light gray (10YR 6/1); moderate coarse angular blocky structure; common wedge shaped peds; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; many large grooved slickensides tilted from horizontal 30 to 60 degrees; few dark gray crack fillings; common concretions and masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Burleson County, Texas; from intersection of Farm Road 2155 and Farm Road 60 in northwest edge of Snook, Texas; 0.7 mile southwest on Farm Road 60; 220 feet south in native pasture. (Latitude: 30 degrees, 29 minutes, 18 seconds north; Longitude: 96 degrees, 28 minutes, 50 seconds west)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 60 to more than 80 inches thick. The control section has 40 to 60 percent clay and more than 28 percent silt. Iron-manganese concretions and masses range from none to few throughout. This is a cyclic soil and undisturbed areas have gilgai microrelief with microknolls 6 to about 12 inches higher than microdepressions. Distance between the center of the microknoll and the center of the microdepression is about 5 to 15 feet. The microknoll makes up about 20 percent, the intermediate, or area between the knoll and depression, about 50 percent, and the microdepression about 30 percent. When dry, cracks 1 to 3 inches wide extend from the surface to a depth of 40 inches or more. The cracks remain open for 90 to 150 cumulative days during most years. Slickensides begin at a depth of 8 to 24 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or less. Texture is clay, silty clay, or gravelly clay. Some pedons have loamy Ap horizons containing more than 35 percent clay. Gravelly layers are less than 20 inches thick and contain 15 to 35 percent siliceous pebbles. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline. However, on microknolls some pedons are moderately alkaline.
The upper Bss horizons have hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4 and chroma of 1 or less. Texture is silty clay or clay. Redoximorphic features range from none to few in shades of brown or gray. Siliceous pebbles range from none to few. Hard pitted concretions of calcium carbonate range from none to few. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to moderately alkaline and typically is noneffervescent.
The lower Bss or Bkss horizons have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Matrix chroma of 2 are below a depth of 40 inches, if encountered. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, or gray range from none to common. Streaks or spots in shades of pink or red range from none to common. Texture is silty clay or clay. Siliceous pebbles range from none to about 5 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It ranges from noneffervescent to strongly effervescent. Concretions and masses of calcium carbonate range from none to common.
The 2BCkss horizon, or 2CBkss horizon where present, has colors in shades of red, yellow, pink, or brown. Texture is clay loam, silty clay loam, or silty clay. Siliceous pebbles range from none to about 5 percent. Concretions and masses of calcium carbonate range from few to many. The reaction is moderately alkaline and effervescence ranges from slight to violent. The 2C horizon is not present in all pedons. It is mainly in soils on the Brazos River terrace. Burleson soils on other terrace systems commonly have colors in shades of gray or brown. Texture is typically clay. Some pedons have sandy or loamy textures with or without strata of gravel below a depth of 80 inches and most pedons have these materials below a depth of 12 feet.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Bleiblerville, Branyon, Clarita, Dimebox, Ellis, Fairlie, Heiden, Houston Black, Leson, Luling, Ovan, Sanger, Slidell, Tamford, and Watonga series. Bleiblerville, Heiden, Houston Black, and Sanger soils are calcareous throughout, and have more amplitude of waviness. Branyon and Slidell soils are calcareous at depths of less than 12 inches in over half the pedon. Clarita soils have subsoils in hue of 7.5YR or redder. Ellis soils have sola less than 60 inches. Fairlie soils have a paralithic contact with chalk at a depth of 40 to 60 inches. Dimebox soils contain ironstone fragments in the surface layer, have more amplitude of waviness, and are on uplands. Leson soils have more amplitude of waviness and typically have chroma of 2 or more within 40 inches of the surface. Luling soils have chroma of 2 throughout and are on uplands. Ovan soils have chroma of 2 throughout and are on flood plains. Tamford soils have red or reddish brown C horizons and have mean annual temperature less than 65 degrees F. Watonga soils have sola less than 60 inches thick and are on flood plains.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Burleson soils are on stream terraces and Pleistocene Age terraces. These are associated mainly with upland soils. Slope gradients are mainly less than 2 percent, but range to 5 percent. The soil formed in alkaline, clayey, alluvial sediments. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 32 to 40 inches, and mean annual temperature ranges from about 65 to 70 degrees F. Frost free days range from 220 to 270, and elevation ranges from 300 to 800 feet. Thornthwaite annual P-E indices range from 48 to 68.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Heiden, Houston Black and Leson series and the Kaufman, Ships, and Wilson series. Kaufman and Ships soils have very-fine control sections, and Ships soils have hue redder than 10YR. Heiden, Houston Black, and Leson soils are on slightly higher uplands. Kaufman and Ships soils are on slightly lower flood plains. Wilson soils have argillic horizons, and are on similar positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Very slow permeability. Runoff is low on 0 to 1 percent slopes, medium on 1 to 3 percent slopes, and high on 3 to 5 percent slopes. Water enters the soil rapidly when it is dry and cracked, and very slowly when it is moist.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cultivated crops are mainly cotton, sorghum, corn and small grains. Areas in native rangeland produce little bluestem, big bluestem, Indiangrass, eastern gamma, and switchgrass in excellent condition. Pasture grasses include improved bermudagrass, common bermudagrass, and kleingrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Blackland Prairies of Texas (MLRA 86A and 86B). The series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brazos County, Texas; 1951.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 39 inches (A1, A2, Bss1, Bss2).
Vertisol features: Deep wide cracks that are open 90 to 150 cumulative days.
Large slickensides below the A horizon and throughout the soil.
ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory: S62TX-43-3(LSL17746- 17752), S62TX-43-4(LSL17753-17759), S77TX-051-5(78P0039-78P0047), and S77TX-051-6(78P0048-78P0056).
Soil Interpretation Record: TX0017