LOCATION ESCAMBIA AL+FL MSEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Plinthaquic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Escambia fine sandy loam on a smooth 1.0 percent slope, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam; weak medium and fine granular structure; friable; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
BE--7 to 13 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) loam; single grained; friable; many fine roots; sand grains mostly coated and bridged with clay; few areas of less than 5 mm in size of uncoated sand grains, few small soft black (10YR 2/1) masses; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Btc--13 to 24 inches; pale yellow (5Y 7/3) loam, massive; friable; many fine roots; many sand grains are coated and bridged with clay; about 1 percent, by volume, plinthite; about 1 percent, by volume, iron oxide concretions; common fine distinct yellow (10YR 7/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; common medium distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Btvc--24 to 35 inches; pale yellow (5Y 7/3) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common faint clay film on faces of peds; few uncoated sand grains; about 5 percent, by volume, plinthite; about 2 percent, by volume, iron oxide concretions; common medium distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; many medium faint gray (5Y 6/1) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Btvg1--35 to 50 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/1) loam, many medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and few fine distinct yellow (10YR 7/6), red (2.5YR 5/6), and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; compact in place; common fine roots primarily along surface of peds; common faint clay films on ped faces; about 15 percent, by volume, plinthite; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btvg2--50 to 72 inches; 50 percent light gray (10YR 7/1), 20 percent red (2.5YR 4/8), 20 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), and 10 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; very weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; about 5 percent, by volume, plinthite; the areas of red, strong brown and yellowish brown are masses of iron accumulation and the areas of light gray are iron depletions; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Escambia County, Alabama, approximately 0.35 mile east of the south end of the Atmore Airport in the NW1/4, NE1/4, NW1/4, sec. 35, T. 1 N., R.
6 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness exceeds 60 inches. Depth to horizons with more than 5 percent, by volume, plinthite ranges from 20 to 42 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to very strongly acid throughout except where the surface has been limed. Iron concretions range from none to 5 percent throughout the profile.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 3 or 4. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam.
The E or BE horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow brown, red, and gray range from none to common. Textures are the same as the A horizon.
The Bt or Btc horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 4. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, red, and gray range from few to common. Texture is fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam.
The Btv or Btvc horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6; or there is no dominant color and is variegated in shades of gray, brown, red, and yellow. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, red, brown, or gray range from common to many. Texture is fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or sandy clay loam. Some pedons are clay loam in the lower part. The upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon has less than 18 percent clay and more than 20 percent silt. Plinthite ranges from 5 to about 25 percent, by volume.
The Btvg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 6; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow, red, and brown range from common to many. Texture is the same as the Btv horizon. Plinthite ranges from 5 to about 25 percent, by volume.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Escambia soils are on Coastal Plain uplands. They formed in medium-textured marine deposits. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The climate is warm and humid. Near the type location, the average annual temperature ranges from 63 to 69 degrees F. and the average annual rainfall ranges from 56 to 62 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Poarch series and the Benndale, Bowie, and Poarch series. Benndale and Bowie soils are well drained. In addition, Benndale soils have less than 5 percent, by volume, plinthite. Poarch soils are moderately well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; moderate to slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas of Escambia soils are used for cropland, vegetable crops, and pasture. The wooded areas consist of slash pine, loblolly pine, and longleaf pine, scattered gum, and oak with an understory of gallberry and wiregrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Lower Coastal Plain sections of Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and possibly Texas and Arkansas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Escambia County, Alabama; 1969.