LOCATION FAUNSDALE          AL

FAUNSDALE SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Aquic Hapluderts

TYPICAL PEDON: Faunsdale clay loam--on a 2 percent concave slope between microhigh and microlow; idle land. (Colors are for moist soil.)

Ap--0 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay loam; moderate fine granular and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine and medium roots; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--5 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay; moderate medium angular and subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine and medium roots; few fine dark nodules (MnO2); few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 30 inches.)

Bss--14 to 30 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay loam; coarse wedge-shaped soil fragments that part to moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots along faces of slickensides; common large intersecting slickensides with distinct, polished and grooved surfaces; common fine and few medium soft black masses (MnO2); few fine dark nodules (MnO2); common fine and medium faint gray (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions on faces of peds and in pores; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bkss1--30 to 51 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silty clay; coarse wedge-shaped soil fragments that part to moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots on faces of slickensides; common large intersecting slickensides with distinct, polished and grooved surfaces; many fine and few medium soft black masses (MnO2); common fine distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of iron accumulation; common fine faint gray (2.5Y 5/2) iron deletions on faces of peds and within peds; many soft masses and common nodules of calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Bkss2--51 to 68 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay; coarse wedge-shaped fragments that part to strong medium angular blocky structure; firm; common large intersecting slickensides with distinct, polished and grooved surfaces; few fine and medium soft black masses (MnO2); common coarse distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; few fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; many soft masses and common nodules of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.

C--68 to 90 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay; massive; firm; common fine distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; few soft masses of calcium carbonate; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.

Cr--90 to 95 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) chalk; moderate thick platy rock structure; very firm; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Marengo County, Alabama; about 4 miles northeast of Dayton; 1350 feet south and 200 feet east of the northwest corner of section 33, T.17 N., R.5 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is greater than 40 inches. Depth to a Cr horizon which constitutes a paralithic contact is more than 60 inches.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay loam. Epipedons with a value of 3 are less than 12 inches thick. Content of nodules or soft masses of manganese ranges from none to common. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

The B horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of brown and olive range from few to many and iron depletions in shades of gray range from few to many. Soft masses and/or nodules and concretions of manganese range from few to many. Soft masses and/or nodules and concretions of calcium carbonate range from none to many, generally increasing with depth. Texture is clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of brown and olive range from few to many. Texture is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. Soft masses and/or nodules and concretiions of calcium carbonate range from few to many. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

The Cr horizon, where present, is soft chalk. It is massive or has platy rock structure. It can be dug with difficulty with hand tools and is rippable by heavy equipment.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Louin, Naclina, and Vamont series. Louin soils are acid to a depth of 40 inches or more and have less calcium carbonate concretions in the C horizon. Naclina soils have a subsoil with a hue of 7.5YR or 5YR and have less calcium carbonate concretions in the C horizon. Vamont soils have a thinner A horizon and have less calcium carbonate concretions nodules.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Faunsdale soils are on concave side slopes and toeslopes of the Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas Blackland Prairie MLRA. Slopes are commonly 1 to 3 percent, but range from 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in alkaline clays and the underlying chalk. The average annual air temperature ranges from 60 to 65 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 48 to 56 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Binnsville, Demopolis, Houston, Okolona, Sumter, and Vaiden series. Binnsville and Demopolis soils are on higher, more convex slopes and have chalk bedrock within 20 inches of the surface. Houston and Okolona soils are on higher positions and have a mollic epipedon. Sumter soils are on slightly higher positions and are moderately deep to chalk bedrock. Vaiden soils are acid in the upper part of the solum and do not have secondary carbonates within 30 inches of the surface.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow to medium. Permeability is very slow. These soils are saturated within a depth of 1.0 to 2.0 feet of the surface for significant periods during winter and spring of most years.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas have been cleared and are in pasture and cultivated crops. Cotton, soybeans, corn, grain sorghum, and wheat are common crops. A few areas are in mixed hardwood forest.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alabama and possibly Mississippi and east Texas. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marengo County, Alabama; 1997.

REMARKS: Faunsdale series were formerly included in the Houston and Okolona series.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epidon - the zone from the surface to a depth of about 14 inches (AP and A horizon)

Cambic horizon - the zone from approximately 14 inches to 68 inches (Bss and Bkss horizons)

Intersecting slickensides beginning at about 14 inches and continuing to a depth of 68 inches. (Bss and Bkss horizons)

Aquic conditions within 40 inches of the soil surface in most years and redoximorphic features (Bss and Bkss horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: Particle-size, chemical, and mineralogy data are available for the typical pedon and one additional pedon. Engineering Test Data are available for one pedon.

SIR- AL0133, MLRA 135