LOCATION KENEFICK TX+LAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Ultic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Kenefick fine sandy loam--forest.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable; many fine, medium, and few coarse roots; common fine and very fine pores; common worm casts; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
E--4 to 9 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable; common fine, very fine, and few coarse roots; many fine and very fine pores; common worm casts; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
EB--9 to 18 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable; few fine, medium and coarse roots; many fine and very fine pores; common worm casts; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--18 to 52 inches; red (2.5YR 4/8) sandy clay loam, weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm; few fine, few medium and coarse roots; common fine and very fine pores; few fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) iron features in the lower part of the horizon; common distinct clay films on surface of peds; few small pockets of light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clean sand in the lower part of the horizon; few black concretions less than 1 cm in diameter; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 36 inches thick)
Bt2--52 to 65 inches; red (2.5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; few fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; few fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) iron features; about 4 percent interfingering of yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clean sand mainly in lower part; common dark concretions less than 1 cm in diameter; few pebbles less than 1 cm in diameter; few distinct clay films on surface of peds; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
BC--65 to 80 inches; stratified layers of loamy fine sand and fine sandy loam in colors of red (2.5YR 5/6); reddish yellow (5YR 6/6), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and very pale brown (10YR 7/4); strata are less than an inch to about 4 inches thick; few streaks of clean sand grains; very friable, slightly hard; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Liberty County, Texas; from Cleveland, 12 miles east on Texas Highway 105 to intersection of Farm Road 2518; 0.2 mile north on Farm Road 2518; 3.2 miles east on Davis Hill Road; 2.0 miles north on Palmer Lake Road; 0.2 mile west and north on woodland trail; 50 feet east in forest.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 80 inches. Weighted average clay content ranges from 20 to 34 percent in the particle-size control section, and decreases by 20 percent or more from the maximum within 60 inches of the soil surface. Base saturation ranges from 38 to 55 percent at 50 inches below the top of the argillic horizon. CEC to clay ratio ranges from 0.45 to 0.55 in the particle-size control section.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. Thickness of the A is less than 7 inches where the value and chroma are less than 4. Texture is loamy fine sand, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid unless limed.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The EB horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 6 or 8. Texture is loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The upper part of the Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 6 or 8. Texture is sandy clay loam, loam, or clay loam. Iron manganese concretions, less than 1 cm in diameter, range from 0 to 2 percent. Iron concentrations in shades of red, yellow, or brown range from 0 to 5 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The lower part of the Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 6 or 8. Texture is fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam. Siliceous or ironstone pebbles range from none to about 5 percent. Iron concentrations in shades of red, yellow, or brown range from 0 to 5 percent. Interfingering of clean sand range from none up to 5 percent. Some pedons contain up to 2 percent plinthite nodules. Iron-manganese, concretions less than 1 cm in diameter, range from 0 to 2 percent. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The BC horizon has stratified layers of fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or sand in various shade of yellow, brown, or red, in hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8. Thin strata of clay loam, sandy clay loam, and loam are in a sandy matrix of some pedons. Siliceous pebbles range from 0 to 15 percent. Iron manganese concretions, less than 1 cm in diameter, range from 0 to 2 percent. Iron concentrations in shades of red, yellow, or brown range from 0 to 5 percent. Iron depletions in shades of gray range from 0 to 5 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Kenn, Okeelala, Romia, Speer, and Wiville series in the same family, and the similar Attoyac and Spurger series. Kenn soils are underlain by beds of sandstone fragments at depths of 20 to 40 inches and are on flood plains. Okeelala soils have a semiactive CEC to clay ratio and have mean annual temperature less than 62 degrees F. Romia soils have weathered bedrock at a depth of 40 to 60 inches and a cobbly surface layer. Speer soils have mean annual temperatures of less than 66 degrees F. and formed in sediments from the Ouachita Mountains. In addition Speer soils have a 60-day shorter growing season. Wiville soils have an upper argillic horizon with hues yellower than 5YR and mean annual temperature less than 64 degrees F. Attoyac soils have an argillic horizon with a clay distribution that does not decrease by as much as 20 percent within 60 inches of the soil surface. Spurger soils have a clayey particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kenefick soils occur on nearly level to gently sloping river and stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The soil formed in sandy and loamy coastal plain alluvial sediments of the Deweyville Formation of late Pleistocene age. Mean annual temperature ranges from 67 to 70 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 46 to 60 inches. The growing season ranges from 240 to 260 days. Elevation ranges from 50 to 175 feet. Thornthwaite annual P-E indices range from 68 to 80.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Belrose, Bienville, Caneyhead, and Votaw series. Belrose soils have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section and are on similar landscape positions. Bienville and Votaw soils are sandy throughout and are on similar landscape positions. Caneyhead soils are Glossaqualfs and are on lower landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Kenefick soils are well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes, very low on 1 to 3 percent slopes, and low on 3 to 5 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for woodland and improved pasture. A few areas are cropped to soybeans. Native vegetation is mixed pine and hardwoods of loblolly and shortleaf pine, sweetgum, and various oak species. Mulberry, white bay, American holly, and sassafras are also common. The understory vegetation consists of yaupon, greenbriar, American beautyberry and various perennial grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the Western Gulf Coast Flatwoods (MLRA 152B) of southeast Texas and Louisiana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Liberty County, Texas; l986.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly mapped as a variant of the Attoyac series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--0 to 18 inches (A, E, and EB horizons).
Argillic horizon--18 to 65 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Ultic feature--Base saturation is less than 60 percent at a depth of 50 inches below the top of the argillic horizon.
SOIL INTERPRETATION RECORD NUMBER: TX1077.