LOCATION ORA MS+AL AR LAEstablished Series
The Ora series consists of moderately well drained, moderately permeable soils with a fragipan. They formed in loamy marine and fluvial deposits. They are on nearly level to strongly sloping uplands and terraces of the Southern Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Typic Fragiudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Ora sandy loam on 0 to 2 percent slope in forest.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam; weak fine and medium granular structure; very friable; many coarse and fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
E--3 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and few coarse roots; few root and worm holes filled with A material; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 11 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly hard; common fine roots; common fine pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bt2--11 to 26 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; slightly hard; few fine roots; common fine pores; patchy clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (12 to 22 inches thick)
Bx1--26 to 48 inches; mottled yellowish red (5YR 5/8) strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam; strong very coarse prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, hard, brittle and compact in about 65 percent of the volume; slightly sticky; few fine roots in cracks; light brownish gray sandy loam between prisms; clay films on faces of prisms; common fine voids; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bx2--48 to 56 inches; mottled red (2.5YR 5/8), brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), and pale brown (10YR 6/3), sandy clay loam; strong very coarse prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, hard; brittle and compact in about 65 percent of the volume; slightly sticky; light brownish gray sandy loam between prisms; clay films on faces of prisms; common fine voids; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bx horizon is 12 to 40 inches)
C-56 to 70 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy loam; common medium distinct brown (10YR 5/3) mottles; structureless; friable; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Pike County, Mississippi; 2.0 miles east and 1.5 miles northeast of Holmesville, on gravel road and 200 feet west of road. NW1/4SE1/4 sec. 14, T. 3 N., R. 9 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the fragipan ranges from 18 to 42 inches. The soil ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid, except where the soil has been limed.
In undisturbed pedons, the A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 or 2, or it is neutral with value of 4 and chroma of 0. The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4, or it has hue of 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2. The A horizon is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam or loam.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4, or it has hue of 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2. Some pedons have a thin BE horizon that has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 6 to 8. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam or loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR or 2.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 8. It is clay loam, sandy clay loam, or loam. Clay content ranges between 18 and 33 percent; silt content ranges between 20 and 50 percent.
The Bx horizon is mottled in shades of yellow, brown, gray, and red or has yellowish red to yellowish brown matrix colors that are mottled in shades of gray, yellow, and red. The fragipan has gray vertical seams that form a roughly polygonal pattern of prisms. The matrix of the prisms is very firm when dry and brittle when moist in the major part of the fragipan. It constitutes more than 60 percent of the volume. The texture is sandy clay loam, loam, or sandy loam. Black and brown concretions range from none to many.
The C horizon is mottled in shades of yellow, brown, gray, and red, or it has yellowish red to yellowish brown matrix colors with mottles in shades of gray, yellow, and red. It is sandy clay loam, loam, or sandy loam. Some pedons have few fine to coarse quartz pebbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cane, Savannah, Sidon, and WaX series in the same family and the closely related Bourne, Irvington, Leadvale, Locust, Paden, Prentiss, Providence, Ruston, and Smithdale series. Cane soils have more than 5 percent by volume of chert or quartz gravel or both in some part of the solum. Savannah and Wax soils have a Bt horizon in hue of 7.5YR or yellower. Sidon soils have interbedded siltstone, shale, and sandstone at a depth ranging from 40 to 60 inches. Bourne and Locust soils have mixed mineralogy and a strong brown to yellowish brown Bt horizon. Irvington soils are yellowish brown in color, have double clay mixima, and have more than 5 percent plinthite within 60 inches of the surface. Leadvale and Paden soils have less than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand in the Bt horizon. In addition, Paden soils have double clay mixima. Prentiss soils have a coarse-loamy control section. Providence soils have a fine-silty control section and have base saturation of more than 35 percent. Ruston and Smithdale soils do not have a fragipan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ora soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping terraces and uplands with slopes ranging from 0 to 12 percent. The soil formed in loamy marine and fluvatile deposits on the Southern Coastal Plain. The climate is warm and humid. The mean annual temperature is 66 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation is 60.0 inches near the type location.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Paden, Prentiss, Ruston, Savannah, and Smithdale soils listed among the competing series and the Boswell, Mashulaville, and Pheba soils. Paden and Prentiss soils are moderately well drained and are on broad flats in uplands and on terraces along major streams. Ruston and Savannah soils are in similar positions as the Ora on the ridgetops and upper hillsides. Smithdale soils are will drained and are on adjacent hillsides. Boswell soils are moderately well drained and more clayey. They are in lower positions on foot slopes and benches. Mashulaville and Pheba soils are on very gently sloping terraces and broad flats on uplands. Mashalaville soils are poorly drained and less clayey. Pheba soils are somewhat poorly drained and have coarse-silty control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; medium to rapid runoff. Permeability is moderate in the upper part of the solum and moderately slow in the fragipan. These soils have a perched water table at a depth of 24 to 40 inches during the months of high rainfall.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of the Ora soils are either cropped to cotton, corn, small grains, and truck crops, or used for hay and pasture. Principal vegetation of wooded areas is loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, or longleaf pine, or pines mixed with oaks, hickory, and sweetgum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Coastal Plain in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The series is of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lower East Saline SCD, Drew County, ARkansas; 1941.