LOCATION PLUCK TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, nonacid, thermic Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Pluck fine sandy loam--on a 0.1 percent slope, in pasture. When described the soil was moist throughout.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common fine and medium pores; few dark stains along root channels; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A2--2 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky and weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many fine and medium pores; few fine soft dark brown masses; few dark stains; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bg1--6 to 26 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam; light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; few medium faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine and few medium pores; few fine soft dark brown masses; few dark stains; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 30 inches thick)
Bg2--26 to 35 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; few fine faint and few medium faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots, few fine pores; common thin strata of silt loam, small partially decomposed forest residues; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Bg3--35 to 52 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam; common fine and medium faint light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; mildly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Cg4--52 to 65 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; gray (10YR 5/1) dry; many fine and medium faint light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots, few fine pores; mildly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: San Jacinto County, Texas; about 4 miles northwest of Cleveland; from intersection of Farm Road 1725 and Liberty County line, go north 1300 feet on Farm Road 1725; northeast 900 feet on gravel road; 1200 feet southeast on utility right-of-way; then 300 feet south in pasture.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil typically ranges from medium acid through mildly alkaline, but is strongly acid in some subhorizons of some pedons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 1 through 3. Typically the horizon is stratified fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or silt loam, and less commonly silty clay loam or thin strata of loamy fine sand.
The Bg horizons have hue of 10YR and 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Mottles range from few to many in shades of yellow and brown. The Bg horizons have textures of loam, silt loam, fine sand loam, sandy loam, silty clay loam, and clay loam, with a weighted average clay content ranging from 18 to 35 percent in the 10- to 40-inch control section. Thin strata of sandier or clayey textures occur in some pedons. Buried horizons below 40 inches occur in some pedons. Typically the soil becomes more clayey with depth. Stratified or massive C horizons are in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Herod series in the same family and the Angelina, Bibb, Bleakwood, Boggy, Mantachie, Nahatche, and Wehadkee series. Herod soils are flooded for shorter duration, lack a summer moisture deficit of 2 inches or more, typically have more acid reaction and are in landscapes underlain by limestone. Angelina soils are more acid, are very poorly drained, are slowly permeable, and are ponded for long periods of time. Bibb and Boggy soils contain less than 18 percent clay in the control section. Bleakwood soils are strongly or very strongly acid throughout the control section. Mantachie soils are more acid and are slightly dryer in the upper part of the soil. Nahatche soils have less than 60 percent of the mass between the A horizon and 30 inches dominated by chromas of 2 or less and they are somewhat poorly drained. Wehadkee soils have mixed mineralogy and are more acid.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pluck soils occur on flood plains of streams in the Southern Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The soil formed in loamy alluvium. The stream channels are shallow and meandering. The soils are flooded from one to several times each year and remain flooded for a duration of a few days to about 1 month. The climate is warm and humid with the mean annual temperature ranging from about 65 degrees to 70 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 52 inches and the Thornthwaite annual P-E indices exceed 64. The summer moisture deficit ranges from 2 to 6 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Bibb and Nahatche series and the Gowker, Hatliff, Kaman, and Voss series. All associated soils are on flood plains. Bibb soils occur adjacent to this soil on the same landscape and are sandier throughout. Gowker soils have a mollic epipedon and are on slightly higher positions. Hatliff soils are not dominated by gray colors and are better drained. Nahatche soils are on slightly better drained areas. Kaman soils are black and clayey throughout. Voss soils are sandy throughout and are on sand bars adjacent to stream channels.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate. A water table is at or near the surface during the winter and spring months.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Pluck soils are mixed hardwood and pine cutover forest. A few areas have been cleared and are used for pasture of bahiagrass or improved bermudagrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This soil is in the southern coastal plains of southeast Texas. The soils of this series are moderately extensive; their total acreage is about 20,000 acres.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Little Rock, Arkansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Polk and San Jacinto Counties, Texas; 1983.
REMARKS: Pluck soils were formerly included in the Nahatche or Mantachie series.
Diagnostic horizons and features of this soil are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 6 inches (A horizons)
Cambic horizon - 6 to 52 inches (Bg horizons)
There is an irregular distributation of organic carbon and the organic carbon is more than .2 percent at a depth of 50 inches.
The soil is saturated during the winter and spring seasons and has an aquic mosture regime.