LOCATION ROSMAN NCEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Fluventic Humic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Rosman loam--cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam; weak medium granular structure; very friable; few fine flakes of mica; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
A--10 to 15 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam; weak fine and medium granular structure; very friable; few fine flakes of mica; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--15 to 21 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam; massive; very friable; common fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bw2--21 to 35 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; few medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mottles; massive; very friable; common fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
Bw3--35 to 50 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) fine sandy loam; many medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) mottles in lower portions; massive; very friable; common fine flakes of mica; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
C--50 to 60 inches; stratified sand and gravel; single grained; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Transylvania County, North Carolina. About 3 miles east of Brevard, 1/4 mile northwest of Pisgah Forest Post Office, in cultivated field 200 feet east of abandoned church.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 35 to 60 inches or more. The soil ranges from strongly acid to neutral in the A and upper Bw or C horizons and from strongly acid to slightly acid in the lower horizons. Content of flakes of mica ranges from few to many. The loamy horizons extend to depths of at least 40 inches. Strata of contrasting textures may occur in the C horizon below a depth of 40 inches. Gravel content is less than 15 percent by volume in the upper 40 inches and may range up to 50 percent in horizons below 40 inches.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. The A horizon is loam, silt loam, sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam. Some pedons have an Ab horizon that has the same color and texture range as the A horizon.
The Bw horizon where present, has hue of 2.5Y to 5YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 8. Few to many mottles of chroma 2 or less are below a depth of 20 inches in some pedons. Texture is loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or silt loam.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. Mottles, if they occur, are in shades of red, brown, yellow, olive, or gray. Texture is variable, ranging from coarse sand to loam in the fine-earth fraction. Strata containing 15 to 50 percent by volume gravel and cobbles are below a depth of 40 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Edgewick and Nekoma series in the same family and the Barbourville, Beulah, Codorus, Colvard, Comus, Congaree, Haywood, Reddies, Toccoa, Toxaway, and Transylvania series in closely related families. Edgewick and Nekoma soils formed in a midhumid maritime climate with mean annual precipitation from 70 to 80 inches. Barbourville and Transylvania soils are in a fine-loamy family. Beulah, Codorus, Colvard, Comus, Congaree, and Toccoa soils have an ochric epipedon. In addition, Congaree and Toccoa soils have a mean annual temperature of more than 59 degrees F. Haywood soils have umbric epipedons more than 20 inches thick. Toxaway soils have matrix colors of chroma 2 or less, have umbric epipedons thicker than 24 inches, and are in a fine-loamy family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rosman soils are on nearly level flood plains in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Elevation ranges from about 1200 to 2000 feet. These soils formed in alluvium which has been washed from soils formed from a variety of rocks such as granite, schist, gneiss, phyllite, slate, and metasandstone. Mean annual temperature ranges from 46 to 57 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from about 45 to 70 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing Reddies, Toxaway and Transylvania series, these are Biltmore, Colvard, Dillard, Hemphill, Iotla, Statler, Kinkora series. Biltmore, Colvard, and Iotla soils have an ochric epipedon and do not have a cambic horizon. Dillard, Hemphill, Kinkora, and Statler soils have argillic horizons and are on low terraces. Reddies soils are on flood plains along small streams. Toxaway soils are in depressed parts of the flood plains. Transylvania soils are in the same landscape positions as Rosman soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderate internal drainage; moderately rapid permeability. Most areas of these soils are subject to occasional to frequent flooding. A few areas are protected by flood control structures and are subject to rare flooding.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage is cleared and in cultivation. The chief crops are corn, truck crops, hay, ornamentals, Christmas trees, and pasture grasses. In forested areas common trees are yellow-poplar, eastern white pine, American sycamore, river birch, red maple, northern red oak, willow oak, and black walnut. Understory plants include rhododendron, ironwood, flowering dogwood, alder, greenbrier, and switchcane.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Carolina, Virginia, and possibly Tennessee. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Lexington, Kentucky
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Henderson County, North Carolina; 1974.
REMARKS: The July, 1991 revision recognizes that a cambic horizon is not required, although many pedons of Rosman have a cambic horizon.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 15 inches (Ap and A horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 15 to 50 inches (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons). This is not a required diagnostic horizon for the Rosman series.
MLRA=130 SIR=NC0024