LOCATION SABINA ILEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aeric Epiaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sabina silt loam - on a south-facing slope of one percent in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 665 feet above mean sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; friable; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [ 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 inches) thick]
E--20 to 31 cm (8 to 12 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam; moderate fine granular structure; friable; few fine iron-manganese concretions throughout; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. [ 0 to 20 cm (0 to 8 inches) thick]
BE--31 to 41 cm (12 to 16 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine iron-manganese concretions thoughout; common fine distinct dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) iron depletions in the matrix; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [ 0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 inches) thick]
Btg1--41 to 64 cm (16 to 25 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; few fine iron-manganese concretions throughout; common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Btg2--64 to 94 cm (25 to 37 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many prominent very dark gray (10YR 3/1) organo-clay films on faces of peds; few fine iron-manganese concretions throughout; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt1--94 to 109 cm (37 to 43 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) silty clay loam; weak and moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common prominent very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organo-clay films on faces of peds; few fine iron-manganese concretions throughout; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron and common medium distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions in the matrix; neutral; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Btg and Bt horizons is 51 to 91 cm (20 to 36 inches).]
2Bt2--109 to 127 cm (43 to 50 inches); variegated yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organo-clay films on faces of peds; few fine pebbles; neutral; gradual irregular boundary. [ 10 to 38 cm (4 to 15 inches) thick]
2Cd--127 to 203 cm (50 to 80 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam; massive; very firm; common medium rounded black (7.5YR 2.5/1) moderately cemented iron-manganese concretions throughout; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; common medium distinct gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions in the matrix; common medium irregular white (10YR 8/1) very weakly cemented calcium carbonate nodules throughout; 7 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Illinois; about 2 3/4 miles north and 1 mile west of Ficklin; 1785 feet north and 36 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 13, T. 16 N., R. 7 E.; USGS Tuscola, IL topographic quadrangle; lat. 39 degrees 50 minutes 25 seconds North, and long. 88 degrees 22 minutes 05 seconds West; NAD 27; UTM Zone 16S, 0382945 easting and 4410917 northing; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of the argillic horizon ranges from 112 to 191 cm (44 to 75 inches). The depth to horizons with more than 15 percent sand ranges from 102 to 152 cm (40 to 60 inches). The dominant clay mineral in the loess is smectite and in the underlying till is illite. The particle-size control section averages between 35 and 42 percent clay. The depth to carbonates is 102 to 191 cm (40 to 75 inches).
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 (5 or 6 dry), and chroma of 2. Some pedons have an A horizon less than 5 inches in thickness that has color value of 3. It is silt loam. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is silt loam. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral. It has granular or platy structure.
The BE horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction is strongly acid or moderately acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. It commonly is silty clay loam but some subhorizons are silty clay. It is very strongly acid to neutral.
The 2Bt or 2BC horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 4 or 5; and chroma of 2 to 4. It typically is clay loam, or loam, but includes silty clay loam or silt loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 35 percent and sand content ranges from 15 to 35 percent. Rock fragment content is less than 5 percent. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. Some pedons contain carbonates.
The 2Cg, 2C, 2Cdg, or 2Cd horizon has colors in the same range as the 2Bt or 2BC horizon. It commonly is loam but includes silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Bulk density ranges from 1.7 g/cm3 to 1.95 g/cm3. Clay content ranges from 15 to 32 percent and sand content ranges from 15 to 35 percent. Rock fragment content is less than 10 percent. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Calwoods and Waxpool series. The Calwoods soils average between 45 and 60 percent clay in the particle size control section. The Waxpool soils formed in basalt or diabase residuum, have more than 15 percent sand within a depth of 40 inches, and have saprolite and rock fragments of the parent rock in the C horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sabina soils typically are nearly level or gently undulating and are on relatively undissected till plains. Slope gradients range from 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in 40 to 60 inches of loess and in the underlying till. Mean annual air temperature varies from 48 to 54 degrees F., mean annual precipitation ranges from 29 to 41 inches, frost free period ranges from 160 to 180 days, and elevation ranges from 600 to 1,020 feet above mean sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Birkbeck, Drummer, Flanagan, and Sunbury soils. The moderately well drained Birkbeck soils and the poorly drained Drummer soils are in a drainage sequence with Sabina soils. Flanagan and Sunbury soils are in a biosequence with Sabina soils. Flanagan soils have a mollic epipedon. Sunbury soils have a thin, dark colored surface layer.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is low or medium. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high (1.41 to 4.23 micrometer per second). Permeability is moderately slow. These soils have an intermittent perched high water table at a depth of 15 to 61 cm (0.5 to 2.0 feet) below the surface at some time between January and May in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, small grain, and grass-legume meadow are the principal crops. Native vegetation is mixed deciduous trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Known distribution is in east central and north central Illinois. The series is of moderate extent in MLRAs 108 and 110.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: La Salle County, Illinois, 1969.
REMARKS: The typical pedon was resampled and described to a depth of 203 cm (80 inches).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 16 inches (Ap, E, and BE horizons);
argillic horizon - the zone from about 16 to 47 inches (Btg1, Btg2, Btg3, Btg4 and 2Btg5 horizons);
discontinuity from loess to till at a depth of 43 inches;
aquic moisture regime;
mesic temperature regime.
aquic conditions: episaturation - saturation implied by soils with dense till above 200 cm (bulk density ? 1.7g/cm3)
This revision moves the representative pedon back to the original location, described to 80 inches