LOCATION SPLENDORA TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Fragic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Splendora fine sandy loam--on plane 0.5 percent slope in forest. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; massive; hard, very friable; common medium and coarse roots; moderately acid; clear irregular boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
E--4 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sandy loam; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; many fine faint light gray and dark brown mottles; massive; hard, very friable; common medium and coarse roots; many fine vesicular pores; few fine ironstone concretions; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 15 inches thick)
Bt--10 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam; common coarse faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; common fine and medium roots; many fine pores; light brownish gray area contains clean (stripped) sand and silt grains; few fine ironstone concretions; few wormcasts; very strongly acid; gradual irregular boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt/E--20 to 32 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam; with light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ped surfaces, many distinct medium and coarse yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, 5/8) mottles (Bt part); interfingers of clean sand and silt grains are 1 to 2 mm wide in upper part and 8 to 10 mm wide in lower part and make up about 10 percent of the horizon, (E part); weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; common fine roots, few fine pores; common fine ironstone concretions; many root channels contain coating of yellowish red (5YR 4/6); patchy clay films in some pores; very strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)
Btx/E1--32 to 46 inches; distinctly mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and strong brown sandy clay loam, ped interiors (Bt part); with about 20 percent tongues, 1 to 2 cm wide of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam (E part); weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; hard, firm,; common fine ironstone concretions; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; less than 1 percent by volume fine nodules of plinthite; about 25 percent of ped interior is brittle; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)
Btx/E2--46 to 69 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), red (2.5YR 5/8), yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), sandy clay loam ped interiors (Bt part); about 40 percent tongues 2 to 6 cm wide of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam (E part); weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; very hard, firm; few fine roots mainly in the tongues; common fine pores; patchy clay films on faces of peds; few ironstone concretions; less than 1 percent by volume nodules of plinthite; about 50 percent of the ped interior is brittle; most root channels are lined with red (2.5YR 4/6); strongly acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (20 to 30 inches thick)
B't/E--69 to 95 inches; mottled yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam ped interiors (Bt part); about 20 percent tongues 1 to 5 cm wide of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam (E part); weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; very hard, firm; few fine roots in tongues; few fine pores; continuous gray clay films on vertical prism faces, patchy clay films on faces of peds; few ironstone concretions; about 20 percent of the horizon is brittle; root channels are lined with red (2.5YR 4/6); strongly acid; diffuse boundary. (15 to 35 inches thick)
B't--95 to 135 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sandy clay loam; common, coarse, distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) mottles; about 10 percent interfingers of light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky; very hard, firm; few fine pores; continuous gray clay films on vertical prism faces; strong brown clay films on faces of peds, few ironstone concretions; root channels are lined with red (2.5YR 4/6); few masses and pockets of light gray very fine sandy loam; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Montgomery County, Texas; south of Conroe about 5 miles on U.S. 45; west 2.5 miles on FR 1488 to northwest corner of W.G. Jones State Forest, south 1.15 miles to fifth compartment road; 1,750 feet east on road; 50 feet south in forest.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is bisequel and has a thickness greater than 60 inches. Depth to a horizon that has fragic or brittle properties ranges from 18 to about 40 inches. Ironstone concretions, less than 2 cm in diameter, range from a few to 15 percent by volume. Base saturation ranges from 35 to 60 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. The lighter colors are Ap horizons in cultivated areas. The E horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 3. Mottles range from none to many in shades of yellow and brown. The A and E horizons are fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam. Reaction is strongly acid or medium acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 or 4; mottles range from few to many in shades of yellow, brown, or gray. The grayish mottles are vertically oriented, show evidence of clay stripping and range from 1 to 3 mm in width. Texture is fine sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam with a clay content of 18 to 24 percent. Reaction is very strongly or strongly acid.
The Bt/E, Btx/E and B't/E horizons contain tongues and interfingers of albic materials that make up 25 to 50 percent in the zone of maximum expression. The Bt part has matrix colors in hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 to 8; mottles range from few to many in shades of gray, yellow, or brown. Some pedons have a mottled matrix of yellows, grays, and browns. Grayish mottles on faces of peds range from a few in the upper part to many or a continuous ped coating of grays in the lower part. The Btx/E2 and Bt/E also contain few to common red mottles. The Bt and Btx part is a sandy clay loam or clay loam. The E part (tongues) has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. The tongues are fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand, or loam. The layer has a texture of fine sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or loam with 18 to 30 percent clay, 20 to 45 percent silt, and more than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand. Plinthite ranges from none to less than 5 percent by volume. In some pedons, concentrations or "nests" of ironstone nodules occur that make up 15 to 30 percent by volume. Clay films range from thin patchy in the upper part of the layer to continuous in the lower part of the layer. Brittle masses make up 25 to 50 percent by volume of the layer. Reaction is very strongly or strongly acid.
The B't horizon occurs in the lower part of most pedons. It has a hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 6. Mottles range from few to many in shades of gray, brown, yellow, or red. Some pedons have a mottled matrix. Ironstone nodules typically decrease with depth. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to medium acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Oakwood series in the same family. Similar soils are the Alazan, Ardilla, Dallardsville, Duralde, Freestone, Glenmora, Kirbyville, Segno, Sorter, Waller and Wockley series. Oakwood soils contain more than 5 percent by volume Plinthite and do not have gray wetness mottles within 20 inches of the surface. Alazan soils contain less than 25 percent brittle or fragic material in BA horizons and are slightly deeper to a water table. Ardilla, Dallardsville and Kirbyville soils have base saturation less than 35 percent. Duralde and Glenmora soils are in a fine-silty family, and in addition, Glenmora soils contain less than 25 percent brittle masses. Freestone soils lack tongues of albic materials and contain less than 25 percent brittle masses. Segno soils lack tongues of albic material and lack wetness mottles within 30 inches of the surface. Sorter and Waller soils are poorly drained and are grayer throughout. Wockley soils contain more than 5 percent by volume plinthite.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Splendora soils are on broad nearly level to gently sloping uplands of the Flatwoods. The soil formed in thick beds of unconsolidated loamy sediments of Pleistocene Age. Slopes are mainly 0.5 to 2 percent but range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Summer rainfall ranges from 30 to 40 inches and the Thornthwaite annual P-E indices is 64 to 80. Summer moisture deficit ranges from 0 to 4 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges 67 to 70 degrees F. Frost free days range from 260 to 270 and elevation ranges from 80 to 220 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Dallardsville, Kirbyville, Segno and Waller series, and the Boy, Depcor, and Otanya series. Boy, Dallardsville, Depcor, Kirbyville, Otanya, and Segno are on slightly higher, better drained nearby landscapes. Boy and Depcor soils have loamy fine sand surface layers more than 20 inches thick. Sorter and Waller soils are slightly lower and are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low to medium runoff; slow permeability. Seepage and runoff from surrounding better drained soils is common.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in forest. Some cleared areas are used for corn, truck crops, and improved pasture. Native vegetation is loblolly, shortleaf and longleaf pine; white, red, willow, and water oaks; sweet gum and black gum. The understory consists of grasses, sedges, yaupon, holly, and other shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Gulf Coast Flatwoods of southeast Texas. The series is of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Montgomery County, Texas, 1965.
REMARKS: This soil would be classified as Fragiaquic Glossudalf if this subgroup was provided in the Taxonomy. This subgroup was proposed November 25, 1980 as an inferred subgroup.
Diagnostic horizons and features for this pedon are: ochric epipedon - 0 to 10 inches
Argillic horizon - 10 to 32 inches.
Glossic horizon - 32 - 95 inches. About 25 to 50 percent of the matrix of some subhorizon is brittle.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Data from 2 pedons in Montgomery County, Texas is published in SSIR-30;--S64TX-170-1 and S64TX-170-2. Additional data available in PhD thesis by Michael J. Vepraskas, Soil Morphology and Moisture Regimes along a Hillslope in the Texas Coastal Plain, 1980, Texas A&M University.