LOCATION ZAAR               KS+MO

ZAAR SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Vertic Hapludolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Zaar silty clay - on a 3 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; hard, firm; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

A--8 to 16 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium blocky; very hard, very firm; few shiny faces on peds; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 10 to 26 inches)

Bw1--16 to 26 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium and coarse blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few slickensides, few small black concretions; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

Bw2--26 to 38 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; common fine faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) mottles; weak coarse blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; few slickensides; few small black concretions; neutral; diffuse wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 16 to 38 inches)

BC--38 to 53 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm; slickensides larger and more common than in Bw horizon; common small black concretions with some concentration in streaks or pockets near the base of the horizon; few small lime concretions 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter; moderately alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 30 inches thick)

C--53 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; common coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6 and 10YR 5/8) mottles; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; few small black concretions and stains; few fragments of soft clay shale in lower part; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Crawford County, Kansas; 1 mile northwest of Girard; 1,150 feet east and 60 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 13, T. 29 S., R. 23 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. Mollic epipedon is greater than 24 inches in thickness. Depth to free carbonates throughout the matrix is greater than 50 inches and carbonate concretions are at depths greater than 30 inches. Slickensides close enough to intersect do not occur within 40 inches of the surface.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3 and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. Structure is dependent on moisture and season and ranges from weak to strong, fine or medium granular to weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky. This horizon ranges from medium acid to neutral. It is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay with 35 to 60 percent clay.

The upper part of the Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 2 to 4 and 3 to 5 dry; and chroma of 1 to 3. Some pedons contain vertical streaks of darker colored soil. The lower part of the Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 3 to 5 and 4 to 6 dry; and chroma of 1 to 4. The Bw horizon has weak or moderate blocky structure. It is silty clay or clay and ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline. Most pedons have fine mottles with colors having higher chroma than the matrix.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y; value of 4 or 5 and 5 or 6 dry; and chroma of 1 to 6. It is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay. This horizon ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Roebuck series in the same family and the Catalpa, Goessel, Osage, Ringo, and Summit series. Roebuck soils have redder hue. Catalpa soils are more alkaline in the upper horizons and have free carbonates above depths of 50 inches. Goessel soils are less moist, and above a depth of 40 inches they have slickensides close enough to intersect. Osage soils are saturated with water during some season in most years. Ringo soils have a paralithic contact within a depth of 40 inches. Summit soils have an argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zaar soils are on uplands. The slope gradient commonly is 1 to 4 percent but ranges from 0 to 10 percent. The soils formed in clayey residuum weathered from shale. The shale contains thin beds of limestone in some places. Mean annual temperature varies from 57 to 63 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation varies from 32 to 42 inches. Thornthwaite Annual P-E Index ranges from 56 to 76.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Clareson, Eram, Girard, Kenoma, Lula, and Ringo soils. All these soils, except Girard soils, are on higher topographic positions. Clareson, Eram, Kenoma, and Lula soils have an argillic horizon. Clareson, Eram, and Ringo
soils have bedrock at depths less than 40 inches. Girard soils are poorly drained and are in lower positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained or moderately well drained. Runoff is slow or medium. Permeability is very slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: About equally divided between native grassland and cultivation. Common cultivated crops are wheat, corn, sorghum, and alfalfa. Native vegetation is dominated by big bluestem, little bluestem, indiangrass, and switchgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri, and possibly northeastern Oklahoma. The series is extensive.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Crawford County, Kansas, June 1969.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 38 inches (Ap, A, Bw1, Bw2); cambic horizon - the zone from about 16 inches to a depth of about 38 inches (Bw1, Bw2); slickensides and evidence of cracks to greater than 20 inches. Classification in a Vertic rather than Aquic subgroup is based on assumed values for COLE and PLE.

ADDITIONAL DATA: The Zaar pedon described by the National Soil Survey Laboratory, sample numbers 73L1145-73L1151, is from the same general area as the typical pedon described here can be viewed at this site:
http://ssldata.sc.egov.usda.gov/rptExecute.asp?p=1789&r=1&submit1=Get+Report