LOCATION ALAGA AL+AR FL LA MS NC SC TX VAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Thermic, coated Typic Quartzipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Alaga loamy sand on a smooth, convex 3 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy sand; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
C1--4 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy fine sand; single grained; loose; few fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
C2--15 to 38 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sand; single grained; loose; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
C3--38 to 62 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sand; single grained; loose; common medium distinct streaks and splotches of very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clean sand; very strongly acid; diffuse smooth boundary.
C4--62 to 80 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) fine sand; single grained; loose; few medium distinct brown (10YR 5/3) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Barbour County, Alabama. USGS Comer topographic quadrangle; lat. 32 degrees 07 minutes 06 minutes N.; long. 85 degrees 22 minutes 55 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the profile is more than 80 inches. The silt plus clay content in the 10 to 40 inch control section ranges from 10 to 25 percent with clay content of 2 to 12 percent. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid throughout.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sand, coarse sand, or fine sand.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 3 to 8. Some pedons have chroma of 2 or less at depths of about 40 inches or more. Streaks and splotches in shades of brown range from none to common. In the lower part of the C horizon, masses of iron accumulation in shades of brown range from few to common. Texture is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sand, coarse sand, or fine sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Alpin, Bigbee, Cainhoy, Catpoint, Darden, Duffern, Foxworth, Glentosh, Lakeland, Tonkawa, and Wando series. Alpin and Catpoint soils have lamellae beginning below depths of 40 inches, and above 70 inches and 60 inches, respectively. Bigbee, Lakeland, and Tonkawa soils have 5 to 10 percent silt plus clay in the 10 to 40 inch control section. In addition, Bigbee soils are subject to flooding. Cainhoy soils have E horizons underlain by Bh horizons. Darden and Duffern are dry for more than 75 cumulative days and 125 to 150 cumulative days, respectively, in most years. Glentosh soils have mean annual temperature of less than 64 degrees. Wando soils are similar to Alaga soils (see Remarks), but are in a maritime setting and have a minimum of 5 percent silt plus clay in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Alaga soils are on uplands and stream terraces in the Coastal Plain. Slopes commonly are 0 to 8 percent, but range from 0 to 25 percent. These soils formed in marine or fluvial deposits of thick beds of loamy sands and sands. The average annual air temperature ranges from 64 to 68 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 48 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Chipley, Esto, Lucy, Norfolk, Pactolus, Ruston, Troup, and Wagram series. Chipley and Pactolus soils have mottles of chroma 2 or less within 40 inches of the surface. All other associated soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow runoff; rapid internal drainage; rapid permeability. Some areas on low terraces are subject to rare flooding. These areas have slopes of less than 8 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Much of the less sloping acreage is used for growing corn, peanuts, and pasture. A limited acreage is used for truck crops and small grain. Principal vegetation of wooded areas is longleaf and loblolly pines with mixed oak and dogwood, with scattered undergrowth of small shrubs and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. The series is of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pitt County, North Carolina; 1969.
REMARKS: Since Waldo soils were reclassified, they are very similar to Alaga soils. These soils need further study to determine adequate differences between the two soils.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 6 inches (Ap horizon)
SIR- AL0038, AL0100