LOCATION VESSER IA+IL MOEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Argiaquic Argialbolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vesser silt loam, on a nearly level flood plain, in a cultivated field. (All colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 50 centimeters (10 to 20 inches).]
E1--30 to 51 centimeters (12 to 20 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) kneaded, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; common dark accumulations (oxides) and concretions; few fine faint dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
E2--51 to 79 centimeters (20 to 31 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) kneaded; weak medium platy and weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; light gray (10YR 7/1) dry silt coatings on faces of peds; common grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coats on faces of peds; common black (10YR 2/1) accumulations (oxides) and concretions; few fine faint dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the E horizon is 31 to 61 centimeters (12 to 24 inches).]
Btg1--79 to 94 centimeters (31 to 37 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) kneaded; moderate fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; friable; light gray (10YR 7/1) dry silt and fine sand coats on faces of peds; common prominent black (10YR 2/1) clay films on faces of peds; many gray (10YR 5/1) coats on faces of peds; common black accumulations (oxides) and concretions; common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg2--94 to 117 centimeters (37 to 46 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; firm; common prominent black (N 2/0) clay films on all faces of peds; few black accumulations (oxides) and concretions; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) redoximorphic concentrations; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. [Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 30 to 91 centimeters (12 to 36 inches).]
BCg--117 to 152 centimeters (46 to 60 inches); dark gray (10YR 4/1) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure; firm; light gray (10YR 7/1) dry coats on faces of peds; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 109-Iowa and Missouri Heavy Till Plain; Wayne County, Iowa subset; about 3 miles north and 1 mile east of Corydon; about 267 meters (875 feet) west and 640 meters (2,100 feet) north of the southeast corner of section 5, T. 69 N., R. 21 W; USGS Corydon quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 48 minutes 7 seconds N. and long. 93 degrees 17 minutes 32 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the mollic epipedon--25 to 50 centimeters (10 to 20 inches)
Depth to carbonates--more than 152 centimeters (more than 60 inches)
Clay content of the particle-size control section (weighted average)--30 to 35 percent
Sand content of the particle-size control section (weighted average)--10 to 20 percent
Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--2 or 3
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--15 to 30 percent
Sand content--10 to 20 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
E horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content--15 to 30 percent
Sand content--10 to 20 percent
Reaction--very strongly acid to moderately acid
Btg horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--30 to 35 percent
Sand content--10 to 20 percent
Reaction--strongly acid or moderately acid
Some pedons may have subhorizons with clay content up to 40 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Corley,
Ebbert,
Edgington,
Knight,
Marissa,
Normal,
Speed, and
Thorp series.
Corley--have a sand content of less than 5 percent in the particle-size control section
Ebbert--have a sand content of less than 10 percent in the particle-size control section
Edgington--have a sand content of less than 10 percent in the particle-size control section and have albic horizons that are less than 30 centimeters (12 inches) thick
Knight--have a sand content of more than 20 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Marissa--have carbonates within a depth of 102 to 152 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Normal--have albic horizons that are 10 to 25 centimeters (4 to 10 inches) thick
Speed--have a clay content of 18 to 30 percent in the particle-size control section
Thorp--have a clay content of 5 to 30 percent and have a sand content of 15 to 75 percent in the lower third of the series control section
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--alluvium
Landform--floodplains, base slopes, and alluvial fans
Slopes--0 to 5 percent
Elevation--213 to 427 meters (700 to 1,400 feet) above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--9 to 12 degrees C (49 to 53 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation--76 to 91 centimeters (30 to 36 inches)
Frost-free period--160 to 180 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Chequest, Lawson, Nodaway, and Zook soils. These soils are in landscape positions similar to those of the Vesser soils on floodplains and do not have albic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--somewhat poorly drained and poorly drained--a frequently saturated zone occurs within a depth of 1 meter (0 to 3.25 feet) of the surface during April to June in normal years and is considered apparent
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--moderately high or high
Surface runoff potential--negligible to low
Flooding--rarely flooded or occasionally flooded for brief periods during the months of February to November from precipitation events and snowmelt
USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, oats, soybeans, and hay. Some areas are pastured or forested. Native vegetation is variable but predominantly big bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, and other grasses of the tall grass prairie.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic sections--Dissected till plains and Till plains
MLRAs--Iowa and Missouri Deep Loess Hills (107), Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift (108), Iowa and Missouri Heavy Till Plain (109), and Central Claypan Areas (113)
LRR M; western, southern, and southeastern Iowa, northern Missouri, and south central Illinois
Extent--moderate
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Appanoose County, Iowa, 1970
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 79 to 117 centimeters (31 to 46 inches) (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 152 centimeters (0 to 60 inches) (Ap, A, E1, E2, Btg1, Btg2, and BCg horizons).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 30 centimeters (0 to 12 inches) (Ap and A horizons);
albic horizon--the zone from a depth of 30 to 79 centimeters (12 to 31 inches) (E1 and E2 horizons);
argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 79 to 117 centimeters (31 to 46 inches) (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons);
udic moisture regime.
The series was formerly included with the Coppock series. Some pedons have dark sediments over a buried, light-colored soil.
Cation-exchange activity class is supported by laboratory data, pedon number 71IA185003 (NSSL).
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, ninth edition, 2003.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Laboratory data--National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska--pedon number 71IA185003 (http://ssldata.sc.egov.usda.gov/).