Alapaha Series

The Alapaha series consists of very deep, poorly drained, moderately slowly permeable soils that formed in sandy and loamy marine sediments. These soils are on flats in the coastal lowlands and in seep positions of side slopes and footslopes in the uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. These soils are loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Arenic Plinthic Paleaquults.

Alapaha soils are geographically associated with Albany, Bladen, Garcon, Leefield, Pansey, Plummer, Robertsdale, and Wahee soils. Albany and Plummer soils have an argillic horizon at a depth of 40 to 80 inches. Also, Albany soils are somewhat poorly drained. Bladen and Pansey soils have an argillic horizon within a depth of 20 inches. Garcon, Leefield, Robertsdale, and Wahee soils are somewhat poorly drained.

Typical pedon of Alapaha loamy sand, 0 to 2 percent slopes; about 20 feet east and 20 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 34, T. 2 N., R. 9 W.

• A—0 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loamy sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
• Eg1—6 to 16 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loamy sand; single grained; loose; common fine roots; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
• Eg2—16 to 28 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) loamy sand; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; single grained; loose; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
• Btg—28 to 48 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; sand grains bridged and coated with clay; about 3 percent, by volume, plinthite; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
• Btvg1—48 to 62 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy loam; many coarse distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; sand grains bridged and coated with clay; about 15 percent, by volume, plinthite; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
• Btvg2—62 to 80 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay loam; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of iron accumulation; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; sand grains bridged and coated with clay; about 20 percent, by volume, plinthite; very strongly acid, except where lime has been applied.

The solum is more than 70 inches thick. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid throughout, except where lime has been applied.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1; or it is neutral in hue and has value of 2 to 4.

The Eg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1; or it is neutral in hue and has value of 4 to 6. The quantity of masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow and red ranges from none to common. The texture is sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.

The BE horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral in hue and has value of 5 to 7. It is sandy loam. In some pedons it has pockets of loamy sand.

The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral in hue and has value of 5 to 7. The quantity of masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow and red ranges from none to many. It is sandy loam or sandy clay loam. In some pedons, it has less than 5 percent plinthite.

The Btvg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral in hue and has value of 5 to 7. It has common or many masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow and red or iron depletions in shades of gray. The content of plinthite ranges from 5 to 35 percent, by volume. The upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon is 15 to 30 percent clay.

< Back to Selected Taxonomic Unit Descriptions