Ailey Series

• Depth class: Very deep
• Drainage class: Well drained
• Permeability: Slow
• Parent material: Sandy and loamy marine sediments
• Landscape: Coastal Plain
• Landform: Uplands
• Landform position: Narrow ridges; side slopes
• Slope: 2 to 25 percent
• Taxonomic class: Loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Arenic Kanhapludults

Commonly Associated Soils

Cowarts, Lakeland, Nankin, and Troup soils are commonly associated with the Ailey series.

• The Cowarts soils are in positions similar to those of the Ailey series; do not have thick, sandy surface and subsurface layers; and have a solum that ranges from 20 to 40 inches in thickness.
• The Lakeland soils are in the slightly higher positions, are excessively drained, and are sandy throughout.
• The Nankin soils are in positions similar to those of the Ailey series or slightly lower; do not have thick, sandy surface and subsurface layers; and have a fine control section.
• The Troup soils are in the slightly higher positions, are somewhat excessively drained, and have sandy surface and subsurface layers with a combined thickness of 40 to 80 inches.

Typical Pedon

Ailey loamy sand, 5 to 8 percent slopes; about 2,500 feet north of County Road 152, on a side slope adjacent to Collins Mill Creek; Randolph County, Georgia; USGS Brooksville topographic quadrangle; lat. 31 degrees 51 minutes 2 seconds N. and long. 84 degrees 41 minutes 55 seconds W., NAD27.

• Ap—0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots and few coarse roots; about 5 percent, by volume, angular ironstone; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
• E1—3 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; about 5 percent, by volume, angular ironstone; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
• E2—14 to 23 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loamy sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; about 5 percent, by volume, angular ironstone; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
• Bt1—23 to 30 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; common medium distinct pockets of very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clean sand grains; about 10 percent, by volume, angular ironstone; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
• Bt2—30 to 42 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; few medium distinct pockets of very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clean sand grains; about 12 percent, by volume, angular ironstone; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
• Btx—42 to 47 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; about 80 percent moderate medium subangular blocky structure and 20 percent red (2.5YR 5/6) strong thick platy; firm when moist; platy peds are hard and brittle when dry; few medium roots; few faint clay films on faces of some peds; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
• 2Cd—47 to 80 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay loam; massive parting to strong thick platy structure; very firm; few medium roots; few faint clay films on faces of some peds; common medium distinct red (2.5YR 5/6) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) masses in which iron has accumulated; light gray (10YR 7/1) areas from which iron has depleted; strongly acid.

Range in Characteristics

• Thickness of the solum: 42 to 60 inches
• Thickness of the sandy epipedon: 20 to 40 inches
• Reaction: Very strongly acid or strongly acid throughout, except where the surface layer has been limed
• A or Ap horizon:
  • Color—hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3
  • Texture—loamy sand or sand
• E horizon:
  • Color—hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 6
  • Texture—loamy sand or sand
• BE horizon (where present):
  • Color—hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 6 to 8
  • Texture—loamy sand or sandy loam
• Bt horizon:
  • Color—hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 6 to 8
  • Redoximorphic features—no, few, or common iron accumulations in shades of brown and red
  • Texture—sandy loam or sandy clay loam
• Btx horizon:
  • Color—hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 6 to 8; or no dominant color and multicolored in shades of red, yellow, brown, and gray
  • Redoximorphic features—few or common iron or clay depletions in shades of gray and iron accumulations in shades of brown, red, and yellow
  • Texture—sandy clay loam
  • Other features—Brittle and hard bodies, commonly red, make up 10 to 40 percent, by volume, of the horizon.
• Cd or 2Cd horizon:
  • Color—hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 4 to 8; or no dominant color and multicolored in shades of red, yellow, brown, and gray
  • Redoximorphic features—common or many iron or clay depletions in shades of gray and iron accumulations in shades of red, brown, or yellow
  • Texture—sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam

< Back to Selected Taxonomic Unit Descriptions