United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Southeast Coastal Plain and Caribbean Soil Survey Region #15 Go to Accessibility Information
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Ailey Series

  • Depth class: Deep or very deep to a firm and compact substratum
  • Drainage class: Well drained
  • Permeability: Rapid in the surface and subsurface layers, moderate in the upper part of the subsoil, and slow in the lower part of the subsoil and in the substratum
  • Parent material: Sandy and loamy marine sediments
  • Landscape position: Ridges, high flats, and hillslopes
  • Slope: 0 to 8 percent
  • Classification: Loamy, siliceous, thermic Arenic Kanhapludults

Geographically Associated Soils

  • Blanton soils, which have a sandy epipedon that is more than 40 inches thick
  • Cowarts soils, which do not have a sandy epipedon that is as thick as 20 inches
  • Fuquay soils, which have more than 5 percent plinthite in the subsoil
  • Nankin soils, which are in a clayey family and do not have a sandy epipedon that is as thick as 20 inches
  • Tifton soils, which have more than 5 percent plinthite in the subsoil and do not have a sandy epipedon that is as thick as 20 inches

Typical Pedon

Ailey loamy sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes; 3.6 miles east on Georgia Highway 215 from the Wilcox-Dooly County line, 0.9 mile east on a county dirt road (High Rock Road), and 0.6 mile north across a wooded area; in Wilcox County; USGS Quadrangle Pineview West, Georgia (1971); lat. 32 degrees 01 minute 39 seconds N. and long. 83 degrees 32 minutes 34 seconds W.

  • Ap—0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
  • E—8 to 30 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and few medium roots; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
  • Bt1—30 to 35 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
  • Bt2—35 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; few medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
  • Btx—42 to 50 inches; mottled brownish yellow (10YR 6/8), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), red (2.5YR 4/8), and light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam; 75 percent weak medium subangular blocky structure, 25 percent strong medium platy structure; blocky peds are firm, platy peds are very firm; few fine roots between peds; few faint clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
  • Cd—50 to 57 inches; mottled brownish yellow (10YR 6/8), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), red (2.5YR 4/8), and light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam that has strata of sandy loam; massive; very firm; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
  • 2Cd—57 to 65 inches; mottled light gray (10YR 7/2), red (2.5YR 4/8), and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam that has pockets and strata of sandy clay; massive; very firm; very strongly acid.

Range in Characteristics

  • Thickness of the solum: 42 to 62 inches
  • Thickness of the sandy epipedon: 22 to 40 inches
  • Content of coarse fragments: 0 to 10 percent (small quartz pebbles 0.25 to 0.75 inch in diameter)
  • Depth to mottles of chroma 2 or less: More than 40 inches
  • Content of ironstone nodules: 0 to 10 percent (0.25 to 0.75 inch in diameter)
  • Reaction: Very strongly acid or strongly acid throughout, except for the surface layer where lime has been applied
  • A horizon:
    • Thickness—4 to 8 inches
    • Color—hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 or 3
  • E horizon:
    • Color—hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 to 6
  • Bt horizon:
    • Color—hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 6 to 8; few mottles in shades of red and brown in some pedons
    • Texture—sandy loam or sandy clay loam
  • Btx horizon:
    • Color—hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, chroma of 6 to 8, and mottles in shades of red, brown, yellow, and gray (not all pedons have gray mottles); or mottled in shades of red, brown, yellow, and gray
    • Texture—sandy loam or sandy clay loam
  • Cd horizon:
    • Color—mottled in shades of red, brown, yellow, and gray
    • Texture—dominantly sandy loam or sandy clay loam; finer and coarser strata


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