Savanna Soils

Wells Savanna occurs on the Liddell soil series.  This mineral soil series is very rare on the outer Coastal Plain but is dominant over a large area that includes the savanna.  It is characterized as a coarse-silty, very deep, poorly drained moderately permeable soil found on upland areas of the Coastal Plain.  The following website, http://ortho.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/osd/dat/L/LIDDELL.html, contains the official series description.  

This soil series is found on broad, smooth interstream areas where ponding is common.  The surface layer is typically 8 inches thick and consists of dark gray silt loam.  Underneath, there is a 50-inch layer of light brownish gray and gray, mottled silt loam.  Below this the soil is a light gray, mottled silt loam.   

Soils in the Liddell soil series are often hydric.  Hydric soils are ones that have been saturated or waterlogged in most years, such that chemical reactions occurred that caused the soils to be anaerobic.  This leads to varying degrees of color change in the soils.  The color that is dominant (50%) within a soil layer is considered the matrix color.  Color change within the matrix can be complete or occur only in small areas.  These small areas of color change within the matrix are called mottles.  The color and abundance of mottles are used as indicators of hydric soils. 

Profile descriptions were taken for the soils in the three communities found in the transmission line rights-of-way.

Cane Grass Community Soil Profile

A—0-23 cm; black (10YR 2/1) sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; clear

      boundary.

E—23-45 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam; few fine prominent brownish

      yellow (10YR 6/8) pore linings; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; clear boundary.

Bg—45-73 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay; many coarse prominent

      yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) Fe masses (mottles); massive.

Cg—73+ cm; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy clay; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses (mottles); massive.

 

Pitcher Plant Community Soil Profile

A—0-27 cm; black (10YR 2/1) sandy loam; weak medium granular structure; clear

      boundary.

E—20-45 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam; few medium distinct

      brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses (mottles); weak medium granular structure;

      gradual boundary.

Bg—45-75 cm; light gray (10YR 7/1) sandy clay loam; many coarse prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses (mottles); weak coarse subangular blocky structure; gradual boundary.

Cg—75+ cm; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy clay loam; many coarse prominent brownish yellow

      (10YR 6/8) masses (mottles); few fine prominent reddish yellow (5YR 5/8) pore

      linings; massive.

Meadow Grass Community Soil Profile

A—0-23 cm; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sandy loam; weak medium granular structure;

      gradual boundary.

E—23-45 cm; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy loam; common medium prominent brownish

yellow (10YR 6/6) masses (mottles); few fine prominent reddish yellow (5YR 5/8) pore linings; weak medium subangular blocky; gradual boundary.

Bg—45-68 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam; many coarse prominent

brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) masses (mottles); few fine prominent reddish yellow (5YR 5/8) pore linings; weak medium subangular blocky; gradual boundary.

Cg—68+ cm; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy loam; common medium prominent brownish

      yellow (10YR 6/8) masses (mottles); massive.

These profiles all describe hydric soils.  The indicators used are from the Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in The United States.  The first and second profiles have umbric surfaces (indicator F13).  The third profile has a depleted matrix (indicator F3).  The hydric indicators are described in depth in the previously mentioned guide.

Umbric surface: indicator F13	Depleted matrix: indicator F3
Redoximorphic features (mottles)	Redoximorphic features (mottles)