LOCATION TABOR TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Oxyaquic Vertic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Tabor fine sandy loam--pasture (Described between a subsoil crest and a subsoil trough. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 4/3); fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine roots; 5 percent siliceous pebbles; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
E--6 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine roots; 6 percent siliceous pebbles; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid, clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A and E horizons is 10 to 18 inches).
Btss1--14 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine roots; few fine pores; common distinct pressure faces; few distinct slickensides; common pale brown (10YR 6/3) coats on ped faces; few siliceous pebbles; common medium prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6) and common coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btss2--23 to 42 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay; weak coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; few fine roots; common distinct slickensides; many distinct pressure faces; few dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on vertical surfaces of peds; 2 percent siliceous pebbles; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and few fine prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Btss3--42 to 57 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay loam, weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; many continuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on ped surfaces and in pores; few distinct slickensides; common distinct pressure faces; few siliceous pebbles; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and few fine grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 30 to 50 inches).
Btg--57 to 67 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; few calcium carbonate concretions; common continuous very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films on vertical surfaces of peds; 2 percent siliceous pebbles; many medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium distinct red (2.5YR 4/6)) masses if iron accumulation; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches).
BCtg1--67 to 72 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam; weak coarse angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; few patchy very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay films; few distinct brown (10YR 4/3) sand coats; few distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay films on vertical surfaces of peds; 8 percent siliceous pebbles; common coarse prominent red (10YR 4/6) and common medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
BCtg2--72 to 80 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sandy clay loam; weak coarse angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; few patchy dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on vertical ped faces; thick continuous prominent (10YR 6/4) coats on vertical surfaces of peds; few siliceous pebbles; many coarse prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and common medium prominent red (10R 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the BC horizons is 0 to 30 inches).
TYPE LOCATION: Brazos County, Texas; from intersection of Texas 21 and Texas Highway 6 (east bypass) in Bryan, 8.5 miles northeast on Texas Highway 21 to Kurten; 2.9 miles east and north on Democrat Road; 0.7 mile east on semiprivate road; 200 feet south in pasture.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. The epipedon typically ranges from 10 to 18 inches thick; however, more than 50 percent of the pedon is less than 15 inches thick. In subsoil troughs it is up to 22 inches thick, and on subsoil crests it is less than 6 inches thick in some pedons. Clay content of the particle size control section is about 48 percent and ranges from 45 to 55 percent. COLE ranges from .07 to .12 in the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon. Base saturation is 75 to 90 percent in some part of the Bt horizon.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2 or 3. The E horizon is 1 or 2 units of value or chroma higher than the A horizon. The A and E horizons are fine sandy loam, in the fine earth fraction. In some pedons, they contain as much as 65 percent siliceous pebbles. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid except where limed. The boundary between the E and Bt horizon is abrupt over the subsoil crests and clear in subsoil troughs.
A BE horizon, 1 to 7 inches thick but typically less than 3 inches thick, is present in most pedons. Texture is fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. It is thickest in subsoil troughs and absent or thinnest on subsoil crests.
The Btss or Bt horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7 and chroma of 2 to 6. They have few to many redoximorphic features in shades of red, gray, brown or yellow. Some pedons have matrix that are dominated by redoximorphic features of these colors. Texture is mainly clay, however, some lower Btss horizons are clay loam. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid in the Btss1 but ranges to neutral in the lower Btss horizons.
The Btg horizons, where present, have hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7 and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown or yellow range from few to many. Texture is mainly sandy clay loam or clay loam, but some pedons have clay texture. Reaction ranges form strongly acid to neutral.
The BCtg horizon is in shades of gray or grayish brown with masses of iron accumulation in shades of red, yellow or brown. Texture is sandy clay loam, loam or clay loam. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The C horizon, where present, is sandy clay loam, clay loam, or clay and typically contains thin strata of shale or weakly consolidated sandstone. Reaction ranges from medium acid to moderately alkaline. Gypsum crystals and calcium carbonate concretions are in the BC and C horizons of some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Lufkin and Mabank series. Similar soils are the Axtell, Bremond, Chazos, Crockett, Crosstell, Kurten, Navo, Rader, Straber and Zulch soils. Lufkin soils have dominant chroma of 2 or less. Mabank, Axtell, Bremond, Crockett, Crosstell, Kurten, Navo, and Zulch series have epipedons less than 10 inches thick in more than 50 percent of the pedon. In addition, Axtell, Crosstell, and Kurten soils typically have redder hue in the Bt1 horizon. Bremond and Crockett soils are moderately acid to neutral in the upper Bt horizon. Crosstell, Crockett, and Kurten soils have solum 40 to 60 inches thick over geologic materials. Chazos and Straber soils have mixed mineralogy and a loamy fine sand surface layer. Navo soils do not have an abrupt texture change between the A to Bt horizon. Zulch soils have sola from 30 to 40 inches thick. Rader soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tabor soils are on stream terraces and terrace remnants on uplands. These soil areas are typically 50 to 250 feet above present streams. Slopes are mainly less than 3 percent and range from 0 to 5 percent. The soil formed in loamy and clayey sediments. Mean annual temperature ranges from 66 to 70 degrees F., and mean annual precipitation ranges from 34 to 40 inches. Frost free days range from 240 to 270 days, and elevation ranges from 200 to 400 feet. Thornthwaite P-E indices ranges from 54 to 66.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Axtell, Crockett, Lufkin, and Rader series. Axtell and Rader soils are on similar positions. Crockett soils are on slightly higher positions. Lufkin soils are on slightly concave and lower positions in the landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is low on slopes less than 1 percent, medium on 1 to 3 percent slopes, and high on 3 to 5 percent slopes. Internal drainage is very slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Extensively cultivated in the past, but now mostly in unimproved pasture. Some areas are farmed to cotton, grain sorghum, peanuts, and corn. Native vegetation is bunch grasses such as bluestems, Indiangrass, and Purple top. Common trees consist of post oak, blackjack oak, elm, and hackberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in east central Texas. The soil is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Angelina County, Texas; 1903.
REMARKS: Classification change from Udertic Paleustalfs to Oxyaquic Vertic Paleustalfs based on recognition that these soils have short periods of iron reduction and oxidation evidenced by small zones of iron concentration and diffuse zones of iron depletion within 40 inches of the surface. In addition, associated soils have demonstrated the same micromorphological responses to short periods of oxidation and, to a lesser extent, reduction.
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 14 inches. (Ap and E horizons)
Argillic horizon - 14 to 80 inches. (Bt, Btg, and BCtg horizons)
Abrupt textural change between the E and Bt1 horizon.
Vertic features - COLE greater than 0.07.
ADDITIONAL DATA: TAMU data S87TX-041-001 and S86TX-041-02.
Soil Interpretation Record No.: TX0001