LOCATION HUBLERSBURG PA

Established Series
Rev. EJM-GDM
7/86

HUBLERSBURG SERIES

The Hublersburg series consists of very deep, well drained soils. They formed in residuum weathered from impure limestone. They are on convex upland slopes of 0 to 35 percent. Permeability is moderate. Mean annual precipitation is 41 inches. Mean annual temperature is 52 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, illitic, mesic Typic Hapludults

TYPICAL PEDON: Hublersburg gravelly silt loam, on 3 to 8 percent northwest facing convex slopes in an apple orchard. (Colors are for moist soil.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly silt loam; moderate very fine granular structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 15 percent rock fragments; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)

E--8 to 14 inches, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly silt loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 15 percent rock fragments; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

BE--14 to 21 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, plastic; 10 percent rock fragments; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)

Bt1--21 to 35 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) channery silty clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)

Bt2--35 to 46 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly silty clay; moderate coarse blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; common faint clay films and common distinct black coatings on faces of peds; 15 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)

Bt3--46 to 55 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) silty clay; moderate coarse blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; many faint clay films and common distinct black coatings on faces of peds; 5 percent rock fragments; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)

Bt4--55 to 65 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silty clay; moderate coarse blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; many faint clay films and common distinct black coatings on faces of peds; 5 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)

Bt5--65 to 74 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay; moderate coarse blocky structure, firm, sticky, plastic; many prominent clay films and common distinct black coatings on faces of peds; 5 percent rock fragments; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania; Tell township, 7 and 1/2 miles northeast on PA 35 from intersection of PA 641 in Shade Gap, 80 feet west of utility pole number 14, 20 feet south in orchard.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 60 inches or more. Depth to bedrock is more than 6 feet. Rock fragments, dominantly of chert but also of sandstone and shale, range from 2 to 25 percent by volume in individual horizons. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid throughout the soil unless limed.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 through 4. Fine-earth texture is silt loam. Some eroded pedons are silty clay loam.

The E horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 4 through 8. Fine-earth texture is silt loam or silty clay loam.

The BE or BA horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. Fine-earth textures are silt loam or silty clay loam.

The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. Fine-earth textures are silty clay loam, silty clay, and clay.

The C horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 4 through 8. Fine-earth textures are silt loam and silty clay loam.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. Agnos, Christian, Duffield, Edom, Frankstown, Groseclose, Hagerstown and Mertz are related fields. Agnos, Frankstown, Groseclose and Mertz soils have mixed mineralogy. Christian soils have kaolinitic minerology. Edom, Hagerstown and Duffield soils have more than 35 percent base saturation. GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hublersburg soils are on nearly level to steep convex upland slopes. Slopes range from 0 to 35 percent. They formed in residuum weathered from cherty limestone. Climate is humid and temperate. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 36 to 45 inches; mean annual temperature ranges from 47 to 57 degrees F., and the frost free season ranges from 140 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:Clarksburg, Elliber, Evendale, Kramer, Morrison, Opequon, Penlaw, Thorndale, and the closely related soils of Frankstown, Hagerstown and Mertz are on nearby uplands. Lindside, Melvin, Newark and Nolin are on adjoining floodplains. Clarksburg, Kramer and Lindside soils are moderately well drained. Eliber soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the textural control section. Evendale, Penlaw and Newark soils are somewhat poorly drained. Morrison soils have less than 35 percent clay in the textural control section. Opequon soils have more than 35 percent base saturation. Melvin and Thorndale soils are poorly drained. Nolin soils do not have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY. Well drained. Surface runoff is medium to very rapid. Permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Approximately 80 percent of the Hublersburg soils are cultivated or in pasture, 15 percent are wooded, mostly mixed hardwood and 5 percent are in non-agricultural uses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and south central Pennsylvania. The series is of small extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE:Morgantown, West Virginia

SERIES ESTABLISHED:Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, 1974.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
a. Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 21 inches (Ap, E, and BE horizons).
b. Argillic horizon - the zone from 21 to 74 inches (Bt horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data are available for three pedons from Pennsylvania; 564-PA-14-12(1-9), 567-PA-31-12(1-11), from the type location 567-PA-31-13(1-8).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.