Breakneck soil and landscape
Soil profile: The Breakneck series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils. They formed in residuum affected by soil creep in the upper part, and weathered from low-grade metasedimentary rocks, primarily metasandstone. (Soil Survey of Graham County, North Carolina; by Brian Wood and Southern Blue Ridge Soil Survey Office, Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Landscape: A high mountain grassy bald on Huckleberry Knob in an area of Breakneck-Pullback complex, windswept, 15 to 30 percent slopes, very rocky. Areas such as this are highly desirable for wildlife and were once used as summer pasture.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, frigid Typic Humudepts
Breakneck soils are on strongly sloping to very steep summits and side slopes in the high elevations of the Southern Blue Ridge mountains, MLRA 130B. Slope ranges from 8 to 95 percent. Solum thickness and depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The content of rock fragments is less than 35 percent by volume throughout. Reaction is extremely acid to strongly acid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage is in public ownership and is used for watershed protection, recreation, and wildlife habitat. In areas higher than about 5,400 feet, red spruce and fraser fir are the dominant trees. At the lower elevations, northern red oak, chestnut oak, American beech, yellow birch, black cherry, sugar maple, eastern hemlock, and yellow buckeye are common trees. Common understory plants are serviceberry, striped maple, American chestnut sprouts, silverbell, pin cherry, rhododendron, flame azalea, and blueberry. Common forbs are hay-scented fern, woodfern, New York fern, Solomons seal, yellow mandarin, and trillium. A small acreage is covered by heath balds. These balds are vegetated with rhododendron, mountain laurel, blueberry, flame azalea, hawthorn, and mountain ash. Vegetation ranges for spruce/fur to northern hard woods, heath and grass balds.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Higher elevations of the Southern Blue Ridge mountains, MLRA 130B of Tennessee and North Carolina. This series is of moderate extent.
For additional information about the survey area, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/north_carolina...
For a detailed description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/B/BREAKNECK.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
Breakneck soil and landscape
Soil profile: The Breakneck series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils. They formed in residuum affected by soil creep in the upper part, and weathered from low-grade metasedimentary rocks, primarily metasandstone. (Soil Survey of Graham County, North Carolina; by Brian Wood and Southern Blue Ridge Soil Survey Office, Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Landscape: A high mountain grassy bald on Huckleberry Knob in an area of Breakneck-Pullback complex, windswept, 15 to 30 percent slopes, very rocky. Areas such as this are highly desirable for wildlife and were once used as summer pasture.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, frigid Typic Humudepts
Breakneck soils are on strongly sloping to very steep summits and side slopes in the high elevations of the Southern Blue Ridge mountains, MLRA 130B. Slope ranges from 8 to 95 percent. Solum thickness and depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The content of rock fragments is less than 35 percent by volume throughout. Reaction is extremely acid to strongly acid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage is in public ownership and is used for watershed protection, recreation, and wildlife habitat. In areas higher than about 5,400 feet, red spruce and fraser fir are the dominant trees. At the lower elevations, northern red oak, chestnut oak, American beech, yellow birch, black cherry, sugar maple, eastern hemlock, and yellow buckeye are common trees. Common understory plants are serviceberry, striped maple, American chestnut sprouts, silverbell, pin cherry, rhododendron, flame azalea, and blueberry. Common forbs are hay-scented fern, woodfern, New York fern, Solomons seal, yellow mandarin, and trillium. A small acreage is covered by heath balds. These balds are vegetated with rhododendron, mountain laurel, blueberry, flame azalea, hawthorn, and mountain ash. Vegetation ranges for spruce/fur to northern hard woods, heath and grass balds.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Higher elevations of the Southern Blue Ridge mountains, MLRA 130B of Tennessee and North Carolina. This series is of moderate extent.
For additional information about the survey area, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/north_carolina...
For a detailed description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/B/BREAKNECK.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit: