**3.3 Amagon and Calhoun Alfisol Assemblage**

The Amagon (Typic Endoaqualf) pedon and the Calhoun (Typic Glossaqualf) pedon possess A-E-Btg horizon sequences showing extensive redoximorphic features supportive of their poor-drained status (**Table 5**). These pedons have a relatively high cation exchange capacity, reflecting the abundance of smectite in the clay separate (X-ray diffraction data not presented). The near surface horizons have a very strongly acid or strongly acid reaction, transitioning to a slightly alkaline to neutral reactions in the argillic horizons (**Table 6**). The Amagon pedon also exhibits an elevated exchangeable sodium percentage in the argillic horizon.


#### **Table 5.**

*Morphological and physical properties of the Amagon and Calhoun pedons.*


#### **Table 6.**

*Chemical properties of the Amagon and Calhoun pedons.*

*Integrating Ecological Site Descriptions with Soil Morphology to Optimize Forest Management… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97251*

For the Amagon-Calhoun assemblage the corresponding provisional ecological site descriptions are (i) the Wet Footslope Forest (F134XY014MO) for the Calhoun soil series and (ii) the Northern Wet Alluvial Flat (F134XY020AL) for the Amagon soil series. The reference state for the Wet Footslope Forest is a wet-Mesic Bottomland forest with an overstory dominated by bur oak (*Quercus macrocarpa*), cherrybark oak (*Quercus pagoda*), willow oak (*Quercus phellos*), sweetgum (*Liquidambar*), pin oak (*Quercus palustris*), nuttall oak (*Quercus texana*), water oak (*Quercus nigra*), American elm (*Ulmus americana*), sugarberry (*Celtis laevigata*), and green ash (*Fraxinus pennsylvanica*), an understory dominated by blue beech (*Carpinus caroliniana*), spicebush (*Lindera benzoin*), and Ohio buckeye (*Aesculus glabra*), and a rich herbaceous ground flora.

The Northern Wet Alluvial Flat ecological site description has mature tree stands consisting of overcup oak (*Quercus lyrate*), willow oak (*Quercus phellos*), water hickory (*Carya aquatica*), and occasional bald cypress (*Taxodium distichum*), and water tupelo (*Nyssa aquatica*) on the lowest and wettest land positions. The reference state is the wet bottom land forest dominated by overcup oak (*Quercus lyrate*) and water hickory (*Carya aquatica*). The altered or managed states include (i) post large scale disturbance with mixed species regrowth forest, (ii) timber management, usually involving overcup oak (*Quercus lyrate*) and water hickory (*Carya aquatica*), (iii) pastureland, and (iv) row-crop agriculture.
