Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F121XY022KY
Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Upland
Last updated: 10/01/2024
Accessed: 04/17/2026
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General information
Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 121X–Kentucky Bluegrass
General: MLRA 121 is in Kentucky (83 percent), southern Ohio (11 percent), and southern Indiana (6 percent). It makes up about 10,680 square miles (27,670 square kilometers). The cities of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, Frankfort, and Lexington, Kentucky, are in this area.
Physiography: This area is primarily in the Lexington Plain Section of the Interior Low Plateaus Province of the Interior Plains.
Soils: The dominant soil orders in MLRA 121 are Alfisols, Inceptisols, and Mollisols. The soils in the area dominantly have a mesic soil temperature regime, an udic soil moisture regime, and mixed mineralogy. They are shallow to very deep, generally well-drained, and loamy or clayey. Hapludalfs formed in residuum on hills and ridges (Beasley, Cynthiana, Eden, Faywood, Lowell, and McAfee series) and in loess over residuum on hills and ridges (Carmel and Shelbyville series). Paleudalfs (Crider and Maury series) formed in loess or other silty sediments over residuum on hills and ridges. Fragiudalfs (Nicholson series) formed in loess over residuum on ridges. Hapludolls formed in residuum on hills and ridges (Fairmount series) and in alluvium on floodplains (Huntington series). Eutrudepts (Nolin series) formed in alluvium on flood plains.
Geology: Most of this area has an Ordovician-age limestone that has been brought to the surface in the Jessamine Dome, a high part of a much larger structure called the Cincinnati Arch. The strata of limestone have a propensity to form caves and karst topography. Younger units of thin-bedded shale, siltstone, and limestone occur at the eastern and western edges of the area.
The area has no coal-bearing units. Pleistocene-age loess deposits cover most of the bedrock units in this MLRA, and some glacial lake sediments are at the surface in the northwest corner of the area. Unconsolidated alluvium is deposited in the river valleys.Classification relationships
Wet depression forest (Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission, 2009)
Ecological site concept
The Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Upland ecological site is characterized by somewhat poorly drained soils with a fragipan. Representative soils include: Johsburg, Lawrence.
Sites are located mainly on upland flats although some may be found on terraces in a few counties.
This group will be split further based on drainage upon future field work.
Plant species, especially the understory forbs, herbs, vines, and shrubs, are those that prefer a moist to wet environment. Based on a GIS analysis utilizing current soil (SSURGO 2015) and aerial photography coverages, over 95% of these sites in MLRA 121 are cropland, pasture, urban, highly disturbed or successional woodlands; therefore, the exact characteristics of a true historic reference community is difficult to accurately define. Historical records research and field studies would be required to develop a restoration plan for conservation purposes.
Native forest for these areas would likely have been a mix of water-tolerant oaks, black willow, sweetgum, cottonwood, American sycamore, green ash, red maple, and American beech.
State 2: Pasture
Phase 2.1: Managed Pasture.
Plant species dominants: Schedonorus arundinaceus (tall fescue)
Phase 2.2: Minimally Managed Pasture. Plant species dominants: Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)- Rubus spp. /Schedonorus arundinaceus (tall fescue)-Eutrochium spp. (joe pye weed)
Phase 2.3: Native Grass Pasture. Plant species dominants: Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) - Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem)
State: 3 – Transitional (Abandoned) Field
Phases 3.1: Acer saccharinum-Platanus occidentalis /Rosa multiflora- Rubus spp. /Schedonorus arundinaceus
State: 4. Old Cropfield Pioneer Woodland
Phase 4.1: Plant species dominants: henbit deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule)- mouse-eared chickweed (Cerastium L.)
State 5, Phase 5.1: Plant species dominants: Zea spp. – Glycine spp.
Plants on these sites will be dependent upon seeding and management. Most common crops are corn and soybeans. Due to the drainage issues on these soil, many have been tiled extensively to facilitate crop production.Associated sites
F121XY023KY Well Drained & Moderately Well Drained Fragipan Upland
Well Drained and Moderately well Drained Fragipan Upland
Similar sites
F121XY017KY Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terrace
Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terrace
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree (1) Liquidambar styraciflua
(2) Acer rubrumShrub (1) Asimina triloba
Herbaceous (1) Boehmeria cylindrica
(2) Pilea pumila
