LOCATION AGUEYBANA PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, mixed, subactive, isothermic Typic Haplohumults
TYPICAL PEDON: Agueybana clay--coffee plantation (Colors are for moist soil).
Ap--0 to 5 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; sticky, plastic; common fine and medium roots, few coarse roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; about 10 percent, by volume, pebbles; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
A--5 to 14 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; sticky, plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; about 5 percent, by volume, pebbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons range from 2 to 16 inches)
Bt1--14 to 21 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure parting to subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm; sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; common distinct clay films on face of peds; about 5 percent, by volume, pebbles; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--21 to 33 inches; red (2.5YR 4/8) clay; strong medium angular blocky structure; hard; firm; sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; many prominent clay films on face of peds; about 5 percent, by volume, pebbles; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt3--33 to 44 inches; red (2.5YR 4/8) clay; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm; sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; about 5 percent, by volume, pebbles; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
Bt4--44 to 57 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) silty clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard; firm; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine and medium tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; about 10 percent, by volume, pebbles; strongly acid; abrupt irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons ranges from 39 to 46 inches)
C--57 to 80 inches; 20 percent red (2.5YR 4/6), 20 percent reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4), 20 percent yellowish red (5YR 5/6), 20 percent yellow (10YR 7/6) and 20 percent dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly clay loam; massive; soft, friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine and medium interstitial pores; about 20 percent, by volume, pebbles; colors are indicative of parent material and are not redoximorphic features; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Yauco, Puerto Rico. Approximately 3.0 miles southeast from downtown of the community of Castaner, 2.7 miles northeast the intersection of P.R. Hwy. 372 and P.R. Hwy. 374; 1.2 miles northeast of Concepcin Farm; about 25 feet west of paved road on coffee plantation. USGS Monte Guilarte topographic quadrangle (1960); lat. 18 degrees 08 minutes 43 seconds N.; long. 66 degrees 48 minutes 35 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness range from 41 to more than 80 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 80 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid throughout, except where the surface has been limed. The combined total of rock fragments in the control section is less than 15 percent by volume.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4, and chroma of 3 to 8. Content of pebbles range from 0 to 10 percent, by volume. Texture is clay loam or clay.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10R to 5YR, value of 4, and chroma of 4 to 8. Content of pebbles range from 0 to 10 percent, by volume. Texture is clay loam, silty clay or clay.
The BC horizon, where present, has hue of 10R or 2.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 6 or 8. Content of pebbles range from 0 to 10 percent, by volume. Texture is silty clay loam, silty clay, clay loam, or clay.
The C horizon has no dominant color and is multicolored in shades of red, brown and yellow. Content of pebbles range from 5 to 25 percent, by volume. Texture is clay loam or clay in the fine earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: The Maricao series is the only known soil in the same family. Maricao soils are on similar positions but have a solum thickness that ranges from 15 to 45 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Agueybana soils are on summits and side slopes of mountains of the Humid Mountains and Valleys MLRA of southern Puerto Rico. Slopes range from 20 to 60 percent. They formed in residuum that weathered from basalt bedrock. The climate is humid tropical. The average annual precipitation is ranges from 80 to 83 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 64 to 68 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Maricao series and the Cuchillas series. Cuchillas soils are on similar positions, do not have an argillic horizon, have coarser textured control sections, and are moderately deep to volcanic rock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Agueybana soils are on used for forestland, bananas, coffee and plantains. A few small areas are used for native pasture. The vegetation consists of native and introduced grasses, shrubs, and trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Summits and side slopes of mountains of southern Puerto Rico. The series is moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yauco Municipality, Puerto Rico; 2007.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 14 inches (Ap and A horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 14 to 60 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons).
The classification was updated with the 11/2004 draft from Very-fine, kaolinitic, isothermic, Typic Kandiudox to Very-fine, mixed, isothermic Typic Haplohumults. They were formerly included in the Los Guineos series. A soils moisture and soil temperature study performed in the San German Soil Survey Area update recognized the Perudic Soil Moisture Regime in Puerto Rico, recognized the isothermic soil temperature at 750 meters above sea level (in Perudic soil moisture regime) and at 900 meters above seal level (in Udic Soil Moisture).
These soils were formerly included in the Los Guineos series.
Agueybana soils are in MLRA 270.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization pedon - Yauco Municipality, Puerto Rico; S01PR-153-001. Sample by NSSL, Lincoln, NE., 03/01.