LOCATION ATOLLADERO PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Carbonatic, isohyperthermic Typic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Atolladero mucky loam--wildlife habitat (Colors are for moist soil).
Oa--0 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) muck; less than 5 percent fiber, rubbed; weak fine granular structure; very friable; slightly sticky, nonplastic; many fine pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
Cg1--2 to 20 inches; dark greenish gray (10Y 4/1) loamy sand; massive; very friable; nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Cg2--20 to 32 inches; dark greenish gray (10Y 3/1) loamy sand; massive; very friable; nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; common medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) masses of iron accumulation; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Cg3--32 to 60 inches; greenish black (10Y 2.5/1) loamy sand; massive; very friable; nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Approximately 2.45 miles northwest of the city of Cabo Rojo from the intersection of P.R. Hwy. 102 and P.R. Hwy. 311, about 0.30 mile southeast of the Joyuda community on P.R. Hwy. 102 and 800 feet south of dirt road from the intersection of P.R. Hwy. 102 on wildlife habitat. USGS Puerto Real topographic quadrangle (1966); lat. 18 degrees 06 minutes 44 seconds N.; long. 67 degrees 10 minutes 47 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the profile is more than 60 inches. Depth to the gleyed horizons ranges from 2 to 3 inches. Reaction is moderately alkaline throughout.
The Oa horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1. Texture is muck.
The upper part of the Cg horizon has hue of 5Y or 10Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic accumulations in shades of brown range from common to many. Texture is loamy sand or sandy loam.
The lower part of the Cg horizon has hue of 10Y or 5GY, value of 2.5 or 3, and chroma of 1. Texture is loamy sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Atolladero soils occur near tidal marshes along the coast at elevations close to sea level on the Humid Coastal Plains MLRA. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in regolith consisting of sand-size shell fragments, quartz grains and sub rounded volcanic fragments. The climate is humid tropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 60 to 70 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 72 to 78 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Catano, Guanajibo, and Joyuda series. The excessively drained Catano soils are on higher adjacent positions. The well drained Guanajibo soils are on higher positions, have more clay in the subsoil, and have the presence of indurated plinthite. The very poorly drained Joyuda soils are on slightly lower tidal marsh positions and are Histosols.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Atolladero soils are used for wildlife habitat. The vegetation consists of Black mangrove, Coconut palm, and Shoreline seapurslane.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern humid coastal plains of Puerto Rico. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cabo Rojo Municipality, Puerto Rico; 2007. The name is from Laguna Atolladero where it was originally recognized.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (Oa horizon).
Calcareous feature - effervescence in cold dilute HC1 in the 10-40 inch control section (Cg1, Cg2, and Cg3 horizons).
Atolladero soils are in MLRA 272.
Depth to the water table ranges from 3 to 16 inches.
These soils were formerly included in Catao series.