LOCATION ALTAMIRA PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, carbonatic, isohyperthermic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Altamira gravelly clay--hayland (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise indicated).
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) gravelly clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; firm; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; about 25 percent, by volume, pebbles; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bk--8 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; sticky, plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and vesicular pores; many prominent nodules and soft masses of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
C1--14 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry; massive; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots, common fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular and vesicular pores; many prominent soft masses of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; clear smooth boundary.
C2--21 to 33 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry; massive; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular and vesicular pores; many prominent soft masses of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; gradual smooth boundary.
C3--33 to 43 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; massive; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular and vesicular pores; many prominent soft masses of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; gradual smooth boundary.
C4--43 to 54 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; massive; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots, common fine roots; many very fine tubular and vesicular pores; many prominent soft masses of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent; clear smooth boundary.
Cr--54 to 80 inches; 50 percent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) and 50 percent very pale brown (10YR 8/3) stratified soft limestone bedrock, 50 percent light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) and 50 percent very pale brown (10YR 8/3) dry; moderate medium and thick platy rock structure; few fine roots along fracture planes; stratified layers 8 to 12 inches thick; moderately alkaline; strongly effervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Approximately 3.7 miles northeast of El Combate community; southeast from the intersection of P.R. Hwy. 301 and P.R. Hwy. 303, about 0.1 mile south on P.R. Hwy. 303, and about 200 feet east of highway on hayland field. USGS Cabo Rojo topographic quadrangle (1966); lat. 17 degrees 59 minutes 30 seconds N.; long. 67 degrees 09 minutes 28 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to soft limestone bedrock range from 40 to 60 inches. Reaction is moderately alkaline throughout. Rock fragments include pebbles and cobbles composed of limestone.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 2 or 3. Content of rock fragments range from 5 to 60 percent, by volume. Texture is loam, clay loam or clay in the fine-earth fraction.
The Bk horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 3 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 6. Nodules and soft masses of calcium carbonate concretions and other features such as filaments and threads of calcium carbonate range from common to many. Content of rock fragments range from 0 to 25 percent, by volume. Texture is loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam or clay in the fine-earth fraction.
The BCk horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 4 or 6. Nodules and soft masses of calcium carbonate concretions and other features such as filaments and threads of calcium carbonate range from common to many. Content of rock fragments range from 0 to 25 percent, by volume. Textures are similar to the Bk horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 6 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 6. Content of rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent, by volume. Texture is loam, silt loam or clay loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Cr horizon is composed of soft limestone bedrock. It has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 6 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 6. It can be excavated with difficulty with hand tools, and is rippable by mechanized equipment.
COMPETING SERIES: These are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Altamira soils are on ridge tops, summits, and side slopes in uplands of the limestone hills of the Semiarid Mountains and Valleys MLRA of southern Puerto Rico. Slopes range from 2 to 60 percent. They formed in material weathered from soft limestone bedrock. The climate is tropical semiarid. The average annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 36 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 78 to 82 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Duey, San German, and Tuque series. These soils are not Aridisols. Duey and San German soils are on similar positions, but are shallow to soft limestone bedrock. Tuque soils are on similar positions and have a petrocalcic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Altamira soils are used for hayland and pastureland. The vegetation consists mainly of Huracan grass. Other vegetation consists of Mesquite and other xerophytic grasses and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Uplands of the semiarid mountains and valleys of southern Puerto Rico. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Puerto Rico; 2007.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 8 inches (Ap horizon).
Calcic horizon - the zone from 8 to 14 inches (Bk horizon).
These soils were formerly included in the Aguilita series. A soil moisture study performed in the San Germn Area Soil Survey Update recognized the Aridic Soil Moisture Regime in southern Puerto Rico.
Altamira soils are in MLRA 271.