LOCATION BAYAMON PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic Typic Hapludox
TYPICAL PEDON: Bayamon clay - cultivated. (Colors are for moist conditions.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine quartz sand grains; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
A/B--6 to 11 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; many fine roots; many fine quartz sand grains; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bo1--11 to 20 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular and vesicular pores; common black coatings in old root channels; few fine iron concretions; common quartz sand grains; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bo2--20 to 33 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; common fine tubular and vesicular pores; common fine quartz sand grains; few fine black sand-size particles; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bo3-33 to 47 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) clay; weak, very fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine pores; few quartz sand grains; very few fine black sand-size particles; common fine yellow (10YR 7/6) masses of iron accumulations on ped surfaces and in old root channels; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bo4-47 to 61 inches, red (10R 4/6) clay; weak, very fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine pores; few quartz sand grains; very few fine black sand-size particles; common fine yellow (10YR 7/6) iron accumulations on ped surfaces and in old root channels; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bo5-61 to 66 inches, dark red (10R 3/6) clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine tubular and vesicular pores; common fine quartz sand grains; few fine concretions; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Manati Municipio, Puerto Rico. Approximately 150 feet north of Kilometer marker 2.75 of highway 670. Manati topographic quadrangle; lat. 18 degrees 26 minutes 03 seconds N., long. 66 degrees 26 minutes 09 seconds W. PRD 1940.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum is more than 60 inches. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid throughout. Quartz sand grains range from few to many throughout.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10R to 5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, or clay. Iron concretions range from none to common.
The A/B horizon, where present, is a mix of the Ap and Bo horizons. It has hue of 2.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 4 or 6; or there is no dominant color and is a mix of the colors of the Ap and Bo horizons. Texture is clay loam or clay.
The Bo horizon has hues of 10R or 2.5YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 3 through 8. Iron concretions range from none to common in the upper part and generally decrease with depth. Redoximorphic accumulations as coatings on ped faces in shades of brown and yellow range from none to common in the lower horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Coto series in the same family. Coto soils are less strongly weathered and are strong brown in color in the middle and lower horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bayamon soils are in stable coastal plains and in valleys interspersed among the limestone hills (haystacks or pipino hills). They formed in fine-textured sediments of mixed origin. The stability of the landforms enhances the weathering processes, the leaching of bases and weatherable minerals and the accumulation of more stable minerals and sesquioxides. The climate is humid tropical. Slopes range from 2 to 12 percent. The average annual precipitation is 65 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 78 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Almirante, Matanzas, Tanama, and Vega Alta soils. Almirante and Vega Alta soils are on similar positions, have more than 5 percent, by volume, plinthite, and do not have Oxic horizons. Matanzas soils are on similar positions but are deep to limestone bedrock. Tanama soils are on higher positions of toeslopes and side slopes of the limestone hills. In addition, they are shallow to limestone bedrock and do not have an Oxic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Bayamon soils are used for cropland. Many areas are used for pasture and hayland. This soil is specially suited for pineapples.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Humid coastal plains of northern Puerto Rico. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Puerto Rico; 1936.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 11 inches (Ap and A/B horizons).
Oxic horizon - zone from 11 to 66 inches. (Bo horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization pedon: Manati Municipio, Puerto Rico. Sample number S73PR-091-001. NSSL Lab sample pedon number - 40A1257. Sample by NSSL, Lincoln, NE.
MLRA: 272.