LOCATION BIMINI FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Oxyaquic Alorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Bimini sand on a 1 percent slope in a wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil.)
A--0 to 6 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sand; single grained; loose; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
E--6 to 28 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sand; single grained; loose; common fine and medium roots; common very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) stains along root channels; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (22 to 36 inches thick)
BE--28 to 32 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; common very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) stains along root channels; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bh--32 to 41 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) sand; moderate medium granular structure; friable; very weakly cemented in about 60 percent of lower third of the horizon; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick)
Bt--41 to 46 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sandy loam; common medium distinct reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) and common medium distinct olive (5Y 5/4) masses of organic carbon and iron accumulation; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
2C--46 to 80 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly coarse sand; single grained; loose; about 30 percent, by volume, coquina shell fragments up to 0.25 inch in diameter; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Flagler County, Florida; approximately 2.0 miles north of intersection of State Road 100 and Roberts Road, about 25 feet west of Roberts Road, about 2,800 feet south and 3,000 feet east of the northwest corner of Sec. 35, T. 11 S.; R. 31 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 35 to 75 inches. Soil reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid in the A, E, and Bh horizons and from very strongly acid to neutral in the Bt horizon. Reaction of the 2C horizon ranges from neutral to slightly alkaline.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The BE horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Bh horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 3. This horizon is a mixture of loose coquina shell and fragments of shell and sand. In some pedons, shell and sand are stratified.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cassia, Electra, Narcoossee, Newnan, Pomello, and Zolfo series in the same family. Cassia, Narcoossee, and Newnan soils have spodic horizons within 30 inches of the surface. In addition, Cassia soils are on slightly lower positions and do not have underlying argillic horizons, Narcoossee soils are on similar positions and do not have argillic horizons, and Newnan soils are on similar positions. Electra soils are on similar positions but do not have gravel in the profile. The somewhat poorly drained and moderately well drained Pomello soils are on similar to higher positions and do not have argillic horizons below the Spodic horizon. Zolfo soils have Spodic horizons below 50 inches and do not have argillic horizons below the Spodic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bimini soils are on long, narrow low ridges near the Atlantic Ocean. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in moderately thick beds of sandy and loamy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual temperature ranges from 70 to 74 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Narcoossee and Pomello series and the Bulow, Cocoa, Pellicer, Turnbull, Wabasso, and Welaka series. The well drained Bulow and Coca soils are on higher positions. In addition, Bulow soils are deep to coquina bedrock and Cocoa soils are moderately deep to coquina bedrock. The very poorly drained Pellicer and Turnbull soils are on lower tidal areas and have clayey subsoils and substratum, respectively. The very poorly drained and poorly drained Wabasso soils are on lower flatwoods positions. The well drained Welaka soils are on higher positions, are sandy throughout, and have poorly defined spodic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of this soil are in woodland. A few small areas are used for planted pine or urban development. Natural vegetation consists of laurel oak, live oak, cabbage palm, hickory, sawpalmetto, yuapon, wild grape, and greenbrier.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal Peninsular Florida. These soils are of small known extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Flagler County, Florida, 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon and arenic properties - the zone from the soil surface to a depth of 32 inches (A, E, and BE horizons).
Spodic horizon - the zone from about 32 to 41 inches (Bh horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 41 to 46 inches (Bt horizon).
These soils were formerly mapped as a variant of the Electra series.
A seasonal high water table is between depths of 18 to 42 inches for 1 to 4 months in most years.