LOCATION BONSAI FL
Established Series
Rev. JNS; WGH; GRB
10/2018
BONSAI SERIES
The Bonsai series consists of very deep, very poorly drained, moderately rapidly permeable soils on low broad channels of wide, shallow, intermittent streams on low Coastal Plain surfaces in North Florida. They formed in recent sandy and loamy alluvium. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 68 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 56 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Siliceous, thermic Typic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Bonsai mucky fine sand, in a dwarf cypress swamp. (Colors are for moist soil)
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) mucky fine sand; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; few fine and medium roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary; (2 to 5 inches thick).
C1--3 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand; single grained; loose; few fine roots; few fine distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
C2--11 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sand; single grained; loose; common medium roots, many coarse roots; few fine distinct olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of C1 and C2 horizons ranges from 25 to 50 inches)
Cg1--36 to 46 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy fine sand; massive; very friable; few fine roots, common medium and coarse roots; thin strata of grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Cg2--46 to 65 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) fine sand; single grained; loose; thin strata of moderately decomposed organic matter including leaves and woody material; strata of greenish gray (5GY 5/1) sandy loam; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Cg1 and Cg2 horizons ranges from 20 to 50 inches)
2Cg--65 to 80 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) sandy loam; massive; friable; thin strata of moderately decomposed organic matter; strata of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand; few very soft white (10YR 8/1) fragments of mollusk shells; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Florida. In Tates Hell Swamp, approximately 4.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 98 at Marsh Point. 1,800 feet north and 1,900 feet west of southeast corner of Sec. 25, T. 7 S., R. 6 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral in the A and C horizons, and from moderately acid to moderately alkaline in the Cg and 2Cg horizons. Most pedons have a thick mat of medium and coarse roots in the C2 horizon and abruptly ending in or above the Cg1 horizon. Organic carbon content is greater than 0.2 percent in all horizons except the 2Cg horizon. Thin strata of sandy loam or finer, typically less than 0.5 inch in thickness, are within 40 inches of the soil surface.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, or their mucky analogs.
The AC horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is fine sand or loamy fine sand.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 or 3. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, or gray range from none to common. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5GY, value of 4 to 6, and chroma 1 or 2. Strata of alternating textures and/or organic matter including leaves and woody debris are commonly 0.5 to 3.0 inches thick. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
The 2Cg horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5Y to 5GY, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1. Few fragments of soft white mollusk shells range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known soils in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bonsai soils are on low broad channels of wide, shallow, intermittent streams on low Coastal Plain surfaces of North Florida. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. They formed in recent sandy fluvial deposits over loamy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual temperature ranges from 66 to 70 degrees F., and the average annual rainfall ranges from 51 to 61 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Harbeson,
Meadowbrook, and
Scranton soils. These soils do not have stratification indicative of recent deposition. Harbeson and Meadowbrook soils are on similar to slightly higher positions and have sandy surface and subsurface layers 40 to 80 inches thick. In addition, Harbeson soils have umbric epipedons. The poorly drained Scranton soils are on slightly higher positions and are sandy throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in natural vegetation. The native vegetation consists of dwarf baldcypress with few other tree species, but may include scattered slash pine, Carolina water ash, and sweetbay. The sparse understory includes pitcher plants, corkwood, St. Johns wort, swamp cyrilla, black titi, waxmyrtle, sphagnum moss, and water tolerant grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Bonsai soils are of small extent and known to occur only in dwarf bald cypress swamps in North Florida.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Florida, 1990.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon the zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon).
Fluventic properties - fine stratification of alternating textures and organic matter. Thin strata having textures of sandy loam or finer are within 40 inches of the soil surface.
A high water table is at or slightly above the surface for 2 to 4 months annually and within 20 inches of the surface for the remainder of the year. Flooding occurs primarily from December to March but may occur during any time of the year after heavy local rainfall.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.