LOCATION BRIGHTON FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Dysic, hyperthermic Typic Haplohemists
TYPICAL PEDON: Brighton muck - cultivated caladiums. (Colors are for moist soil)
Oap--0 to 12 inches; black (l0YR 2/1) muck; about 40 percent fiber unrubbed and 5 percent rubbed; weak fine granular structure; loose to friable; sodium pyrophosphate brown (l0YR 4/3); extremely acid; diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Oe--12 to 80 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) mucky peat; about 25 percent fiber rubbed and 60 percent unrubbed; massive; friable; sodium pyrophosphate gray (l0YR 5/1); many identifiable plant remains of herbaceous and woody material throughout this horizon; extremely acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Highlands County, Florida; approximately 3.0 miles east of the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and County Road 621 and about 100 feet south of County Road 621. NW l/4, NE l/4, Sec. 3, R. 30 E., T. 36 S.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The organic material is more than 51 inches thick. Soil reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout. The pH is less than 4.5 in 0.OlM calcium carbonate.
The Oa or Oap horizon has hue of 5YR to l0YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 2 or less. Sodium pyrophosphate extract colors have value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 to 3. This horizon can contain significant amounts of undecomposed herbaceous and woody materials but after rubbing fiber content is less than 16 percent. The surface is variable ranging from sapric to hemic material. It is believed that the variability is due to drainage and cultivation of the material.
The Oe horizon has hue of 5YR to l0YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 6. Sodium pyrophosphate extract colors have value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1.
This horizon contains significant amounts of identifiable undecomposed herbaceous and woody materials. The horizon is dominated by hemic material which is between 35 to 75 percent fiber unrubbed and 16 to 40 percent rubbed. This layer is dominant in the control section.
The Cg horizon, where present, has hue of l0YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Textures range from fine sand to sandy clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brighton soils are in depressions and freshwater swamps and marshes. Slopes are less than 1 percent. They formed from the remains of woody plants. The climate is humid semitropical. The average annual rainfall ranges from 50 to 60 inches and the average annual air temperature ranges from 73 to 77 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Basinger, Hontoon, Myakka, Placid, Samsula, Sanibel, Sellers, and St. Johns soils. The very poorly drained and poorly drained Basinger soils are on similar to higher positions, are sandy throughout, and have weakly expressed spodic horizons. Hontoon soils are on similar positions and have sapric material in the control section. The very poorly drained and poorly drained Myakka and St. Johns soils are on similar to higher adjacent flatwoods and have Spodic horizons. Placid soils are on similar to higher positions, are sandy throughout, and have Umbric epipedons. Samsula soils are on similar positions, are organic, and have Histic layers less than 51 inches in thickness. Sanibel soils are on similar positions, have Histic layers less than 16 inches thick over sand, and have a Humic epipedon. Sellers soils are on similar positions, are sandy throughout, and have an Umbric epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; moderately rapid to rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Brighton soil are in native vegetation of grassland with small areas of woodland. Many areas have been drained and are used for corn, truck and sod crops, caladiums, and improved pastures. Natural vegetation consists mostly of Jamaica sawgrass, prairie iris, ferns, bull-tongue, greenbriar, buttonbush, maidencane, sedges, and arrow arums in some areas, with other areas being dominated by baldcypress, red bay, white bay, and red maple.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The central and southern parts of peninsular Florida. The series is of large extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Everglades Project Area, Florida; 1945.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Histic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 80 inches (Oap and Oe horizons).
Previously classified as Typic Medifibrist. Further research and testing of the central concept of the series concludes that most soils in the Brighton series are in fact Hemists; therefore, justify the reclassification of the Brighton series. The Istokpoga series was dropped with this change in classification.
In drained areas, the water table is controlled between depths of l to 4 feet. In natural settings the water table is above the surface for 4 to 6 months in most years. This ponding condition normally occurs during the summer rainy season.