LOCATION BAHIA PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic Typic Paleargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Bahia fine sand--wildlife habitat (Colors are for moist soil).
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) fine sand; single grained; loose, loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; few black (10YR 2/1) manganese concretions; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 17 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) loamy sand, red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; single grained; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films between mineral grains; few volcanic fragments; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--17 to 26 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) sand, red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; single grained; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films between mineral grains; few volcanic fragments; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--26 to 45 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) loamy sand, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) dry; single grained; loose; nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films between mineral grains; few volcanic fragments; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt4--45 to 60 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) fine sandy loam; massive; soft, very friable; nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films between mineral grains; few volcanic fragments; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt5--60 to 67 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) fine sandy loam; massive; soft, very friable; nonsticky, slightly plastic; few faint clay films between mineral grains; few volcanic fragments; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Approximately 1.0 mile southwest of the intersection of P.R. Hwy. 301 and P.R. Hwy. 3301; about 0.3 mile west of Pole Ojea community; about 1100 feet northwest of P.R. Hwy. 301 in wildlife habitat. USGS Cabo Rojo topographic quadrangle (1966); lat. 17 degrees 58 minutes 12 seconds N.; long. 67 degrees 11 minutes 43 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid in the A or Ap horizon and from strongly acid to neutral in the Bt horizons.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
The upper Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
The lower Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 4 to 6. Texture is sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bahia soils are on coastal plains of the Semiarid Coastal Plains MLRA of southern Puerto Rico. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. They formed in sandy marine deposits. The climate is semiarid tropical. The average annual precipitation range from 30 to 40 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 78 to 82 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Guayabo and Sosa series. Guayabo soils are on similar positions but have mixed mineralogy. Sosa soils have fine particle-size control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Bahia soils are used for wildlife habitat and urban development. Some small areas are used for pasture and cultivated crops including sorghum, corn, sweet potatoes and watermelons. The vegetation consists of native and introduced grasses and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern coastal plains of Puerto Rico. The series is small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lajas Valley, Puerto Rico; 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 inches (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 6 to 67 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4 and Bt5 horizons).
Other features - CEC is less than 24 per 100 grams clay (Bt horizons).
The Bahia series was correlated the Americus series (GA responsibility) in the Soil Survey of Lajas Valley Area, Puerto Rico, 1965. This soil does not fit the current concept of the Americus concept because it is in a thermic temperature regime. The classification was updated with the 11/2004 draft from Mixed, isohyperthermic Psammentic Paleustalfs to Sandy, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic Typic Paleargids based on laboratory data and a soil moisture study which recognize the Aridic Soil Moisture Regime in southern Puerto Rico.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization pedon - Cabo Rojo Municipality, Puerto Rico; S81PR-007-001. Sample by NSSL, Lincoln, NE., 08/1981.
Bahia soils are in MLRA 273.