LOCATION BISCAYNE FL

Established Series
Rev. JDS; CAW; GRB
05/2021

BISCAYNE SERIES

The Biscayne series consists of shallow, poorly and very poorly drained, moderately or moderately rapidly permeable soils over limestone in fresh water and tidal marshes and sloughs, as well as in broad, low, coastal flats and elongated sloughs in Southern Peninsular Florida. They formed in recent calcareous deposits of dominantly silt sized sediments that precipitated from marine or fresh water. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 74 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 63 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, carbonatic, isohyperthermic, shallow Typic Fluvaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Biscayne (marl) silt loam in cropland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 5 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) marl with a texture of silt loam; moderate medium granular structure parting to weak fine granular; very friable; few very fine and fine continuous pores; few fine roots; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 12 inches thick)

Cg1--5 to 9 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) marl with a texture of silt loam; moderate medium angular blocky structure; friable; few fine continuous pores; few fine roots; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.

Cg2--9 to 15 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) marl with a texture of silt loam; moderate medium angular blocky structure; friable; few fine continuous pores; common fine roots; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; abrupt irregular boundary. (Total thickness of the Cg horizon ranges from 2 to 12 inches)

2R--15+ inches; hard, porous, oolitic limestone.

TYPE LOCATION: Dade County, Florida; approximately 0.25 miles south of North Canal, about 700 feet west of power line, and about 1,500 feet south and 2,100 feet west of the northeast corner of Sec. 27, T. 57 S.; R. 39 E. Longitude 80 degrees 25 minutes 8 seconds N.; Latitude 25 degrees 27 minutes 38 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil thickness and depth to limestone ranges from 1 to 20 inches. Reaction ranges from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline throughout. This soil ranges from nonsaline to moderately saline throughout.

The Oa horizon, where present, has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is muck.

The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 3 or less. Where the matrix value is 3.5 or less, thickness of the A horizon is less than 7 inches, or less than 4 inches if the A horizon lies directly on bedrock. Redoximorphic depletions in shades of gray range from none to common. Calcium carbonate equivalencies range from 70 to nearly 100 percent. Content of limestone pebbles range from 0 to 35 percent, by volume. Content of limestone fragments, 2.0 mm to 7.5 cm in diameter, in rock plowed or mechanically scarified areas, predominantly is 15 to 25 percent by volume, but ranges up to 35 percent. Whole snail shells and shell fragments from sand-sized to 3.0 cm range from none to common. Texture is marl with a texture of silt loam, silt, or their gravelly analogues.

The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 3 or less. Streaks and pockets of organic carbon accumulation range from none to common. Discontinuous lenses and pockets of muck occur in some pedons. In some pedons, a thin discontinuous layer of noncalcareous silt loam, mucky silt loam or silty clay loam with values of 2 or 3 and chroma of 3 or less occurs within or below the Cg horizon. Calcium carbonate equivalencies range from 80 to nearly 100 percent. Whole snail shells and shell fragments from sand-sized up to 3.0 cm range from none to common. Texture is marl with a texture of silt loam or silt.

The 2R horizon is oolitic limestone with a smooth to irregular surface. Solution holes several inches to several feet in width, and up to 3 feet in depth, range from none to common.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Biscayne soils are in fresh water and tidal marshes and sloughs as well as in broad low coastal flats and elongated sloughs in Southern Peninsular Florida. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. They formed in recent, calcareous deposits of dominantly silt sized sediments that precipitated from marine or fresh water. They are underlain by oolitic limestone, of Pleistocene Age. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 60 to 65 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 73 to 75 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Chekika, Dania, Hallandale, Krome, Lauderhill, Pennsuco, Perrine, and Tamiami series. Chekika and Krome soils are on higher positions and are loamy-skeletal. In addition, Chekika soils are somewhat poorly drained and Krome soils are moderately well drained and have less than 50 percent silt in their fine earth fractions. The very poorly drained Dania, Lauderhill and Tamiami soils are on similar positions. In addition, Dania soils have shallow organic layers over limestone while Lauderhill and Tamiami soils have moderately deep organic layers over limestone. Hallandale soils are on similar to slightly higher positions and are composed of shallow sand deposits over limestone. The poorly drained Perrine soils are on similar positions and are moderately deep to soft limestone. Pennsuco soils are on similar positions and are deep to limestone.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly and very poorly drained; moderately rapid or moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas of this soil have been drained and are used for growing vegetable and grain crops, and ornamental trees and shrubs. The native vegetation consists of sawgrass, cattail, primrose willow, sabal palm, buttonbush, bonesets, gulf muhly, broomsedge, and a variety of other water tolerant sedges and grasses. Calcium carbonate crusted paraphyton covers the soil surface in many fresh water areas. Exotic tree species, including Brazilian Pepper, Australian Pine, and melaleuca have become established in many disturbed areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Coastal Florida and the Florida Everglades. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dade County, Florida; 1990. This soil is named for nearby Biscayne Bay.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 5 inches (Ap horizon).

Carbonatic feature: Calcium carbonate equivalent ranging from 70 percent to almost 100 percent.

Shallow depth: Oolitic limestone at 15 inches (2R horizon).

This soil was mapped as Perrine marl, shallow phase and Perrine marl, very shallow phase in the 1947 soil survey of Dade County. Previously correlated Perrine Variant soils (FL 8002) will be included in this series.

Should current proposals to amend soil taxonomy be adopted, these soils would classify as "marly hyperthermic Lithic Limnaquents".

In natural areas, the water table is at or above the surface for 4 to 6 months during most years. In areas where water control measures have been applied, the water table is within 10 inches of the surface for 4 to 6 months during most years, and remains between depths of 10 and 36 inches the rest of the year.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization and Engineering test data is available for this pedon. S85FL-025-001 (1-3)676 and S85FL-025-002 (1-3)677 samples by NSSL, Lincoln, NE.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.