LOCATION BLICHTON FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, semiactive, hyperthermic Arenic Plinthic Paleaquults
TYPICAL PEDON: Blichton sand--pasture. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; very dark gray (N 3/0) sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; few pebbles of ironstone and weathered phosphatic nodules; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
E--5 to 26 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sand; single grained; loose; common fine and medium roots; common ironstone pebbles and weathered phosphatic nodules; few fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) streaks and few coarse faint light gray (l0YR 7/1) areas of iron depletions along root channels; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (16 to 30 inches thick)
BEg--26 to 30 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy loam; moderate medium and coarse granular structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; few fine sand bodies; common ironstone pebbles and weathered phosphatic nodules; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Btvgl--30 to 45 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) sandy clay loam; moderate medium angular and subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; common faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; about 12 percent, by volume, plinthite nodules; few ironstone pebbles and weathered phosphatic nodules; few rod-shaped siliceous bodies about 0.25 inch in diameter and 1 to 2 inches in length; common coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) and yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btvg2--45 to 65 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) sandy clay loam; gray (N 5/0) crushed; moderate medium angular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; about 10 percent, by volume, plinthite nodules; common medium ironstone pebbles; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation and few fine distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) areas of iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btvg horizon ranges from 28 to 44 inches)
BCg--65 to 77 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) sandy clay loam; weak subangular blocky structure; friable; very strongly acid; few medium light gray (10YR 7/1) lenses of sandy loam; common fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; gradual wavy boundary. (l0 to 14 inches thick)
Cg--77 to 81 inches; gray (N 5/0) stratified sandy loam, loamy sand, and sandy clay loam; massive; friable; common medium to coarse yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Marion County, Florida; approximately 2.5 miles southwest of Ocala, about 0.9 miles west northwest of the intersection of Buffington Road and SR 475. SW 1/4, NE 1/4, Sec. 38; R. 22 E., T. 15 S. Cataline De Jesus Hijuelos Grant.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid in the A and E horizons and from extremely acid to strongly acid in the Bt, Btv, BC, and C horizons.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 3 or 4. Pebbles of ironstone range from few to common. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 5 or 6. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, or gray range from none to common. Pebbles of ironstone range from few to common. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The BE horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 4 to 6. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow, brown, and red range from none to common. Pebbles of ironstone range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
The Bt horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 4 to 6. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, red, or gray range from none to common. Content of plinthite ranges from 0 to 4 percent, by volume. Pebbles of ironstone range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam or sandy clay loam.
The Btv horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 4 to 6. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, red, or gray range from none to common. Content of plinthite ranges from 5 to 25 percent, by volume, at depths of 30 to 48 inches below the soil surface. Texture is sandy loam, sandy clay loam, or sandy clay.
The BC horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 or less. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, red, or gray range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam or sandy clay loam with lenses of coarser textured material.
The C horizon, where present, has the same range of colors and redoximorphic features as the BC horizon. Fragments of siliceous rock or leached phosphatic rock 2 to 76 mm in size is in some pedons, but comprise less than 5 percent by volume. Texture is stratified loamy sand, sandy loam, and sandy clay loam. Some pedons have textures of a sandy clay or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There is no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Blichton soils are on uplands of the Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. They formed in thick beds of loamy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The mean annual precipitation range from 50 to 60 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 70 to 74 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Bivans, Boardman, Flemington, Kanapaha, Kendrick, Lochloosa, Martel, Micanopy, Nobleton, and Wacahoota series. Bivans, Boardman, and Flemington have less than 20 inches of sandy surface and subsurface layers. In addition, Bivans and Flemington soils are on similar positions and have smectitic control sections, and Boardman soils are on similar to lower positions. Kanapaha soils are on similar positions and have sandy surface and subsurface layers 40 to 80 inches in thickness. The well drained Kendrick soils are on similar to higher positions and have less than 5 percent, by volume, plinthite in the subsoil. The somewhat poorly drained Lochloosa and Nobleton soils are on similar to higher positions and contain less than 5 percent, by volume, plinthite in the subsoil. The very poorly drained Martel soils are on lower positions, have smectitic subsoils, and have less than 20 inches of sandy surface and subsurface horizons. The somewhat poorly drained Micanopy soils are on similar to higher positions, have mixed mineralogy clayey subsoils, and have less than 20 inches of sandy surface and subsurface horizons. In addition, Nobleton soils have clayey mixed control sections. Wacahoota soils are on similar to lower positions and have less than 5 percent, by volume, plinthite in the subsoil and have 15 to 35 percent gravel, by volume in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; moderately slow to slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of this soil is in forest. Many areas have been cleared and are used for improved pasture with small areas being used for growing watermelons, peanuts, corn, tomatoes, oranges, and grapefruit. The native vegetation consists of sweetgum, magnolia, hickory, live oak, laurel oak, red maple, dogwood, pineland threeawn, slash pine, longleaf pine, and loblolly pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hillsborough County, Florida; 1961.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 26 inches (Ap and E horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 26 to 77 inches (Beg, Btvg1, Btvg2, BCg horizons).
Plinthic feature - the zone from 30 inches to 65 inches (Btvg1 and Btvg2 horizons).
The water table is perched in and above the loamy subsoil during wet periods.
In undrained areas, these soils have a water table at depths of less than l0 inches for cumulative periods of 1 to 4 months during most years. In the drier season it recedes to depths of more than 40 inches. Soils that have more than 2 percent slopes are saturated during wet seasons due primarily to seepage.