LOCATION BONIFAY FL+AL GA
Established Series
Rev. SWA; GRB
11/2013
BONIFAY SERIES
The Bonifay series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately slowly permeable soils on ridges and side slopes in the Southern Coastal Plain. They formed in thick beds of sandy and loamy marine sediments. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 68 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 55 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Grossarenic Plinthic Paleudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Bonifay sand, in a pasture (Colors are for moist soil).
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; single grain; loose; many fine roots; few small ironstone pebbles, 2 to 5 mm in diameter; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
E1--4 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand; single grained, loose; many fine and few medium roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
E2--6 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sand; single grain, loose; many fine roots; few ironstone pebbles, 2 to 5 mm in diameter; common medium faint very pale brown (10YR 7/3) vertical streaks and splotches of clean sand grains; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
E3--36 to 57 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand; single grain, loose; many uncoated sand grains; few fine roots; common medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation, common medium faint very pale brown (10YR 7/3) areas of iron depletions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons ranges from 37 to 55 inches.)
Btv1--57 to 63 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; about 8 percent, by volume, plinthite; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btv2--63 to 73 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy clay loam; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), yellowish red (5YR 5/6), and red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of iron accumulation; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common faint clay films on faces of peds; about 15 percent, by volume, plinthite; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Holmes County, Florida; approximately 2.0 miles north of U.S. Highway 90; about 300 feet east of intersection of State Highway 81A and about 75 feet south of county road in SE1/4, SW1/4, Sec. 7, T. 4 N., R. 17 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 60 to more than 80 inches. Soil reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout, except where the surface has been limed. Ironstone pebbles, 2 to 15 mm in size, range from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Depth to the plinthic horizon ranges from 42 to 65 inches. Some horizons contain up to 25 percent plinthite, by volume.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3; or is neutral with value of 4 to 6. Texture is sand or loamy sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 3 to 8. Redoximorphic concentrations in shades of yellow and brown range from none to common. Spherical bodies and vertical streaks of uncoated sand grains with hue of 10YR, value of 7 or 8, chroma of 1 or 2, or neutral with value of 8 range from none to common. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Bt horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 4 to 8. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow, brown, or red range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Btv horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 4 to 8; or it has no dominant color and is variegated in shades of yellow, brown, red, and gray. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, brown, red, and gray range from few to many. Clay content of the upper 20 inches ranges from 15 to 35 percent but is most commonly 15 to 30 percent. Silt content is less than 20 percent. Texture ranges from sandy loam to sandy clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bonifay soils are on ridges and side slopes in the Southern Coastal Plain. They formed in thick beds of sandy and loamy marine sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. The climate is humid temperate. The average annual air temperature ranges from 66 to 70 degrees F., and the average annual rainfall ranges from 50 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the
Albany,
Blanton,
Dothan,
Foxworth,
Fuquay,
Lakeland,
Leefield,
Lucy,
Meldrim,
Ocilla,
Tifton,
Troup,
Wadley and
Wagram series. Albany, Blanton, Troup, and Wadley soils have less than 5 percent plinthite in the Bt horizons. In addition, Albany soils are somewhat poorly drained, Blanton soils are somewhat excessively drained to moderately well drained, Meldrim soils are moderately well drained and Troup soils are somewhat excessively drained and have a kandic horizon. Dothan and Tifton soils have A and E horizons less than 20 inches thick and are kandic. In addition, Tifton soils contain more than 5 percent ironstone pebbles in the A horizon and the upper part of the Bt horizon. Fuquay, Leefield, Lucy, Ocilla, and Wagram soils have A and E horizons 20 to 40 inches thick. In addition, Fuquay, Lucy, and Wagram soils are kandic, while Lucy soils, the somewhat poorly drained Leefield and Ocilla soils, and Wagram soils lack plinthite in the Bt horizon. Foxworth and Lakeland soils lack a Bt horizon within depth of 80 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid permeability in the A and E horizons, moderate in the upper Bt horizon, and moderately slow in the Btv horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in forest. Large areas have been cleared and are used for cropland, truck crops, and improved pasture. Native vegetation consists of slash pine, longleaf pine, blackjack oak, turkey oak, post oak and pineland threeawn.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Coastal Plain from Florida to Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Holmes County, Florida; 1971.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included in the Lakeland series.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon and grossarenic feature - the zone from 0 to 57 inches (A and E horizons).
Argillic horizon and plinthic feature - the zone from 57 to 73 inches (Btv1 and Btv2 horizons).
A water table is perched above the Bt or Btv horizon for less than 60 days in most years.
Bonifay soils are in MLRA 133a.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Characterization data and laboratory data is available on the National Soil Survey website at: http://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/querypage.aspx
Laboratory data is provided by the University of Florida, Department of Soil and Water Science, Gainesville, FL and the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.