LOCATION CANDELERO PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, isohyperthermic Typic Albaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Candelero loam--sugarcane (Colors are for the moist soil).
Ap--0 to 7 inches, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; few fine black (10YR 2/1) mineral grains; few concretions 2 to 3 mm in diameter; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 11 inches, 50 percent gray (10YR 6/1) and 50 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; common distinct black (10YR 2/1) coatings in root channels; common fine quartz grains; the areas of gray are iron depletions and the areas of yellowish brown are iron accumulations; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--11 to 15 inches, 50 percent gray (10YR 6/1) and 50 percent yellowish brown 5/6) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very firm; slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) films in root channels; common fine quartz grains; few fine black (10YR 2/1) mineral grains; many weathered feldspar and hornblende crystals; the areas of gray are iron depletions and the areas of yellowish brown are iron accumulations; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons range from 6 to 16 inches)
Btg1--15 to 24 inches, greenish gray (5GY 6/1) sandy clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) films in root channels; many fine quartz grains; many weathered feldspar and hornblende crystals; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and few fine distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg2--24 to 35 inches, light greenish gray (5GY 7/1) sandy clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; very firm; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine quartz grains; few fine black (10YR 2/1) mineral grains; many weathered feldspar and hornblende crystals; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation and greenish gray (5GY 5/1) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizons range from 6 to 25 inches in thickness)
BC--35 to 64 inches, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy clay loam; massive; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine quartz grains; many weathered feldspar crystals; common fine black (10YR 2/1) mineral grains; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; common fine distinct light greenish gray (5GY 7/1) areas of iron depletions; massive; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Yabucoa, Puerto Rico; approximately 260 feet southwest from Km. Marker 1.9 on P.R. Highway 905 and about 30 feet northwest of unpaved farm road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Few to many quartz grains are mixed throughout the soil. Reaction ranges from extremely acid or very strongly acid in the A horizon, very strongly acid or strongly acid in the Bt horizon, and strongly acid to slightly acid in the Btg and BC horizons.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4, and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 8; or there is no dominant color and it is multicolored in shades of brown, yellow, red, and gray. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, yellow, red, and gray range from few to many. Texture is sandy clay loam, sandy clay, or clay loam.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5GY, value of 3 to 7, and chroma of 2 or less. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown yellow, red, and gray range from few to common. Texture is sandy clay loam, sandy clay, or clay loam.
The BC horizon has hues of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 8. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown yellow, red, and gray range from few to common. Texture ranges from sandy clay loam to silty clay or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Candelero soils are on terraces, alluvial fans, and foot slopes. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. They formed in moderately fine-textured sediments that weathered from granitic rocks and are high in quartz, feldspar, and hornblende minerals. The climate is humid tropical. The average annual rainfall ranges from 85 to 90 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 75 to 80 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Humacao, Mayo, and Parcelas soils. The well drained Humacao soils are on similar positions and are Mollisols. The well drained to excessively drained Mayo soils are on higher foot slope and fan positions and have coarse-loamy subsoils. The moderately well drained Parcelas soils are on similar positions and have more clay in the subsoil.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Candelero soils used for growing sugarcane. A few small areas are used for pasture. The vegetation consists of Pangola or Guineagrass in small uncultivated areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Humid plutonic areas of Puerto Rico. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil Survey of Puerto Rico, 1942.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 7 inches (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 7 to 35 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btg1, and Btg2 horizons).