LOCATION CARDSOUND FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, hyperthermic Lithic Udorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Cardsound silty clay loam--in an area of natural pine vegetation (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
A--0 to 4 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak fine granular structure; friable; common fine and medium roots; about 12 percent, by volume, limestone pebbles; neutral; strongly effervescent; abrupt irregular boundary (2 to 9 inches thick).
2R--4+ inches; hard, porous, oolitic limestone.
TYPE LOCATION: Dade County, Florida; approximately 3,700 feet south of Palm Drive and about 1,600 feet west of Tower Road; 2,000 feet north and 1,200 feet east of the southwest corner of Sec. 26, T. 38 E., R. 57 S.; latitude 25 degrees 26 minutes 15 seconds; longitude 80 degrees 30 minutes 25 seconds.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil thickness and depth to limestone range from 2 to 9 inches. Reaction ranges from neutral through slightly alkaline throughout.
The A or Ap horizon has a hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 4 or less. Solution holes occur in the limestone in less than 20 percent of the pedons. These solution holes are 2 to 20 inches wide and 2 to 20 inches deep. Solution holes contain clay or clay loam. Texture is silty clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cardsound soils are on broad very low hills of the Miami Ridge. Slopes are generally 0 to 2 percent, but range up to 5 percent. They formed in loamy marine sediments over oolitic limestone. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 60 to 66 inches and temperature ranges from 73 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Krome, Matecumbe, and Opalocka. All of these soils are moderately well drained. Krome soils are on similar positions, are loamy-skeletal, have been rock plowed or mechanically scarified, and planted to crops. Matecumbe soils are organic soils in tropical hardwood hammocks. Opalocka soils are on similar positions and have sandy marine deposits over limestone.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Cardsound soils are in native vegetation and are used for wildlife habitat. The vegetation consists of South Florida slash pine, Marlberry, sawpalmetto, Waxmyrtle, Chalky bluestem, and Creeping bluestem.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida; known to occur only in Dade County. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Dade County, Florida; 1990. This soil was mapped as Rockdale in the 1947 soil survey.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 4 inches (Ap horizon).
Depth to oolitic limestone - beginning at 4 inches (R horizon).
The water table is between 40 inches and 60 inches and is always within the limestone bedrock.