LOCATION CONSEJO PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic Xanthic Hapludox
TYPICAL PEDON: Consejo clay--Merker grass. (Colors are for moist soils.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay; moderate fine and medium granular structure; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; many fine roots; few quartz grains; few worm holes; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 10 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; many fine roots; many faint clay films; few quartz grains; few wormholes, extremely acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bt2--10 to 18 inches; Yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; common fine roots; many faint clay films; common quartz grains; extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
BC--18 to 28 inches; yellow (10YR 7/6), brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) and white (10YR 8/2) clay loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; many quartz grains; 25 percent saprolite extremely acid; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
C--28 to 60 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/8), yellow (10YR 7/6), yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and white (10YR 8/2) clay loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky, plastic; many quartz grains; extremely acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Caonillas SCD, Puerto Rico; 0.7 miles south of kilometer marker 12.1 on Highway 605.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum renges from 24 to 42 inches. Thickness of the argillic horizon varies from 20 to 35 inches. Quartz grains in the profile range from few to common in the surface and upper B horizon and from common to many in the lower B and C horizons. Reaction is strongly to extremely acid in the profile. Organic carbon content in the upper 6 inches of the argillic is 0.6 to 0.8 percent. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 74 to 76 degrees F.
The A horizon has hues of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is clay. Structure is weak to moderately fine and medium granular or weak fine and medium subangular blocky. Consistence is slightly sticky or sticky and plastic.
The Bt horizons have hues of 10YR or 7.5YR, values of 4 to 6, and chroma of 4 to 8. Texture is clay. Structure is weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky. Consistence is slightly sticky or sticky, and plastic. Clay films range from few faint to common distinct.
The BC horizon ranges in texture from clay to clay loam. Saprolite ranges from 15 to 30 percent.
The C horizon is mainly saprolite of variegated colors. Texture varies from clay loam to loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family. The Consumo, Corozal, Corozo, Ingenio, Jagueyes, Lirios, Maricao, Moca, Patillas and Rio Piedras series are similar soils in related families. The Consumo, Maricao and Patillas soils have thinner argillic horizons. The Corozal soils have low chroma mottles in the upper part of the B horizons. The Corozo have coarser surface layer and lower exchange capacity. The Ingenio soils are redder and have exchange capacity. The Jagueyes soils have coarser textured profiles. The Lirios soils have coarser textured C horizons. The Moca soils have horizons with shrink-swell behavior. The Rio Piedras soils have the clay fraction dominated by kaolinite.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Consejo soils are steep and very steep soils in sideslopes and hilltops in the humid volcanic uplands with slope gradient of 20 to 60 percent. This soil formed in fine and moderately fine textured residuum weathered from volcanic rocks. The climate is humid and tropical. The average annual precipitation is 70 to 85 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 76 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adjuntas, Consumo, and Humatas series. The Humatas soils are redder and the clay fraction is dominatly kaolinite. The Consumo soils have thinner argillic horizons. The Adjuntas soils are shallower to the volcanic rocks and lack argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Coffee, pasture and food crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Humid uplands. The series is of minor extent with about 240 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
ESTABLISHED SERIES: Series established in the Arecibo Soil Survey Area.
REMARKS: The classification was updated with the 4/91 draft from Clayey, mixed, isohyperthermic Typic Tropudults to Clayey, mixed, isohyperthermic Typic Hapludults. The previous OSED was dated 11/75.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 5 inches (Ap horizon)
Argillic horizon - zone from 5 to 18 inches (Bt horizons)