LOCATION COPELAND FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Copeland fine sand--range (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
A1--0 to 6 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sand; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 14 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sand; weak fine granular structure; friable; many fine and medium roots; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons range from 10 to 20 inches)
Eg--14 to 18 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand; single grain; loose; few fine and medium roots; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Btg--18 to 24 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sandy clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; sand grains are coated and bridged with clay; few faint discontinuous clay flows in pores; few fine and medium distinct yellow (10YR 7/8) streaks and masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline; clear irregular boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
2C--24 to 30 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) soft limestone; weak fine granular structure; friable; clay and silt-size carbonates coat the sand grains; calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear irregular boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
R--30+ inches; hard limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Collier County, Florida; approximately 1.25 miles north of Immokalee on State Highway 29, about 3.0 miles west on State Highway 850, about 0.25 mile north on graded road and on the east side of NE 1/4, Sec. 35, T. 46 S., R. 28 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Typically the solum is 20 to 30 inches thick, but may range to 40 inches thick. Depth to hard limestone bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Clay content ranges from 18 to 25 percent. Silt content is less than 15 percent. Soil reaction ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline throughout.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 2 or 3. Texture is fine sand or sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 4 or 5. Redoximorphic accumulations in shades of yellow or brown range from none to common. Texture is fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Lenses or streaks of sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam are in many pedons. Texture is sandy loam or sandy clay loam.
Where present, the 2C horizon is composed of soft limestone. It has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 8. It is dominated by clay and silt-size carbonates that coat the sand grains. Fragments of limestone, or in some pedons, shell fragments, range from few to many.
The R horizon is composed of hard limestone bedrock.
COMPETING SERIES: The Chobee series is the only known series in the same family. Chobee soils are on similar positions and are very deep to limestone bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Copeland soils are on small areas of flats and the edge of depressions in the lower Coastal Plain. Slopes are less than 2 percent. They formed in regolith composed of sandy and loamy marine sediments over limestone. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 60 inches and the average annual air temperature ranges from 73 to 75 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: In addition to the competing Chobee series, these include the Delray, Felda, Floridana, Immokalee, Manatee, Matmon, Myakka, Parkwood, and Wabasso series. Delray soils are on similar positions, are very deep, and have sandy surface and subsurface layers 40 to 80 inches in thickness. Felda and Floridana soils are on similar positions, are very deep, and have sandy surface and subsurface layers 20 to 40 inches in thickness. In addition, Felda soils do not have mollic epipedons. Immokalee, Myakka, and Wabasso soils are very deep, on similar positions, and are Spodosols. Manatee soils are on similar positions and have coarse-loamy subsoils. The somewhat poorly drained Matmon soils are on adjacent higher positions, have clayey, smectitic subsoils, are shallow to limestone bedrock, and do not have mollic epipedons. The poorly drained Parkwood soils are on slightly higher positions, are very deep, have less clay in the subsoil, and lack mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Copeland soils remain in native vegetation and are used for wildlife habitat. A few areas are cleared and used for truck crops such as cabbage, cucumbers, lima beans, peppers, tomatoes, and watermelons. The vegetation consists of cabbage palmettos, maples, cypress, gums with an undergrowth of vines, pineland threeawn, shrubs, and ferns. Blue flags, rushes, sedges, and lilies are common in depressions.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southern parts of Peninsular Florida.
The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Collier County, Florida; 1945.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features featured in this pedon.
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 inches to 14 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 18 inches to 24 inches (Btg horizon).
Moderately deep features - Limestone bedrock at 30 inches (R horizon).
Copeland soils are wet at or near the surface during the summer rainy season and depressional areas are covered with shallow water.
The water table is at or near the surface for more than 6 months during most years. This soil is subject to very frequent flooding for periods of one to about 6 months.