LOCATION CORTADA PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, isohyperthermic Cumulic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cortada silty clay loam - irrigated sugarcane. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam; weak fine granular structure; firm; slightly sticky, plastic; many fine roots; few shell fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 18 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 18 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; slightly sticky, plastic; many fine roots; few shell fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--18 to 28 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few shell fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons ranges from 16 to 22 inches)
C1--28 to 38 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
C2--38 to 48 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; massive; friable, slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.
C3--48 to 68 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam; massive; friable; slightly sticky, plastic; few fine roots; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Caribe SCD, Puerto Rico; 7.5 meters west of kilometer marker 0.8 of Highway No. 536.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 23 to 34 inches. Reaction ranges from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline in the A or Ap horizons and moderately alkaline in the Bt and C horizons.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 to 3. Texture is loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam.
The Ab horizon, where present, has colors and textures similar to the A horizon.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. Textures range from silty clay loam, silty clay, clay loam, or clay.
The Btk horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. Soft masses of calcium carbonate range from none to few. Texture is silty clay loam, silty clay, clay loam, or clay.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam.
The 2C horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sandy clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cortada soils are on flood plains. They formed in loamy sediments that weathered from volcanic and limestone rocks. The climate is tropical semiarid. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. The average annual rainfall ranges from 25 to 40 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 78 to 80 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Constancia, Jacaguas, Machuelo, and San Anton soils. The somewhat poorly drained Constancia and the poorly drained Machuelo soils are on slightly lower positions and have clayey subsoils. Jacaguas soils are near the stream channels and are loamy-skeletal. San Anton soils are on similar positions but do not have calcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cropland (mostly irrigated) and pastureland. Vegetation includes native and introduced grasses and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Semiarid sections of southern Puerto Rico. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ponce Survey Area, Puerto Rico; l971.
REMARKS: diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 28 inches (Ap, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon the zone from 10 to 28 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Flooding is occasional.
These soils were formerly included in the San Anton series.