LOCATION DIQUE PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, isohyperthermic Fluventic Eutrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Dique loam--pastureland (Colors are for moist soil).
Ap--0 to 12 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) loam; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm; sticky, slightly plastic; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 17 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 25 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) loam; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm; sticky, slightly plastic; common faint pressure faces on peds; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--25 to 37 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) silt loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; sticky, slightly plastic; common faint pressure faces on peds; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons ranges from 16 to 36 inches)
C--37 to 56 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) loam; massive; slightly hard, friable; sticky, slightly plastic; common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) soft masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 24 inches thick)
2C--56 to 69 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay; massive; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky, plastic; common fine prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) soft masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline; noneffervescent; abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 18 inches thick)
3C--69 to 90 inches; 34 percent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), 33 percent dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and 33 percent gray (5Y 5/1) silty clay loam; massive; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; the areas of light olive brown are areas of iron accumulation and the areas of dark grayish brown and gray are areas of iron depletions; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Hormigueros, Puerto Rico. Approximately 1.5 miles northwest of Sabana Eneas community from the intersection of P.R. Hwy. 102 and P.R. Hwy. 317, about 1.1 miles south from Hacienda Julia, and about 800 feet west of dirt road in pastureland. USGS San Germn topographic quadrangle (1966); lat. 18 degrees 6 minutes 30 seconds N.; long. 67 degrees 5 minutes 21 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness range from 34 to 50 inches. Content of pebbles range from 0 to 15 perrent, by volume, throughout. Reaction ranges from neutral to slightly alkaline throughout.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4, and chroma of 2 or 3. Texture is loam or silt loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is loam or sandy clay loam.
The 2C horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is clay loam or clay.
The 3C horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 6. Texture is silty clay loam, silty clay or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dique soils are in river flood plains on natural levees near the streams or rivers on the Humid Coastal Plains MLRA. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in alluvial deposits of mixed origin. The climate is humid tropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 43 to 72 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 74 to 79 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bajura, Coloso, Reilly and Toa series. All of these soils are in flood plains. Bajura and Coloso soils are on lower positions and have more clay in the control section. In addition, Bajura soils are poorly drained and Coloso soils are somewhat poorly drained. The excessively drained Reilly soils are on similar to slightly higher positions and have less clay in the control section. Toa soils are on slightly lower positions, have more clay in the control section, and are Mollisols.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Dique soils are used for pastureland or sugarcane. The vegetation consists of native and introduced grasses, shrubs, and trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Humid Coastal Plains of Puerto Rico. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hormigueros Municipality, Puerto Rico; 1963. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 12 inches (Ap horizon).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 12 to 37 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).
The type location was moved to its present location in 2005. These soils were formerly included in the Toa series.
Dique soils are in MLRA 272.