LOCATION EVERGLADES FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Euic, hyperthermic Typic Haplohemists
TYPICAL PEDON: Everglades muck, frequently flooded (Colors are for moist soil)
Oa--0 to 8 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) unrubbed, black (N 2/0) rubbed, muck; sapric material; about 30 percent fiber unrubbed, 10 percent fiber rubbed; moderate medium granular structure; friable; neutral in water; slightly acid in calcium chloride; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
Oe1--8 to 28 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) unrubbed, black (5YR 2/1) rubbed, mucky peat; hemic material; about 60 percent fiber unrubbed, 30 percent rubbed; moderate medium granular structure; sodium pyrophosphate extract is gray (10YR 6/1); neutral in water; moderately acid in calcium chloride; gradual wavy boundary (6 to 30 inches thick)
Oe2--28 to 80 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) unrubbed; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) rubbed, mucky peat; hemic material; about 65 percent fiber unrubbed; 35 percent fiber rubbed; moderate medium granular structure; friable; sodium pyrophosphate extract is gray (10YR 6/1); neutral in water; slightly acid in calcium chloride.
TYPE LOCATION: Sumter County, Florida; approximately 1.0 mile west of I-75 and 1.0 mile south of Coleman Landing near the northwest corner of Sec. 3, T. 20 S., R. 22 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the organic material is more than 51 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly alkaline throughout. The pH is more than 4.5 in 0.01M calcium chloride in all horizons.
The Oa or Oap horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 2. Fiber content ranges from about 10 to 40 percent before rubbing and less than 17 percent after rubbing. Texture is muck.
The Oe horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 3; or is neutral with value of 2 or 3. Fiber content ranges from about 35 to 80 percent before rubbing and about 17 to 40 percent after rubbing. Color of the Sodium pyrophosphate extract is in shades of gray and brown. Texture is mucky peat.
Some pedons have Oi horizons. Where present, colors are similar to the Oe horizon but also include value of 4. Fiber content after rubbing is more than 40 percent. Sodium pyrophosphate extract color is in shades of gray. Oi horizons are less than 10 inches thick if they occur within the 12 to 51 inch control section. They may be thicker below 51 inches. The bottom tier ranges from fibric to sapric material.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known soils in the same family. Closely related series include the Brighton, Okeechobee, and Terra Ceia soils. All of these soils are on similar positions. In addition, Brighton soils are dysic while Okeechobee and Terra Ceia soils are sapric in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Everglades soils are in marshes and swamps on flood plains. Slopes are less than 1 percent. They formed in thick deposits of hydrophytic plant remains. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual temperature ranges from 72 to 74 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 56 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Terra Ceia soils along with the Gator and Okeelanta soils. Gator and Okeelanta soils are on similar positions, have less than 51 inches of organic material over mineral layers, and are sapric. In addition, Gator soils are loamy and Okeelanta soils are sandy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; rapid to very rapid permeability. The surface layer may be slightly slower depending on the decomposition of the organic material and degree of wetness.
USE AND VEGETATION: Drained areas are used for vegetable crops and sugarcane. The natural vegetation includes Florida willow, sawgrass, reeds, lilies, and other aquatic, fibrous, nonwoody plants and hardwood trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Everglades soils are of small known extent in Peninsular Florida.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Everglades Project Area, Florida; 1945.
REMARKS: This is a change in type location. The type location was in Orange County and moved since Everglades soils were not correlated in the update of Orange County.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Histic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 16 inches (Oa and Oe1 horizons).
Hemic material - the zone from 12 to 51 inches (Oe1 and Oe2 horizons).