LOCATION EATON FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, active, hyperthermic Arenic Albaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Eaton loamy sand--forested.
A--0 to 6 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loamy sand; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
E--6 to 30 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loamy sand; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; common medium distinct white (10YR 8/1) areas of organic matter depletions in lower part; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (16 to 32 inches thick)
Btgl--30 to 33 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm; sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and few fine prominent red (10R 4/8) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btg2--33 to 64 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few areas of sandy clay loam; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; few faint nonintersecting slickensides; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btg3--64 to 78 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) sandy clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds; few faint nonintersecting slickensides; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizon extends to a depth of more than 60 inches.)
Cg--78 to 92 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay with few pockets of light gray (10YR 7/1) loamy sand; massive; firm; sticky, plastic; few fine slickensides; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) and yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Marion County, Florida. Approximately 2.3 miles east of S.R. 315 and 150 feet east of Gores Landing Road; NE 1/4, SE 1/4, Sec. 6; T. 14 S., R. 24 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 60 inches or more. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid in the A and E horizons, and ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid in the B and C horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 2 or less. Some pedons, generally in depressional areas, have a thin muck surface. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand; or these textures with mucky modifiers.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 2 or less. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, red, yellow, or white range from none to common. Texture is sand, 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 2 or less. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, yellow, brown, or red range from few to many. Texture is sandy clay or clay and thin, less than 3 inches, layers of sandy clay loam.
The Cg horizon has the same color range as the Btg horizon. Texture is sandy clay with pockets of sand, fine sand, or loamy sand.
COMPETING SERIES: The Rahal series is in the same family. Rahal soils are along the coast of Texas, receive considerably less rainfall, and are neutral or slightly alkaline in the Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Eaton soils are on low-lying parts of the Central Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in clayey marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 54 to 64 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 71 to 732 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Emeralda, Eureka, Felda, Meggett, Myakka, Pomona, and Wauchula soils. The poorly drained Emeralda and Eureka soils are on similar to slightly higher positions and have sandy surface and subsurface layers less than 20 inches thick. Felda soils are on similar positions and have less clay in the control section. The poorly drained Meggett soils are on flood plain positions and have sandy surface and subsurface layers less than 20 inches thick. Myakka, Pomona, and Wauchula soils are on similar positions and are Spodosols.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly and very poorly drained; rapid permeability in the A horizon and slow in the Btg horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Easton soils have been cleared and are used principally for improved pasture and range. Small areas with adequate water control are used for potatoes and truck crops. The native vegetation is chiefly loblolly pine, longleaf pine, and slash pine, but includes magnolia, water oak, sweetgum, and bay. The understory vegetation consists of several bluestem species, hairy panicum, and pineland threeawn. Woody plants include gallberry, blackberry, scattered sawpalmetto, myrtle, and fetterbush. In depressional areas, cypress trees are dominant. The understory includes sand cordgrass, bluestem, maidencane, southern wildrice, St. Johnswort, cutgrass, and waxmyrtle.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower Coastal Plain of Peninsular Florida and possibly Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marion County, Florida; 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Albic horizon - the zone from 6 to 30 inches (E horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 30 to 78 inches (Btg1, Btg2, and Btg3 horizons).
Arenic feature - the zone from 0 to 30 inches (A and E horizons).
A water table is at depths of less than 10 inches for periods of 1 to 4 months during most years. Depressional areas are ponded for very long periods.