LOCATION FALMOUTH FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Aquertic Chromic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Falmouth fine sand--planted pine (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated).
Ap--0 to 3 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
E--3 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 17 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--17 to 30 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation and common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons ranges from 25 to 40 inches)
Btg1--30 to 43 inches; gray (2.5Y 5/1); sandy clay; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg2--43 to 65 inches; gray (2.5Y 5/1) sandy clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizons range from 20 to 33 inches)
Cg--65 to 80 inches; 25 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), 25 percent gray (5Y 5/1), 25 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), and 25 percent brown (10YR 4/3) sandy clay; massive; very firm; very sticky, very plastic; common fine roots; the areas of strong brown, yellowish brown, and brown are iron accumulations and the areas of gray are iron depletions; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Suwannee County, Florida. Approximately 820 feet north and 700 feet west of the SE 1/4 of Sec 29, T 1 S.; R. 12 E. Falmouth, Florida USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle. Latitude 30 degrees 21 minutes 35 seconds N.; Longitude 83 degrees 07 minutes 53 seconds W.; NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid in the A, E, Bt, and Btg horizons and from strongly acid to slightly acid in the Cg horizons.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 to 4. Where the value is 3 or less, it is less than 7 inches in thickness. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand.
The E horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 to 6; or there is no dominant color and it is mixed in shades of red, yellow, brown, and gray. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, yellow, brown, or gray range from few to many. Texture is sandy clay or clay. Some pedons have upper Bt horizons having sandy clay loam textures that are less than 8 inches thick.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown, or yellow range from few to many. Texture is sandy clay or clay.
The BCg horizon, where present, has the same range of colors and textures as the Btg horizon.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features in shades of red, brown, or yellow range from few to many. Texture is sandy clay loam, sandy clay, or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: The Virgilina series is the only known series in the same family. The moderately well drained Virgilina series formed in material that weathered from dark-colored mafic rocks in the Southern Piedmont MLRA.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Falmouth soils are on uplands of the Southern Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. They formed in thick clayey marine deposits. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual temperature ranges from 66 to 70 degrees F., and average annual precipitation ranges from 55 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Albany, Alpin, Blanton, Bonneau, Chipley, Ocilla, and Padlock series. Albany, Chipley, and Ocilla soils are on lower positions. In addition, Albany soils have sandy surface and subsurface layers 40 to 80 inches in thickness, Chipley soils are sandy throughout, and Ocilla soils have surface and subsurface layers 20 to 40 inches thick. The Alpin, Blanton, and Bonneau soils are on similar positions. In addition, the excessively well drained Alpin soils are sandy throughout and have lamellae, the moderately well drained to somewhat what excessively drained Blanton soils have surface and subsurface layers 40 to 80 inches thick, and the well drained Bonneau soils have surface and subsurface layers 20 to 40 inches thick. The moderately well drained Padlock soils are on similar positions and have mixed mineralogy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Falmouth soils are used for woodland and planted pine. Some areas are used for pasture. Native vegetation consists of slash pine, longleaf pine, mockernut hickory, laurel oak, water oak, sweetgum, black cherry, tree sparkleberry, muscadine grape, and blackberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Florida Ridge of Florida. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Suwannee County, Florida; 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 10 inches (A and E horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 10 to 65 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btg1, Btg2, and BC horizons).
Wetness feature - beginning at a depth of 17 inches.
This soil was formally mapped Susquehanna series in the initial soil survey of Suwannee County, FL, published in 1965.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization pedon - Suwannee County, Florida; S02FL-121-002. Sample by NSSL, Lincoln, NE. 05/02.