LOCATION FT. DRUM FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Aeric Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Ft. Drum fine sand--range. (Colors are for moist soil.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; many clean light gray (10YR 7/1) sand grains; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand; single grain; loose; common fine and medium roots; common clean light gray (10YR 7/1) sand grains; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
A3--5 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sand; single grain; loose; few fine and medium roots; many sand grains are coated with organic matter, some sand grains are clean; few fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and common medium faint, very pale brown (10YR 6/3) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons range from 5 to 27 inches)
Bkg--17 to 25 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) fine sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; very friable; common medium and coarse roots; sand grains coated with calcium carbonate; common fine and medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and yellow (10YR 8/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Cg1--25 to 38 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) fine sand; single grain; loose; few medium roots; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), few coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and very pale brown (10YR 7/3) masses of iron accumulation and few coarse distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) areas of iron depletions; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg2--38 to 56 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine sand; single grain; loose; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg3--56 to 80 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) fine sand; single grain; loose; few fine white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate nodules; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Okeechobee County, Florida. Approximately 0.25 mile south of Eagle Island Road, about 200 feet west of Jim Durrance ranch road. NE1/4, NE1/4, sec. 3, T. 35 S., R. 33 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 15 to 42 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral in the A horizons, from moderately acid to neutral in the E horizon, and from slightly acid to moderately alkaline in the Bk and C horizons.
The A horizons have hue of 10YR, value 3 to 5, chroma 1 to 3. Where value of these horizons is less than 4, the total thickness is less than 6 inches. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Eg horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value 5 to 7, and chroma 1 or 2. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value 6 to 8, chroma of 2 or less; or there is no dominant matrix color and it is multicolored in shades of gray, brown, and yellow. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of brown or yellow range from few to common. Texture is fine sand, loamy fine sand, or fine sandy loam.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value 5 or 7, and chroma of 1 to 6. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, yellow, and brown range from none to common. Texture is sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ft. Drum soils are in relatively small low ridges and flats that border sloughs and depressional areas within the lower Coastal Plain of Florida. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in thin beds of unconsolidated sand. The average annual air temperature ranges from 72 to 76 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 46 to 50 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include are the Bradenton, Felda, Immokalee, Keri, Manatee, Myakka, Parkwood, and Wabasso series. Bradenton, Felda, and Manatee soils are very poorly drained. Immokalee, Myakka, and Wabasso soils have Bh horizons. Keri soils have a sandy clay loam argillic horizon in which more than 1/3 of the clay fraction consists of carbonates. Parkwood soils have an A horizon that meets all of the requirements for a mollic epipedon except for thickness and also have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; rapid permeability in the A and lower C horizons, and moderate permeability in the Bk horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Ft. Drum soil are used for range. A few areas on which water control has been established are used for citrus, truck crops, and improved pasture. The natural vegetation consists of slash pine, south Florida slash pine, and cabbage palm. The understory vegetation includes sawpalmetto, gallberry, waxmyrtle, pineland threeawn, broomsedge bluestem, chalky bluestem, lopsided indiangrass, and blue maidencane.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The hyperthermic region of peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Okeechobee County, Florida; 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and feature recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 17 inches (A horizons)
Secondary carbonates - the zone from 17 to 25 inches (Bk horizon)
Water table - during wet seasons the water table is at depths of 0 to 10 inches for 1 to 2 months duration and at depths of 10 to 40 inches for 9 months or more in most years.