LOCATION FAVORETTA FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, hyperthermic Typic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Favoretta clay on a 0.5 percent slope in a wooded area. (Colors are for moist soil)
A--0 to 12 inches; very dark gray (N 3/0 ) clay; many fine distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) mottles; coarse angular blocky structure; firm; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 21 inches thick).
Btg1--12 to 21 inches; dark gray (N 4/0 ) clay.; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; moderate medium angular blocky structure; firm; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; few faint clay films on pad faces slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg2--21 to 36 inches; dark gray (N 4/0 ) clay; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; strong coarse angular blocky structure; firm; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; few prominent, shiny clay films on vertical faces of peds; medium acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btg3--36 to 66 inches; gray (N 5/0 ) clay; many coarse prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8), common medium prominent red (10R 4/8) and few coarse faint dark gray (N 4/0) mottles; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; few prominent shiny clay films on vertical faces of peds throughout the horizon; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btg4--66 to 80 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay; few medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) mottles; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; dark gray (N 4/ ) clay flows along old root channels throughout the horizon; few prominent shiny clay films on vertical faces of peds; mildly alkaline. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizons is 45 to 76 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: Flagler County, Florida; 2900 feet south of intersection of county roads 305 and 304 and 4000 feet west of county road 305; 200 feet south and 1350 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 34 T. 13 S., R. 29 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 45 to more than 80 inches. Soil reaction ranges from strongly acid to mildly alkaline in the A horizon and from medium acid to moderately alkaline in the Btg and Cg horizons. Weighted average silt content in the particle size control section ranges from 20 to 30 percent. Weighted average clay content ranges from 35 to 55 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1; or it is neutral with value of 2 or 3. Mottles of red, yellow or brown are in some pedons. Texture is clay loam, sandy clay, or clay.
The upper part of the Btg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 and chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 4. Where value is 3 or less, combined thickness of the A and upper part of the Btg horizon is less than 24 inches. The lower part of the Btg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7 and chroma of 1 or 2; hue of 2.5Y with value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 2; hue of 5Y, with value of 4 to 6 and chroma of 1; or is neutral with value of 4 or 5. Mottles in shades of red, brown, yellow or olive are in most pedons. Clay films on vertical faces of peds are very few or few and distinct or prominent; texture is clay loam, sandy clay, or clay.
Some pedons have a Btgk horizon. Where present, it has colors and textures similar to the Btg horizon. Nodules or soft accumulations of irregular or rounded, light gray or gray, calcium carbonates range from few to many and from fine to coarse. Thickness ranges from 31 to 41 inches.
Some pedons have a Cg or Cgk horizon at depths of more than 45 inches. Where present, it has hue of 10YR with value of 6 or 7 and chroma of 1 or 2; hue of 2.5Y with value of 5 and chroma of 2; hue of 5Y with value of 5 or 6 and chroma of 1 or 2; or hue of 5GY with value of 5 and chroma of 1. Texture ranges from sandy clay loam to sand. The Cgk horizon, additionally, has nodules of soft accumulations of calcium carbonate as described for the Btgk horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: The Nittaw series is the only series in the same family. Bluff and Chobee series are in closely similar families. Nittaw soils have less than 20 percent silt in the particle-size control section and in addition have a histic epipedon. Bluff soils are fine-loamy and have a cambic horizon. Chobee soils are fine-loamy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Favoretta soils are on floodplains and on broad, low areas near well defined drainageways and streams in the flatwoods. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 70 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 50 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Bluff and Chobee soils and the Paisley, Pineda, Riviera, Wabasso and Winder soils. Paisley, Pineda, Riviera and Winder soils are on low flatwoods positions. Paisley soils have ochric epipedons. Pineda and Riviera soils have loamy argillic horizons at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Winder soils have loamy argillic horizons at depths of less than 20 inches. Wabasso soils have spodic horizons at depths of less than 30 inches over argillic horizons at depths of less than 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Favoretta soils are very poorly drained; very slow runoff; very slow permeability. The water table is at a depth of less than 10 inches for 2 to 4 months in most years. Areas in flood plains are flooded frequently.
USE AND VEGETATION: Areas on broad flats are used for commercial production of pine trees or have been cleared and are used for improved pasture. Natural vegetation consists of water oak, redmaple, sweetgum, cabbage palm, baldcypress, slash pine, longleaf pine and American hornbeam. Understory includes waxmyrtle, inkberry, sawpalmetto, sedges, bluestems, maidencane, pineland threeawn, and various other grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Florida. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Flagler County Florida, 1991.
ADDITIONAL DATA: This proposed series was sampled for characterization by the University of Florida, Soil Characterization Laboratory as sample S87FL-035-21-(1-5)
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: Mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 12 inches (A horizon). Argillic horizon--the zone from 12 to 80 inches.