LOCATION FLORIDANA FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, superactive, hyperthermic Arenic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Floridana sand--marsh. (Colors are for moist soil.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; black (N 2/0) sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine roots, few medium roots; sand grains coated with organic material; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
A2--7 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; many fine and medium faint gray (10YR 5/1) sand pockets and streaks; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 10 to 22 inches.)
Eg--12 to 29 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sand; single grained; loose; common medium roots; few medium prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of iron accumulation and common coarse faint gray (10YR 5/1) areas of iron depletions; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
Btg--29 to 38 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; sand grains are coated and bridged with clay; common coarse faint light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and few medium faint gray (10YR 5/1) areas of iron depletions; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
BCg1--38 to 43 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) sandy clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly firm; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium lenses of gray (10YR 5/1) sandy loam; channels filled with light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand; few fine and medium pores; many uncoated sand grains; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
BCg2--43 to 62 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy loam; common coarse faint dark gray (N 4/0) sandy clay loam pockets; massive; friable; common fine and medium roots; common medium and coarse lenses and pockets of sand and loamy sand; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Brevard County, Florida. Approximately 1.75 miles west of intersection of Interstate 95 and Florida Highway 50, and about 1.0 mile north in the NW1/4, SW1/4, sec. 24, T. 22 S., R. 34 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 35 to more than 80 inches. Soil reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately alkaline in all horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 2 or 3. Texture is sand, fine sand, or mucky fine sand.
The Eg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of yellow and brown range from none to common. Texture is sand, fine sand, or mucky fine sand.
The Btg and BCg horizons have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 7, chroma of 1 or 2; or they are neutral, with value of 4 to 7. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, yellow, and brown range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. Pockets of sand or loamy sand range from none to common.
The Cg horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5GY, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. Pockets of shell and soft masses of calcium carbonate range from none to common.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Floridana soils are in depressional areas, flood plains, drainageways, and on low broad flats in the Lower Coastal Plain. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. They formed in thick beds of sandy and loamy marine sediments. The average annual temperature ranges from 72 to 76 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Anclote, Astor, Boca, Bradenton, Chobee, Copeland, Delray, EauGallie, Felda, Gentry, Holopaw, Immokalee, Malabar, Manatee, Myakka, Oldsmar, Pineda, Pompano, Riviera, and Winder series. Anclote and Astor soils have mollic epipedons over sandy C horizons. Boca, Bradenton, Felda, Holopaw, Malabar, Pineda, Pompano, Riviera, and Winder soils do not have mollic epipedons. Chobee soils have sandy clay loam Bt horizons within depths of 20 inches. Copeland soils have limestone within 40 inches. Delray soils have Bt horizons between depths of 40 to 60 inches. EauGallie, Immokalee, Myakka, and Oldsmar soils have spodic horizons. Gentry soils do not have E horizons. Manatee soils have sandy loam Bt horizons at depths of less than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas of Floridana soils have been cleared and used for pasture. Where water control is adequate, it is used for growing truck crops and citrus. Natural vegetation consists of sand cordgrass, cabbage palmetto, myrtle, and pineland threeawn. In depressional areas, most of the soil has a sparse to dense cover of cypress. In flood plains, the vegetation is mostly sweetgum, blackgum, red maple, and cypress.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brevard County, Florida; 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to a depth of 12 inches (A horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone between 29 and 38 inches (Btg horizon).
Arenic feature - The zone from the surface to a depth of 29 inches (The A and E horizons).
Aquic conditions - Endosaturation. The water table is at depths of less than 10 inches below the surface and depressional areas are ponded for more than 6 months during most years. Flood plains are flooded for 1 to 3 months during most years.