LOCATION GANTHIER HT
Tentative Series
GAR/NCJ/MMR
08/2014
GANTHIER SERIES
The Ganthier series consists of moderately deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils on foothills. They formed in residuum from limestone and calcareous siltstone or fine sandstone. They are within MLRA 127, Semiarid Mountains and Valleys. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 27 degrees C., and the mean annual precipitation is about 750 millimeters. Slopes range from 15 to 45 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, carbonatic, isohyperthermic Aridic Haplustepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Ganthier silty clay loam - shrub land (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 17 cm, (0 to 7 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; violently effervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
Bw--17 to 40 cm, (7 to 16 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky, slightly plastic; violently effervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary.
C--40 to 76 cm, (16 to 30 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam; massive; slightly sticky, slightly plastic, violently effervescent, by KCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Cr1--76 to 104 cm, (30 to 41 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam; massive; nonsticky, nonplastic; 1 percent fine threadlike carbonate masses; violently effervescent, by KCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
Cr2--104 to 203 cm, (41 to 80 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4); massive; nonsticky, nonplastic; strongly effervescent, by HCl, 1 normal; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: 5.05 km; 360 degrees South of Haiti International Route 8 and 1.18 km: 41 degrees southwest of Jacquet, Haiti
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 17 to 40 centimeters. Depth to the Cr ranges from 50 to 96 centimeters. Carbonate clay ranges from 5 to 30 percent in all horizons. Reaction ranges from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline in the A, Bw, and C horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silt loam, loam, or silty clay loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silty clay loam, loam, sandy loam, or silt loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The BC horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silt loam, loam, sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silt loam, loam, sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam in the fine-earth fraction.
The Cr horizon is hard semi-consolidated fractured limestone or siltstone. Color has hue of 7.5YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 2 to 6. It can be excavated with difficulty using hand tools, and is rippable by mechanical equipment.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ganthier soils are on ridge tops, summits, and side slopes of limestone or siltstone hills. They formed in residuum from limestone or siltstone in the Semiarid Mountains and Valleys MLRA of Haiti. Slopes range from 15 to 45 percent. The average annual air temperature ranges from 27 to 28 degrees C., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 600 to 800 millimeters.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Haut Boen (T),
Dumay (T) and
Sha Sha (T) series. The Haut Boen (T) soils have a loamy-skeletal particle size and a mollic epipedon. The Dumay (T) soils have a clayey over loamy-skeletal family particle size. The Sha Sha (T) soils are on similar positions in the landscape but are shallow and have a petrocalcic over gravelly limestone substratum.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of the Ganthier soils are on naturalized pastureland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation consists of Mezquite and other xerophytic grasses, shrubs, and trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Limestone and siltstone hills of Cul-de-Sac Haiti. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES PROPOSED: Haiti Pilot Soil Survey Initiative, Jacquet, Haiti; 2014.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 17 centimeters (A horizon).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 17 to 40 centimeters (Bw horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization pedon - Ganthier, Haiti; S2014HA0OU0013. Sample by KSSL, Lincoln, NE., 03/2014.
TABULAR SERIES DATA: None
MLRA: 271
________________________________________
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.