LOCATION HEIGHTS FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Arenic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Heights fine sand in flatwoods.
(Colors are for moist soil.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand; single
grained; loose; common fine, and few medium and coarse roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
E--4 to 18 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sand; single grained; loose; common fine, and few medium and coarse roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 24 inches thick)
Bw--18 to 21 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand;
single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; mildly
alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bk--21 to 29 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sand;
common fine distinct white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate streaks
along root channels; single grained; loose; strongly alkaline;
abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Btk1--29 to 36 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) loamy sand; common medium distinct light gray (N 7/0), many large
prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and brownish yellow (10YR
6/8) mottles; common white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate streaks
along root channels; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; moderately alkaline;
gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Btk2--36 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) cobbly
loamy sand; common medium distinct light yellowish brown (2.5Y
6/4) mottles; common soft masses of secondary carbonates; about
25 percent iron cemented sandstone cobbles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly sticky and slightly
plastic; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12
inches thick)
Btkg--42 to 50 inches; light gray (N 7/0) fine sandy loam;
common coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and olive (5Y
4/3, 5/4) mottles; common soft masses of secondary carbonates;
few iron cemented sandstone cobbles; weak medium subangular
blocky structure; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; mildly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
Cg--50 to 80 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) loamy sand; common medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4), and light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) mottles; few pockets of gray (5Y 6/1) fine sandy loam
and sandy clay loam throughout; massive; friable; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Charlotte County, Florida; NW1/4NW1/4NE1/4 sec.
5, T. 42 S., R. 24 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 49 to 71 inches. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral in the
surface and subsurface and neutral to strongly alkaline in all
other horizons.
A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 through 5, and chroma of 1.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 through 7, and chroma
of 1 through 3 with mottles of yellow, strong brown, or brown.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 2 through 4 with mottles of yellow, yellowish brown, or dark brown. The Bk horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 4
through 6, and chroma of 3 or 4 with mottles of strong brown, yellowish brown, or very dark grayish brown.
The Btk1 horizon has hue of 10YR, 5Y, 5GY, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2 with mottles of brown, yellowish brown, brownish yellow, pale olive, light olive brown, or olive yellow; hue of
2.5Y, value of 6, and chroma of 4 with mottles of light gray, yellowish brown, or brownish yellow. Texture is loamy sand or
loamy fine sand.
The Btk2 horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 5 or 6,
and chroma of 8; or value of 7 and chroma of 1 or 2 with mottles
in shades of brown, olive, and yellow. Texture is cobbly loamy
sand or cobbly fine sandy loam. The Btkg horizon has hue of 5Y, value of 6 or 7, and chroma of 1 with mottles of olive, yellow,
light yellowish brown, or brownish yellow; or color of N 7/0 with mottles of yellowish brown or olive. Texture is loamy sand or
fine sandy loam. The BC horizon, where present, has hue of 5Y or 5GY, value of 6 or 7, and chroma of 1.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 through 4. Texture is fine sand or loamy sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Ellzey in the same family, and
Boca,
Felda,
Ft. Green,
Isles,
Malabar,
Roemer, and
Tequesta in closely similar families. Boca, Felda, Ft. Green, Isles, Malabar,
Roemer, and Tequesta soils have loamy control sections. In
addition, Boca soils have limestone bedrock within depths of 24
to 40 inches. Ellzey and Malabar soils have high chroma Bw
horizons above the Bt horizon. In addition, Malabar soils have
sandy A and E horizons 40 or more inches thick. Felda soils do
not have iron cemented sandstone cobbles in the subsoils. Ft.
Green soils do not have accumulations of secondary carbonates in
the Bw and Bt horizons. Isles soils are underlain by limestone between depths of 40 to 60 inches. Roemer soils do not have accumulations of secondary carbonates in the Bt horizon.
Tequesta soils have Histic epipedons and albic materials that
tongue into the Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Heights soils are on flatwoods in the lower Coastal Plain. Slopes are less than 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation average is about 53 inches and is heaviest in the summer months. Mean annual air temperature averages about 73
degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Boca
and
Felda series, in addition to
Hallandale,
Oldsmar, and
Wabasso series. All of these soils occur on similar landscape positions. Hallandale soils have limestone bedrock at a depth of less than
20 inches from the surface. Oldsmar and Wabasso soils have
spodic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Heights soils are poorly drained.
Runoff and permeability are slow. The water table is within
depths of 10 inches of the surface for 1 to 2 months and depths
of 10 to 40 inches for 4 months or more during most years.
During extended dry periods the water recedes to depths greater
than 40 inches.
USE AND VEGETATION: Heights soils are used mainly for range land
and wildlife habitat. Most areas are in native vegetation
consisting of pineland threeawn, sawpalmetto, South Florida slash pine, waxmyrtle, creeping and chalky bluestem, panicum, and
various other weeds and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwest peninsular Florida. The
series is of small known extent and occurs primarily east of U.S. Highway 41 in Charlotte County.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Charlotte County, Florida; 1982.