LOCATION HICORIA FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, active, hyperthermic Arenic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Hicoria mucky sand---marsh. (Colors are for moist soil)
A1--0 to 4 inches; black (N 2/0) mucky sand; weak coarse granular structure; friable; many fine roots; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
A2--4 to 15 inches; black (N 2/0) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A1 and A2 horizons ranges from 10 to 24 inches.)
Eg--15 to 21 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sand; single grained; loose; many fine roots; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 28 inches thick)
Btg1--21 to 39 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine streaks and lenses of sandy clay loam; many fine roots; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron depletions; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btg2--39 to 52 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine streaks and lenses of sandy clay loam; many fine roots; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; extremely acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizons ranges from 10 to 60 inches.)
BCg--52 to 80 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) fine sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; extremely acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Highlands County, Florida; approximately 2,625 feet south and 875 feet east of the northwest corner of Sec. 12, T. 38 S., R. 31 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid in the A horizon and from extremely acid to neutral in the Eg, Btg, and BCg horizons.
The Oa horizon, where present, is up to 3 inches thick. It has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is muck.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 1 to 3, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 2. Texture is sand, fine sand, mucky fine sand, mucky sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Eg horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, yellow, or brown range from none to common. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 4 to 7. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, yellow, or brown range from few to common. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
The BCg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Cg horizon, where present, has the same range of colors as the BCg horizon. Texture is sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Boca, Felda, Ft. Green, Isles, Pinellas, and Pople series. None of these soils have an Umbric epipedon. Boca soils are on similar positions and are moderately deep to limestone. Felda soils are on similar to slightly higher positions. The poorly drained Ft. Green soils are on higher positions. Isles soils are on similar to lower positions and are deep to limestone bedrock. The poorly drained Pinellas and Pople soils are on similar to higher positions. In addition, Pinellas soils are underlain by shell fragments and Pople soils have Calcic horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hicoria soils are in depressions and broad low flats. Slopes are less than 2 percent. They formed in sandy and loamy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from about 50 to 60 inches, and the average annual temperature ranges from about 70 to 74 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Felda series and the Basinger, Chobee, and Tequesta soils. Basinger soils are on slightly higher positions, have weakly expressed spodic horizons, and are sandy throughout. Chobee soils are on similar to lower positions, have sandy surface and subsurface layers less than 20 inches in thickness and are Mollisols. The poorly drained Tequesta soils are on similar to lower positions and have a histic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained or poorly drained; moderately slow to slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Hicoria soils are used mainly for rangeland or wildlife habitat. Where water control is adequate, it is used for tame pasture. Natural vegetation consists of cypress, willow, sweetbay, red bay, pickerel weed, arrowhead, maidencane, sawgrass, chalky bluestem, bushybeard bluestem, sand cordgrass, waxmyrtle, and other water tolerant plants. Some areas have slash pine and scattered cabbage palms.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Highlands County, Florida; 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Umbric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 15 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Albic horizon - the zone from 15 to 21 inches (Eg horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 21 to 52 inches (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons).
The water table is above the surface more than 6 months during most years in depressions. It is within 12 inches of the surface for most of the remainder of the year. In other landscapes the water table is within 12 inches of the surface for 2 to 4 months during most years. The water table may recede to as deep as 60 inches during droughty periods.
Hicoria soils were formerly included with the Floridana soils. Lab data confirms the surface layer as being an umbric epipedon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: University of Florida, IFAS, Soil Characterization Lab numbers, 6042 to 6047.