LOCATION LAWNWOOD                FL

Established Series
Rev. FCW; HFH; GRB
10/2018

LAWNWOOD SERIES


The Lawnwood series consists of very deep, poorly drained, very slowly to moderately slowly permeable soils on broad flatwoods in the lower Coastal Plain of Peninsular Florida. They formed in sandy marine sediments. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 74 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 55 inches. Slopes are dominantly less than 1 percent but range up to 2 percent along edges of depressions and drainage ways.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic, ortstein Aeric Alaquods

TYPICAL PEDON: Lawnwood sand--on a smooth 0.5 percent slope in flatwoods. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)

A1--0 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sand, rubbed; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; unrubbed color is mixture of organic matter and uncoated sand grains; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

A2--4 to 8 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sand; weak medium granular structure; few fine and medium roots, common coarse roots; many uncoated sand grains; common medium faint black (10YR 2/1) wormcasts having more organic matter than the matrix; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons ranges from 2 to 14 inches)

E1--8 to 15 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sand; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots, many coarse roots; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

E2--15 to 28 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sand; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; common medium distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) streaks along root channels having more organic matter than the matrix; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons ranges from 8 to 32 inches)

Bh1--28 to 52 inches; black (5YR 2/1) sand; massive; weakly cemented ortstein consists of 75 to 90 percent of the horizon; few fine roots; sand grains are well coated; many prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) sand bodies having less organic matter than the matrix; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 40 inches thick)

Bh2--52 to 58 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) sand; very friable; noncemented; common uncoated sand grains; common medium distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) and few medium distinct brown (10YR 4/3) bodies having less organic matter than the matrix; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)

C1--58 to 63 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) sand; single grained; loose; few coarse pockets of loamy sand; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 30 inches thick)

C2--63 to 80 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) sand; few coarse pockets of loamy sand and sandy loam; massive; very friable; sand grains coated with clay in loamy part; few medium faint light gray (5Y 7/2) areas of redoximorphic depletions; strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: St. Lucie County, Florida; approximately 5.0 miles north of Ft. Pierce, about 0.9 mile west of U.S. Highway 1, and about 140 feet north of Indrio Road. NW 1/4, SE 1/4, Sec. 18, T. 34 S., R. 40 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the Bh horizon is less than 30 inches from the surface. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to slightly acid in the A and E horizons, and from extremely acid to strongly acid in the Bw, Bh, BC&Bh, BC, and C horizons.

The A horizon has rubbed color in hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1. Where the value is less than 3.5, thickness is less than 10 inches. This horizon is a mixture of organic matter and uncoated sand grains. Texture is fine sand or sand.

The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma 1 or 2. Streaks or splotches of darker material range from none to common. Texture is fine sand or sand.

A Bw horizon may occur between the E and Bh in some pedons. Where present, it has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma 1 or 2. It does not meet the requirements for a spodic horizon. Texture is fine sand or sand.

The Bh horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3, and chroma of 1 to 3; or it is neutral with value of 2. It is weakly or moderately cemented in 60 to 90 percent of the horizon. Many pedons contain noncemented Bh horizons. Where present, they have the same range of colors and textures as the cemented horizons. Vertical streaks or pockets of gray, brown, and yellow range from none to common. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.

A BC&Bh horizon occurs in some pedons. Where present, the BC part has the same range of colors as the BC horizon and the Bh part has the same range of colors as the Bh horizon. Texture is fine sand or sand.

A BC horizon occurs in some pedons. Where present, it has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is fine sand or sand.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 4; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Redoximorphic features in shades of yellow, red, or gray range from none to common. Discontinuous pockets of loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam range from none to common. Texture is sand or fine sand.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lawnwood soils are on broad flatwoods in central and southern Florida. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in sandy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 60 inches and is heaviest in the summer. The average annual temperature ranges from 73 to 75 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Ankona, Basinger, EauGallie, Electra, Immokalee, Myakka, Oldsmar, Ona, Placid, Pomello, Pomona, St. Lucie, Wabasso, and Wauchula series. The very poorly or poorly drained Ankona soils are on similar to lower positions, have spodic horizons 30 to 50 inches below the surface, and have argillic horizons beneath the spodic horizon. The very poorly or poorly drained Basinger soils are on similar to lower positions, have weakly expressed spodic horizons, and are sandy throughout. The very poorly or poorly drained EauGallie, Immokalee, Myakka, Oldsmar, Pomona, Wabasso, and Wauchula soils are on similar to lower positions and lack ortstein. In addition, EauGallie soils have argillic horizons beneath the spodic horizon, Immokalee soils have spodic horizons 30 to 50 inches below the surface, Oldsmar and Wabasso soils have higher base saturation and argillic horizons, and Wauchula soils have argillic horizons. The somewhat poorly drained Electra soils are on higher positions, have spodic horizons 30 to 50 inches below the surface, do not have ortstein, and have argillic horizons below the spodic horizon. Ona soils are on similar positions but lack ortstein. The very poorly drained Placid soils are in sloughs and depressions, have umbric epipedons, and do not have spodic horizons. The somewhat poorly to moderately well drained Pomello soils are on higher positions, lack ortstein, and have spodic horizons 30 to 50 inches below the surface. The excessively drained St. Lucie soils are on higher positions, do not have spodic horizons, and are sandy throughout.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow to moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Lawnwood soils are primarily used for rangeland. Some areas are used for urban development. The principal vegetation is longleaf pine and slash pine with an understory of sawpalmetto, waxmyrtle, inkberry, fetterbush, creeping bluestem, chalky bluestem, Florida threeawn and pineland threeawn.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The soil is of moderate known extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Lucie County, Florida; 1977.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 28 inches (A1, A2, E1, and E2 horizons).

Spodic horizon - the zone from 28 to 58 inches (Bh1 and Bh2 horizons).

Ortstein - the zone from 28 to 52 inches (Bh1 horizon).

Lawnwood soils were formerly included in the Pomona series as a thick Bh variant.

The water table is within depths of 10 inches for 1 to 4 months and depths of 10 to 40 inches for 6 months or more during most years. During extended dry seasons, the water recedes to depths greater than 40 inches. Depressions are ponded for periods of 6 to 9 months in most years.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.