LOCATION LA TEA PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, vermiculitic, isohyperthermic, shallow Typic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: La Tea cobbly clay--forestland (Colors for moist soil unless otherwise indicated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) cobbly clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; strong fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, firm; sticky, plastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; common fine and medium interstitial pores; about 10 percent, by volume, pebbles; about 25 percent, by volume, cobbles; about 2 percent, by volume, stones; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 11 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; sticky, plastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots, few coarse roots; many fine and medium interstitial pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; about 5 percent, by volume, pebbles; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--11 to 16 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; sticky, plastic; many fine and medium roots, few coarse roots; many fine and medium interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; about 12 percent, by volume, pebbles; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons range from 9 to 13 inches)
Cr--16 to 18 inches; highly fractured semi-consolidated limestone that is rippable by hand tools; abrupt irregular boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
R--18 to 40+ inches; hard consolidated limestone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Hormigueros Municipality, Puerto Rico; approximately 0.6 mile northeast of downtown Hormigueros and from the intersection of P.R. Hwy 344 and P.R. Hwy 345; about 0.6 mile northwest from the intersection of P.R. Hwy 344 and P.R. Hwy 346; 20 feet west of paved road on forestland. USGS Quadrangle Rosario, Puerto Rico (1964), lat. 18 degrees 05 minutes 52 seconds N.; long. 67 degrees 06 minutes 55 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact with limestone bedrock ranges from 14 to 20 inches. The upper few inches of the limestone bedrock is highly fractured in most pedons. Reaction ranges from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline throughout the profile. Rock fragments include pebbles, cobbles, and stones composed of limestone. The combined total of rock fragments in the control section is less than 35 percent, by volume.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Content of pebbles, cobbles, and stones ranges from 30 to 45 percent, by volume. Texture is clay in the fine-earth fraction.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 2 to 4. Content of pebbles range from 2 to 15 percent, by volume. Texture is clay in the fine-earth fraction.
The Cr horizon, where present, is composed of highly fractured semi-consolidated limestone that can be excavated and is rippable by hand tools.
The R horizon is composed of consolidated limestone bedrock.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: La Tea soils are on summits and side slopes of limestone hills and mountains of the Humid Mountains and Valleys of southern Puerto Rico. They formed in material weathered from limestone bedrock. The climate is humid tropical. Slopes range from 20 to 60 percent. The average annual air temperature ranges from 76 to 78 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from about 72 to 78 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Caguabo, Malaya, and Mucara soils. All of these soils are on similar positions. Caguabo and Mucara soils are shallow and moderately deep, respectively, to volcanic rock. Malaya soils are shallow to calcareous tuffaceous bedrock. In addition, Caguabo, Malaya, and Mucara soils do not have argillic and mollic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of La Tea soils are used for forestland or for wildlife. The vegetation consists of Flamboyant, Turpentine, White cedar and White manjack trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Summits and side slopes of the humid limestone hills and mountains of southern Puerto Rico. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hormigueros Municipality, Puerto Rico, 2007. The name is from La Tea Ward, San German, where it was originally recognized.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 5 inches (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 5 to 16 inches (Bt horizons).
Lithic contact - The contact at 16 inches (R horizon).
La Tea soils are in Major Land Resource Area 270.
La Tea soils were formerly included in the Limestone outcrop miscellaneous land type.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization pedon-Hormigueros Municipality, Puerto Rico; S02PR067-001R. Sample by the NSSL, Lincoln, NE.