LOCATION LIMANI PRInactive Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, isohyperthermic Fluventic Dystropepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Limani silty clay loam - cultivated. (Colors for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 8 inches; very dark gray (5YR 3/1) silty clay loam; weak medium and coarse granular structure; friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary (6 to 10 inches thick)
A12--8 to 13 inches; dark gray (5YR 4/1) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
B1--13 to 17 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) silty clay loam, weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
B2--17 to 37 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silty clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; thin discontinuous brown coatings; few fine black concretions; few fine roots; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick.)
C--37 to 58 inches plus; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay loam; massive; friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Sur SCD, Puerto Rico, 6.0 miles west of town of Adjuntas, Limani Experiment substation farm, 300 feet northwest of station headquarters in sun grown coffee field.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 30 to 40 inches. Texture of the profile varies from clay loam to silty clay loam. Reaction of the profile ranges from strongly acid to very strongly acid.
Color of the A horizon is in hues of 5YR and 2.5YR, values of 2 and 3, chromas of 1 and 2. Colors of the B2 horizon are in hues of 5YR to 7.5YR, values of 4 and 5, chromas of 4 and 6. Structure of the B2 ranges from weak fine to weak medium subangular blocky. Thin patchy clay films may or may not be present in the B horizons.
Base saturation of the epipedon and the B horizons is below the 50% level and cation exchange capacity per 100 grams of clay is more than 20 meq. per 100 grams of clay. The organic matter does not decrease regularly with depth and does not reach levels of 0.35 percent within 50 inches of soil surface.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Mayo, Humacao, Mani, and Dique series. The Mayo soils have coarse loamy textured profiles and a regular decrease of organic matter with depth. The Humacao soils have higher base status and are yellower in color throughout. The Mani soils are less acid, have higher base saturation and low chroma mottles. The Dique soils are less acid and have higher base status.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Limani soils occur on nearly level to gently sloping flood plains and alluvial fans with slope gradients from 0 to 5 percent. The regolith consists of moderately fine textured sediments derived from highly weathered basic volcanic rocks. These sediments have very dark gray and dark gray colors which are described in the surface layers. These low chroma colors are not indicative of poor drainage. The climate is humid tropical with mean annual rainfall of 92 inches. The mean annual temperature is 73 degrees F. Mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches is above 71.6 degrees F. and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperatures is less than 9 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alonso, Anones, Morado and Humatas series all of which occur in steep sideslopes of the volcanic uplands above the Limani soils. The Alonso soils are deep, dark reddish brown with a well developed argillic horizon. Anones soils are moderately deep over saprolite, dark reddish brown with a cambic horizon. The Morado soils are dark reddish brown, moderately deep over semi-consolidated volcanic rocks. The Humatas soils are deep, red, with a well developed argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained with slow runoff. Permeability is moderate. The low chroma colors are not indicative of restricted drainage but are inherited from the overlying dark colored soils.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are in clean tilled crops and sugar cane. Native grasses used for pasture comprise a minor acreage.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Humid uplands of Puerto Rico. The series is of minor extent.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sur SCD, Puerto Rico. Name is from a river that runs near the site where the series was first recognized.
REMARKS: Formerly classified in the alluvial Great Soil Group. This soil was mapped with the Toa series in the Soil Survey of Puerto Rico - 1942. The Toa series is classified in Hapludolls.