LOCATION MOULTRIE FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Siliceous, hyperthermic Spodic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Moultrie fine sand--tidal marsh (Colors are for moist soil).
A--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sand; weak fine granular structure; friable; common fine roots, few medium roots; about 19 mmho/cm conductivity; common medium and coarse distinct prominent olive (5Y 4/4), dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1), and light gray (10YR 7/1) areas of organic matter depletions; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
E1--2 to 8 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) fine sand; single grained; loose; common fine and medium roots, few coarse roots; about 25 mmho/cm conductivity; few fine distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) stains along root channels; few coarse distinct black (10YR 2/1) and common coarse distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) masses of organic matter accumulation and gray (10YR 5/1) areas of organic matter depletions; neutral; clear wavy boundary.
E2--8 to 22 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; about 21 mmho/cm conductivity; common medium distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) organic matter accumulations and stains along root channels; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons range from 10 to 22 inches)
Bh1--22 to 26 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sand; weak medium granular structure; friable; sand grains are thinly coated with organic matter; many uncoated sand grains; about 26 mmho/cm conductivity; common coarse distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2), brown (10YR 5/3), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and dark gray (10YR 4/1) organic matter depletions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bh2--26 to 29 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) fine sand; weak medium granular structure; friable; sand grains are thinly coated with organic matter; many uncoated sand grains; about 23 mmho/cm conductivity; common coarse distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) areas of organic matter depletions and common fine faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) and few fine distinct black (10YR 2/1) masses of organic matter accumulation; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bh horizons range from 4 to 14 inches)
Bw--29 to 47 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sand; single grained; loose; about 18 mmho/cm conductivity; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 25 inches thick)
Cg--47 to 80 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine sand; single grained; loose; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Johns County, Florida; approximately 2,700 feet due east of northwest end of Runway 31 of St. Augustine Airport. Land Grant 43, T. 6 S., R. 29 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Reaction of the A horizon ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline. Reaction of the Bh, Bw, and Cg horizons range from very strongly acid to slightly acid. Sulfur content is less than 0.75 percent throughout the soil. Conductivity of the saturation extract ranges from about 16 to 35 mmho/cm throughout the soil.
The A horizon has hue 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 5, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 3. Where value is 3 or less, thickness is less than 6 inches. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The E horizon has hue 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features and streaks of black, gray, brown, olive, and greenish gray range from none to many. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Bh horizon has hue 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 1 to 4. Uncoated sand grains range from common to many. Areas of organic matter depletions with colors similar to that of the E horizon range from few to many. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Cg horizon has hue 10YR or 2.5Y, value 5 to 7, and chroma 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Texture is sand or fine sand
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Basinger, Lacoochee, and Valkaria series. The very poorly or poorly drained Basinger and Valkaria soils are on higher adjacent positions of the Florida Flatwoods and are not affected by high salt content. The poorly drained Lacoochee soils are on similar positions and are shallow to limestone bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moultrie soils are in tidal marshes along the Atlantic Coast of Peninsular Florida. Slopes are less than 1 percent. They formed in thick beds of sandy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 60 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 71 to 73 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adamsville, Myakka, St. Augustine, and Satellite series. All of these soils occupy higher adjacent positions and are somewhat poorly drained except Myakka soils which are very poorly or poorly drained. In addition, Adamsville, St. Augustine, and Satellite soils are sandy throughout while Myakka soils are Spodosols.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; moderately rapid or rapid permeability in the Bh horizon and very rapid in the other horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Moultrie soils are used mainly for wildlife habitat. The native vegetation consists of seashore saltgrass, bushy sea-oxeye, glasswort, big leaf sumpweed, and a few red mangrove.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Atlantic Coast tidal area of Peninsular Florida. This series is of small known extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Johns County, Florida; 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon the zone from 0 to 22 inches (Ap, E1, and E2 horizons).
Weak spodic horizon the zone from 22 to 29 inches (Bh1 and Bh2 horizons).
Moultrie soils are frequently flooded by storm tides and when other conditions cause abnormally high tides. The water table is within 10 inches of the surface most of the time and is affected by tidal fluctuations.
This series was formerly mapped as a variant of the Basinger series. This series has halic properties as defined in Application of Soil Taxonomy in Tidal Areas of the Southeastern United States, Soil Science Society of America Proceedings, Vol. 39; 1975.