LOCATION MALABAR FL
Established Series
Rev. MF; GRB
04/2014
MALABAR SERIES
The Malabar series consists of very deep, very poorly and poorly drained, slowly permeable soils in sloughs, shallow depressions and along flood plains in the Southern Florida Flatwoods (MLRA 155), the Southern Florida Lowlands (MLRA 156B), Florida Everglades and Associated Areas (MLRA 156A) and the South Central Florida Ridge (MLRA 154) Major Land Resource Areas. They formed in sandy and loamy marine sediments. Near the type location, the mean annual temperature is about 73 degrees F., and the mean annual precipitation is about 55 inches. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, siliceous, active, hyperthermic Grossarenic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Malabar sand, in a forested area (Colors are for moist soil).
A--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and few medium roots; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
E1--5 to 11 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) pore linings along some root channels; brownish colors are iron coatings on sand grains; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
E2--11 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand; single grained; loose; few fine roots; common medium faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizons is 3 to 38 inches.)
Bw1--14 to 18 inches; yellow (10YR 7/6) sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; few fine roots; many uncoated sand grains; iron coatings on sand grains; common coarse distinct yellow (10YR 8/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation and common coarse distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--18 to 24 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; iron coatings on sand grains; common coarse faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation and common medium and coarse distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--24 to 35 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand; single grained; loose; iron coatings on sand grains; common coarse faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation and common medium and coarse faint light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bw horizons is 6 to 64 inches)
E'--35 to 45 inches; about 50 percent olive gray (5Y 5/2) and about 50 percent dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; single grained; loose; sand grains uncoated; many medium and coarse faint light gray (10YR 7/1) iron depletions; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 29 inches thick)
Btg--45 to 54 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very friable; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; few medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) pore linings along ped faces and some root channels; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 38 inches thick)
BCg--54 to 61 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy loam; common coarse pockets of sand and sandy clay loam; massive; friable; few medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) pore linings along ped faces and some root channels; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 21 inches thick)
Cg--61 to 65 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand; single grained; loose; few coarse pockets of gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay loam; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Brevard County, Florida; approximately 6.0 miles west of Melbourne on U.S. Highway 192 and about 1.25 miles south of intersection of I-75 and U.S. Highway 192. SW1/4, SW1/4, Sec. 11, R. 36 E., R. 28 S.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 46 to 90 inches. Soil reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately alkaline throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 4. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, brown, and yellow range from few to many. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 4 to 8. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, brown, and yellow range from few to many. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The E' horizon has hue of 10YR or 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 3; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, brown, and yellow range from few to many. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Btg and BCg horizons have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, brown, and yellow range from few to many. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or sandy clay loam. Some pedons have a thin Btg1 horizon of loamy sand or loamy fine sand. The BC horizon may have loamy fine sand texture. A few intrusions of coarser textured material from overlying horizons are in the Btg horizon in many pedons. In some pedons, the Btg horizon contains small bodies of pyrite. The presence of pyrite cannot be predicted. Lowering the water table can result in the pyrite reacting to form acids that may lower the pH in local spots within the horizon to 3.5 or less.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5GY, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, or loamy sand with pockets or lenses of loamy material. Content of shell fragments ranges from none to about 50 percent by volume.
COMPETING SERIES: These include
Holopaw and
Popash series in the same family. They do not have Bw horizons. In addition, Holopaw soils are on similar positions and Popash soils are in slightly lower depressional positions.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Malabar soils are in sloughs, depressions, and along flood plains in the Southern Florida Flatwoods, the Southern Florida Lowlands, Florida Everglades and Associated Areas and the South Central Florida Ridge. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in thick beds of sandy and loamy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual temperature ranges from 72 to 74 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation ranges from 53 to 57 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing
Holopaw series and the
Basinger,
Boca, EauGallie,
Farmton,
Felda,
Floridana,
Ft. Drum,
Hallandale,
Lokosee,
Myakka,
Oldsmar,
Pineda,
Pompano,
Riviera,
Smyrna,
Valkaria,
Wabasso, and
Winder series. Basinger and Pompano soils do not have argillic horizons. Boca, Felda and Floridana soils have sandy surface and subsurface layers 20 to 40 inches thick. In addition, Boca soils hare moderately deep to limestone bedrock and Floridana soils are Mollisols. EauGallie, Farmton, Myakka, Oldsmar and Wabasso soils have spodic horizons. The poorly drained Ft. Drum soils are on similar to slightly higher positions and have Bk horizons. Lokosee and Valkaria soils have weakly expressed spodic horizons. Hallandale soils are shallow to limestone bedrock. Pineda and the poorly drained Riviera soils are Arenic Glossaqualfs. The poorly drained Winder soils have an argillic horizon within a depth of 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: poorly and very poorly drained; rapid permeability in the A, E, Bw and Cg, horizons, and slow to very slow permeability in the Btg horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Large areas of the Malabar soils are used extensively for range. Some areas are used for citrus crops, truck crops, and improved pasture with adequate water control. Native vegetation consists of scattered slash pine, cypress wax myrtle, cabbage palm, pineland threeawn, and maidencane. In depressions, the vegetation is dominantly St. Johnswort or maidencane.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southern portions of Peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brevard County, Florida; 1970.
REMARKS: Malabar soils were formerly mapped in the Charlotte series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 14 inches (A & E horizons).
Albic horizon - the zone between depths of 5 to 14 inches (E1 and E2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone between depths of 45 to 54 inches (Btg horizon).
The water table is within depths of 10 inches for 2 to 6 months during most years and can recede to a depth of more than 40 inches in extended dry periods. Depressions are ponded for periods ranging from 3 to 6 months in most years. Flood plains are inundated for periods ranging from 7 days to 1 month in most years.
Malabar soils are primarily in MLRA 155, but are also in MLRAs 154, 156A and 156B.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available on the National Soil Survey website at: http;://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/querypage.aspx
Laboratory data was provided by the Soil Characterization Lab, IFAS, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.