LOCATION MARGATE FL
Established Series
Rev. AGH
05/2021
MARGATE SERIES
The Margate series consists of poorly drained, rapidly permeable soils that formed in sandy marine sediments of variable thickness over fractured limestone. The water table is near the surface
during wet periods. Slope is less than 2 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Siliceous, isohyperthermic Mollic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Margate fine sandpasture. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sand; single grained; loose; many medium and fine roots; very strongly acid; clear, smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
E--8 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand; few streaks of very dark gray (10YR 3/1) in root channels; single grained; loose; few fine roots; medium acid; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
Bw1--16 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand; few streaks of black (10YR 2/1) in root channels; single grained; loose; few medium and fine roots; few uncoated sand grains, some are partly coated; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Bw2--26 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sand; common medium distinct black (10YR 2/1) mottles; single grained; loose; few medium and fine roots; slight increase in clay content; many sand grains partly coated; common clean sand grains; neutral; abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
C--28 to 32 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly fine sand; single grained; loose; about 50 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) fragments of limestone; moderately alkaline; abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
2R--32 inches; hard fractured limestone that can be excavated with power equipment.
TYPE LOCATION: Broward County, Florida; about 1980 feet south of Griffin Road and 2640 feet west of 106th Avenue; SW1/4NW1/4 sec. 31, T. 50 S., R. 41 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to limestone ranges from 20 to 40 inches but there are solution pits to 60 or more inches deep within the pedon. Texture is sand or fine sand in all major horizons. Soil temperature is 73 to 75 degrees F. at a depth of 20 inches below the soil surface.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to medium acid.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 to 4. Soil reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bw1 horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 to 3. Soil reaction ranges from slightly acid to mildly alkaline. The Bw2 horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of
4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3. It has a 1 to 3 percent increase in clay content. It is cyclic and is too discontinuous or thin to meet the requirements of an argillic horizon. In the deeper solution pits the B horizon is thicker and finer textured and may qualify for an argillic horizon.
The C horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Texture is variable ranging from fine sand to sandy clay loam mixed with fragments of hard limestone and/or
soft carbonate material. Solution holes in the limestone range from about 6 inches to 3 feet in diameter and occur at intervals of about 2 to 6 feet.
COMPETING SERIES: This is
Captiva in the same family and
Basinger,
Hallandale, Lachoochee,
Plantation, and
Pompano series. Basinger and Pompano soils are 80 or more inches thick. Hallandale soils have fractured limestone at depths less than 20 inches. Lachoochee soils are subject to tidal flooding and are calcareous. Plantation soils have 8 inches or more of organic materials on the surface of the mineral soil.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Margate soils are on nearly level, low terraces between the Everglades and the low, sandy coastal ridges. Slopes are less than 2 percent. These soils have formed in a thin
to moderately thick bed of sandy marine sediments over limestone under the influence of a high water table. The climate is humid and warm. Near the type location, the average annual
precipitation is about 63 inches and mean annual temperature is about 74 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Basinger,
Hallandale,
Plantation and
Pompano series, and the
Boca,
Sanibel, and
Immokalee series. Boca soils have an argillic horizon. Sanibel and Immokalee soils are more than 80 inches thick. In addition, Immokalee soils have a spodic horizon and are on slightly higher elevations.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow runoff; rapid permeability. In undrained areas, the water table is within l0 inches of the soil surface for 2 to 4 months or shallow water covers the soil for l to 4 months during most years. In drained areas, the water table fluctuates with the water level in the canals and ditches through the solution holes in the limestone.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas with adequate water control are used for improved pasture grasses and citrus. In their native state, these soils are used for rangeland and as a wildlife habitat.
Native vegetation consists of waxmyrtle, pineland threeawn, St. Johnswort, and scattered cypress.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower Peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Broward County, Florida, 1973.
REMARKS: Soils of this nature would be classified as Ruptic-Alfic Psammaquents if the subgroup were recognized.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.