LOCATION MICANOPY FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, hyperthermic Aquic Paleudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Micanopy fine sand--cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; very dark gray (N 3/0) fine sand; moderate medium and coarse granular structure; very friable; common fine and few medium roots; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
E--5 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and few medium roots; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) bodies of stripped sand grains in upper 2 inches; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 20 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; clay bridging between sand grains; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--20 to 26 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay; common fine distinct gray and few fine prominent yellowish red mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; very few roots; faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt1 and Bt2 horizon is 8 to 16 inches.)
Btg1--26 to 45 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles with prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6) centers; moderate medium subangular blocky and angular blocky structure; firm; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; prominent continuous clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btg2--45 to 53 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay; many medium and coarse prominent dark red (10R 3/6), few fine faint light gray and strong brown mottles; weak medium subangular blocky and angular blocky structure; firm; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; discontinuous faint clay films on faces of peds; few slickensides; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Btg3--53 to 57 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay; many coarse faint gray (5Y 6/1) few fine prominent red and strong brown mottles; weak medium subangular blocky structure; extremely firm; sticky and plastic; few clay films; few slickensides; strongly acid; many stripped sand grains on prism faces; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btg horizon is 30 to 42 inches.)
BCg--57 to 68 inches; mixed gray (10YR 5/1; 5Y 6/1) sandy clay; common coarse strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and common fine prominent dark red mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very firm; slickensides; few small nodules of hard white limestone; common clean sand grains; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Marion County, Florida; about 3 miles northwest of Blichton on U.S. Highway 27 and 1/2 mile northeast on field road. NE1/4SE1/4, sec. 25, T. 13 S., R. 19 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 60 or more inches. It ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid in all horizons. Content of rock fragments, coarser than 2 mm is 0 to 5 percent throughout the soil.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 2 to 5. Texture ranges from sand to loamy fine sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 or 4, with or without mottles of gray, brown, or yellow. Texture ranges from sand to loamy fine sand.
The Bt1 and Bt2 horizons have hue of 10YR, value of 5, and chroma of 3 to 6, or value of 6 or 7, and chroma of 3 or 4. The Bt2 has mottles in shades of gray, brown, yellow, and red or it is mixed with these colors. Texture is sandy clay loam or sandy clay.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 5 or 6. Mottles are in shades of gray, yellow, brown, and red. Texture is sandy clay or clay. Content of plinthite is 0 to 5 percent in the Bt horizon.
Some pedons have a BE horizon. Texture is sandy loam or fine sandy loam. It has the same color ranges as the Bt1 horizon. Thickness is 0 to 4 inches.
The BCg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2, or it is neutral with value of 5 to 7. Mottles are in shades of yellow, brown, and red. Texture is sandy clay, clay, or sandy clay loam.
Some pedons have a C horizon below a depth of 60 inches. It 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. The colors are often intermixed.
COMPETING SERIES: There is no other known series in the same family. Closely similar soils are Flemington, Nobleton, and Zuber series. Flemington soils are gray throughout the argillic horizon. Nobleton soils have sandy epipedons 20 to 40 inches thick and low base saturation. Zuber soils are well drained.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Micanopy soils are on nearly level to sloping landscapes on uplands in the Coastal Plain. Slope gradients are 0 to 8 percent. These soils formed in thick beds of sandy and clayey marine sediments. Average annual precipitation is about 50 to 60 inches and mean annual temperature is about 70 to 74 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Flemington, Nobleton, and Zuber series and Bivans, Blichton, Boardman and Lochloosa series. Bivans, Blichton, and Boardman soils are poorly drained. Lochloosa soils have sandy epipedons 20 to 40 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; medium runoff; slow to very slow permeability. The soil is saturated in the mottled zone for periods of 1 to 3 months.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage is cleared and is used for tame pasture. A few cleared areas are used for citrus crops, corn, peanuts, and watermelons. Native vegetation consists of loblolly, slash, and longleaf pine, magnolia, hickory, dogwood, and laurel, live, and water oaks. Understory vegetation consists of creeping bluestem, indiangrass, chalky bluestem, toothachegrass, and numerous annual forbes.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Florida, primarily on the Ocala Uplift from Hillsborough through Alachua Counties and on outliers of the Ocala Uplift in Pasco, Sumter, and Polk Counties. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marion County, Florida; 1974.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly a part of the Zuber series.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 15 inches (Ap, E)
Argillic horizon - 15 to 57 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btg1, Btg2, Btg3)