LOCATION NETTLES FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic, ortstein Alfic Arenic Alaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Nettles sand - woodland. (Colors are for moist soil.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sand, rubbed; weak medium granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; unrubbed color is mixture or organic matter and uncoated sand grains; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
A2--5 to 8 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine and medium roots; extremely acid; clear smooth boundary.
A3--8 to 11 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sand; single grained; loose; common medium and few fine roots; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons ranges from 9 to 20 inches)
E--11 to 33 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) sand; single grained; loose; few fine and medium roots; common medium distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) streaks having more organic matter along root channels than the matrix; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (19 to 30 inches thick)
Bh1--33 to 36 inches; black (5YR 2/1) sand; massive; very firm; weakly cemented ortstein consists of 75 to 90 percent of the horizon; sand grains are well coated; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bh2--36 to 39 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) loamy sand; massive; firm; weakly cemented ortstein consists of 75 to 90 percent of the horizon; sand grains coated with colloidal organic matter; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bh3--39 to 46 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) sand; massive; friable; noncemented; sand grains are well coated; common medium distinct black (5YR 2/1) masses having more organic matter than the matrix; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bh4--46 to 55 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) sand; massive; friable; noncemented; common fine distinct olive (5Y 5/3) streaks having less organic matter than the matrix; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Total thickness of the Bh horizons range from 3 to 46 inches)
Btg1--55 to 77 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) fine sandy loam; common coarse distinct krotovinas filled with white (10YR 8/1) sand; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains bridged and coated with clay; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary. (6 to 28 inches thick)
Btg2--77 to 90 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains bridged and coated with clay; common medium distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) streaks along root channels have more organic matter than the matrix; common thin lenses of light gray (10YR 7/1) sand; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Lucie County, Florida; approximately 3.5 miles northwest of Ft. Pierce, about 0.3 mile southwest of Avenue Q and Angle Road, and about 80 feet north of trail. NE 1/4, SW 1/4, Sec. 6, T. 35 S., R. 40 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Total thickness of the A and E horizons range from 30 to 50 inches. Reaction of the A, E, Bh, and Bw horizons range from strongly acid to slightly acid and from strongly acid to slightly alkaline in the Bt and C horizons. Depth to the Btg horizon is more than 40 inches.
When rubbed, the A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 2 to 4. Thickness is less than 10 inches if value is less than 3.5. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The BE horizon, where present, is between the E and Bh horizon. It has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Bh horizons have hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 to 4; or it is neutral with value of 2. It is weakly or moderately cemented in 60 to 90 percent of the horizon. Some pedons have lower Bh horizons that are noncemented but with the same range of colors and textures. Texture is fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Bw/Bh horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Spodic fragments range from common to many. Texture is fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Bw horizon, where present, have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. Texture is fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The E' horizon, where present, is located between the Bh and Btg horizons. It has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 3; or it is neutral with value of 5 to 8. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Bt or Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma 1 to 4; or it is neutral with value 4 or 6. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, yellow, and gray range from none to common. The more acid reactions are due to pyrites that occur in some places. The pyrites oxidize, releasing acids when water levels are lowered and the presence of pyrites cannot be predicted. Texture is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Cg horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5BG, value of 4 to 6, and chroma 2 or less. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, yellow, and gray range from none to common. Texture is variable, ranging from sand to sandy clay loam and may be stratified.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known other series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nettles soils are on broad areas and in depression on the flatwoods of central and southern Florida. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 70 to 74 degrees F. Annual precipitation is about 50 to 60 inches and is heaviest in the summer.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Ankona, Basinger, Eaugallie, Immokalee, Jonathan, Lawnwood, Malabar, Myakka, Oldsmar, Pendarvis, Pepper, Pineda, Pomello, Salerno, Susanna, St. Lucie, Tantile, Wauchula, and Waveland series. Ankona, Eaugallie, Immokalee, Oldsmar, Pepper, Pineda, and Waveland soils are on similar positions. In addition, Ankona soils are Ultic, Eaugallie, Immokalee, Oldsmar, and Pineda soils lack ortstein, Pepper soils are less than 30 inches from the surface to the Bh horizon, and Waveland soils are not Alfic. Basinger, Malabar, and Myakka soils are on similar to slightly lower positions. In addition, Basinger soils have horizons with some spodic characteristics, Malabar soils lack spodic horizons and are grossarenic, while Myakka soils do not have ortstein. The moderately well drained to excessively drained Jonathan soils are on higher positions and are more than 50 inches in depth from the surface to ortstein. Lawnwood, Salerno, Susanna, Tantile, and Wauchula soils are poorly drained and on similar to slightly higher positions. In addition, Lawnwood and Tantile soils are less than 30 inches from the surface to the Bh horizon, Salerno soils are more than 50 inches from the surface to the Bh horizon, Susanna soils are Ultic, and Wauchula soils lack ortstein. Pendarvis, Pomello, and St. Lucie soils are on adjacent higher positions. In addition, Pendarvis soils are moderately well drained, Pomello soils are moderately well drained to somewhat poorly drained and lack ortstein, while the excessively drained St. Lucie soils lack diagnostic horizons within depths of 80 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained and very poorly drained; slow or very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for rangeland. Some areas are planted to citrus, tame pasture, and vegetable crops. A few areas are used for community development. Natural vegetation on flats is composed of slash pine and longleaf pine with a ground cover of sawpalmetto, running oak, pineland threeawn, Florida threeawn, along with gallberry and fetterbush in some places. In depressions, trees are cypress, blackgum, Carolina ash, loblolly bay, red maple, sweetbay, and pond pine. Other plants include maidencane, blue maidencane, chalky bluestem, sand cordgrass, and bluejoint panicum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The soil is of moderate known extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Lucie County, Florida; 1977.
REMARKS: Nettles soils were formerly included in the Oldsmar series. In situ saturated hydraulic conductivity rates of 15 tests at 5 sites show permeability to range from 0.7475 to 0.0000 in./hr. but dominantly from 0.0285 to 0.0003 in./hr. This revision changes the series classification to recognize the 1992 amendments to Soil Taxonomy that introduces changes in classification of Spodosols.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from the surface to a depth of 33 inches (A1, A2, A3, and E horizons).
Albic horizon - zone from 11 to 33 inches (E horizon).
Spodic horizon - zone from 33 to 55 inches (Bh1, Bh2, Bh3, Bh4 horizons).
Argillic horizon - zone from 55 to 90 inches (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons).
Aquic conditions - episaturation - A water table is within a depth of 18 inches for 2 to 4 months and 10 to 40 inches for 6 months or more during most years. It is perched above the spodic horizon early in the summer rainy season and after heavy rainfall in other seasons. During extended low rainfall periods, the water table recedes to below a depth of 40 inches. Depressions are ponded for 6 to 9 months or more in most years
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil Characterization Sample Number S43-1-(1-8). IFAS, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.