LOCATION NARANJO PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, carbonatic, isohyperthermic Inceptic Haprendolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Naranjo clay-native pasture.
(Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay; weak fine granular structure; firm, slightly sticky; plastic; many fine roots; volcanic fragments 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter; common fine shell fragments; fine and medium limestone fragments; strong effervescence; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
B2--9 to 17 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; common fine roots; fine shell fragments; fine and medium limestone fragments, 5 to 10 percent from 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter; strong effervescence; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
B3--17 to 25 inches; yellow (10YR 7/6) clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky, plastic; common fine roots; common lime splotches; fine and medium limestone fragments, 5 to 10 percent from 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter; strong effervescence; gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C1--25 to 36 inches; yellow (10YR 7/6) clay; with common medium prominent light gray (7.5YR 7/0) and few fine faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles; massive; firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; common lime splotches; fine and medium limestone fragments 5 to 10 percent from 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter; violent effervescence; gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
C2--36 to 60 inches; mixed colors, yellow (10YR 7/6) brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and light gray (7.5YR 7/0), crushed color, yellow (10YR 7/8) clay; massive; firm, slightly sticky, plastic; many lime splotches; violent effervescence.
TYPE LOCATION: Noroeste SCD, Puerto Rico; 1.5 miles southeast of the town of Aguadilla; 100 meters south of kilometer marker 1.2 on Highway 111.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 18 to 30 inches. Depth to the soft limestone is over 60 inches. Texture is clay in the whole profile. Consistence is slightly sticky or sticky and plastic. Gravel fragments range from 0 to 10 percent. These soils are calcareous throughout and effervescence increases with depth. Pressure faces may or may not be present. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 74 to 76 degrees F.
The A horizon has hues of 10YR to 2.5Y, and values and chromas of 2 or 3.
The B horizons have hues of 10YR or 7.5YR, values of 5 to 7, and chromas of 6 to 8.
The C horizons have yellow, brownish yellow, very pale brown, and light gray colors in varying proportions. Effervescence is violent.
COMPETING SERIES: The Santa Clara series is in the same family. The Aguilita, Coamo, Colinas, Ensenada, Guanabano, Pozo Blanco, Sion, Soller and Yauco series are similar soils in related families. The Santa Clara soils are shallower with hard rock within 40 inches. The Aguilita soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in their profiles and lack cambic horizons. The Coamo, Guanabano and Ensenada, have argillic horizons. The Colinas have coarser textured profiles. The Pozo Blanco, Sion and Yauco soils are coarser textured and have ustic moisture regimes. The Soller soils are shallow to the hard limestone.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Naranjo soils are sloping to very steep soils on foot slopes, side slopes and hilltops with slopes ranging from 5 to 60 percent. They formed in fine textured, calcareous residuum from soft limestone. The climate is humid tropical. The average annual precipitation is 70 to 90 inches and the mean annual temperature is 77 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Colinas and Santa Clara, Camaguey and Juncal series. The Camaguey soils have thicker and darker A horizons and slickensides close enough to intersect at 12 to 16 inches of the surface. The Juncal soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium and rapid runoff and moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some acreage is planted to sugarcane. Some acres are in native pasture or brush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Humid uplands of northern Puerto Rico. The series is of minor extent with about 5000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Noroeste SCD, Puerto Rico; 1979.