LOCATION OLIVARES PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, nonacid, isohyperthermic Typic Endoaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Olivares mucky peat--wildlife refuge. (colors are for moist conditions.)
Oa--0 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) mucky peat; about 60 percent fiber, by volume, unrubbed and about 15 percent fiber, by volume, rubbed; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and medium roots; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Cg1--2 to 25 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay; massive; firm, very sticky, very plastic; many fine roots; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
Cg2--25 to 48 inches; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) silty clay; massive firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) masses of iron accumulation; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg3--48 to 80 inches; black (5Y 2.5/1) silty clay; massive; firm, very sticky, very plastic; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lajas Municipality, Puerto Rico. Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge; approximately 1.2 miles south-southeast of Llanos and about 1,000 feet east of water cut-off valve. San German topographic quadrangle; lat. 18 degrees, 00 minutes, 54 seconds N.; long. 67 degrees, 06 minutes, 25 seconds W.; PRD 1940.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is more than 80 inches. Content of pebbles is less than 2 percent, by volume. Reaction is slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline in the Oa and A horizons, and moderately alkaline in the C horizons.
The Oa horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is mucky peat or muck.
The A horizon, where present, has hue of 10 YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2. Texture is loam, silty clay loam, or silty clay.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 2.5 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2. Masses of iron accumulation in shades of brown and yellow range from few to many. In the upper part of some pedons, there is no dominant color and the matrix is multi-colored in shades of gray, brown, and yellow. Texture is silty clay or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Olivares soils are in depressional areas. They formed in loamy and clayey alluvial and marine sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. The climate is tropical semiarid. The mean average air temperature ranges from 83 to 85 degrees F., and the average annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Cartagena, Fraternidad, and Teresa soils. All of these soils are on higher positions. In addition, Cartagena soils are sodic and somewhat poorly drained. Fraternidad soils are moderately well drained and have smectitic mineralogy. Teresa soils are somewhat poorly drained and have smectitic mineralogy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Olivares soils are in the Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge. Some areas have been drained and used for sugar cane. Vegetation consists of hydrophytic grasses and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Large depressional areas and lagunas of southern Puerto Rico. They are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lajas Municipality, Puerto Rico. Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge. 2007.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Water table - at or above the surface 9 or more months during the year.
Olivares soils are in MLRA 273.