LOCATION ONA FL+NC
Established Series
Rev. AGH
10/2018
ONA SERIES
The Ona series consists of poorly drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in thick sandy marine sediments. They are in the flatwood areas of central and southern Florida. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Typic Alaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Ona fine sand--forested. (Colors are for moist soil.)
A--0 to 6 inches; very dark gray (N 3/0) crushed, fine sand; weak fine crumb structure; friable; many fine and medium roots, mixture of black organic matter and light gray sand grains when dry; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bh1--6 to 10 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) fine sand; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, common fine and medium roots; many sand grains are coated with organic matter; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 16 inches thick)
Bh2--10 to 20 inches; black (10YR 2/1) fine sand, common medium faint very dark gray (10YR 3/1), very dark brown (10YR 2/2), and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mottles; weak fine granular structure; firm; common fine roots; many sand grains are coated with organic matter; few uncoated sand grains; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 16 inches thick)
C1--20 to 58 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, common fine faint very dark gray, dark gray, dark grayish brown, and light brownish gray mottles; single grained; loose; few fine roots in upper part; many uncoated sand grains; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (20 to 44 inches thick)
C2--58 to 68 inches; white (10YR 8/1) fine sand; single grained; loose; many uncoated sand grains; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C3--68 to 82 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, few medium faint dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) mottles; single grained; loose; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Florida; 4 1/4 miles north of intersection of Florida Road 44A and 439; 1/4 mile west of State Road 439; 1/4 mile north of Bowen farm house on farm road and 100 feet east; SE1/4NE1/4, sec. 10, T. 18 S., R. 27 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil reaction ranges from extremely acid to medium acid in all horizons. Texture is sand or fine sand in all horizons except the Bh horizon which includes loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
The A1 or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 3. In many pedons an incipient A2 horizon about 2 inches thick is between the A1 or Ap horizon and the Bh horizon.
The Bh horizon has hue of 5YR, value of 2 or 3, and chroma of 1 or 2; hue of 7.5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 2; hue of 10YR, value of 2, and chroma of 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 2. In some pedons it is mottled in shades of brown, black, or gray. Sand grains are thinly to thickly coated with organic matter in this horizon. A 3 to 15 inch thick B3 horizon is in some pedons. It has hue of 5YR, value of 4, and chroma of 4; hue of 7.5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 2 or 3; or hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. In many pedons, bodies of Bh material are in this horizon. Some pedons have a bisequum of E and B'h horizons below the Bh horizon and may not have the C horizon as described.
Some pedons have B/C horizons with hues of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 or 3.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 to 4; or hue of 2.5Y, value of 6 to 8, and chroma of 2.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
St. Johns series in the same family and the
Smyrna and
Myakka series in closely similar families. All of these have a thicker A2 horizon than the Ona series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ona soils are on coastal flatwoods. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The regolith is sandy marine sediments. Average annual precipitation is 55 inches, and average annual air temperature is 73 degrees F. or more near the type location.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Myakka,
Smyrna, and
St. Johns series and the
Basinger, EauGallie,
Immokalee,
Placid,
Pomello,
Tocoi,
Wabasso, and
Wauchula series. Basinger soils have a Bh & A horizon. EauGallie, Tocoi, Wabasso, and Wauchula soils have an argillic horizon. Immokalee soils have A horizons more than 30 inches thick. Placid soils have an umbric epipedon and are wetter. Pomello soils have a thick A2 horizon and are better drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Ona soils are poorly drained. Permeability of the Bh horizon is moderate. Runoff is slow and internal drainage is impeded by the water table. The water table is at depths of 10 to 40 inches for periods of 4 to 6 months during most years. It rises to depths of less than 10 inches for periods of 1 to 2 months and may recede to depths of more than 40 inches during very dry seasons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Much of the soil is used for growing truck crops, citrus, and improved pasture. Natural vegetation is slash pine and longleaf pine, gallberry, widely spaced sawpalmettos, huckleberry, and pineland threeawn. A small part remains in forest and range.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Manatee County, Florida; 1942.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: from the surface to a depth of 6 inches (the A horizon)
Spodic horizon: from a depth of 6 inches to a depth of 20 inches (the Bh1 and Bh2 horizons)
Aquic moisture regime: Gray colors and water table up to near the surface of the soil.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.