LOCATION PADRE TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Hyperthermic, uncoated Aquic Quartzipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Padre fine sand--in an area of Padre-Mustang complex, 0 to 2 percent slopes on a southwest facing 1.5 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 1.8 meters (6 ft). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 in); brown (10YR 4/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; loose; 6 percent very fine and fine roots and 1 percent medium roots; 2 percent fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries lining pores; nonsaline; SAR is about 1; noneffervescent; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
A2--18 to 48 cm (7 to 19 in); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; loose; 5 percent very fine and fine roots; 3 percent fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries lining pores; nonsaline; SAR is about 1; noneffervescent; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 38 to 84 cm [15 to 33 in].)
C--48 to 71 cm (19 to 28 in); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sand, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; single grain; loose; 4 percent very fine and fine roots; 3 percent fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries lining pores; nonsaline; SAR is about 1; noneffervescent; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness of the C horizon is 18 to 56 cm [7 to 22 in].)
Cg1--71 to 97 cm (28 to 38 in); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; single grain; loose; 3 percent very fine and fine roots; 5 percent fine and medium yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries lining pores; nonsaline; SAR is about 1; noneffervescent; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.
Cg2--97 to 147 cm (38 to 58 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; single grain; loose; 1 percent very fine and fine roots; 2 percent fine and medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of oxidized iron with sharp boundaries lining pores; nonsaline; SAR is about 1; noneffervescent; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Cg horizon is 94 to 165 cm [37 to 65 in].)
Cg3--147 to 203 cm (58 to 80 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; single grain; loose; 1 percent very fine and fine roots; 5 percent medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions with diffuse boundaries in matrix; nonsaline; SAR is about 4; noneffervescent; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Kleberg County, Texas; from the intersection of Park Road 22 and the county line between Kleberg and Nueces Counties; 8.0 miles southwest on Park Road 22 to the entrance station of Padre Island National Seashore; 0.8 mile southwest on Park Road 22 to the intersection of Novillo and Bird Island Basin road; 250 feet east on caliche and shell road; 200 feet north on low mound in rangeland. South Bird Island, Texas USGS topographic quadrangle; Latitude: 27 degrees, 27 minutes, 49.8 seconds N; Longitude: 97 degrees, 17 minutes, 23.0 seconds W; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An ustic soil moisture regime bordering on udic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for less than 120 cumulative days in normal years. Although rainfall amounts are that of an ustic moisture regime, the effective precipitation is higher due to relative landscape position and a fluctuating water table. The water table occurs in most pedons at a depth of 76 to 127 cm (30 to 50 in) for at least two months in most years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 23 to 24 degrees C (74 to 76 degrees F)
Depth to masses of oxidized iron: 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in)
Depth to iron depletions: 64 to 102 cm (25 to 40 in)
Depth to endosaturation: 76 to 127 cm (30 to 50 in) for at least two months in most years.
Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 1 to 3 percent
Sand content: 95 to 99 percent
The particle-size control section has less than 5 percent silt plus clay.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sand
Masses of oxidized iron: quantity--1 to 7 percent, size--fine or medium, contrast--faint to prominent, boundary--clear or sharp
EC (dS/m): 0 to 2
SAR: 0 to 4
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral
C horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 to 7, 6 to 8 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sand
Masses of oxidized iron: quantity--1 to 10 percent, size--fine or medium, contrast--faint to prominent, boundary--clear or sharp
EC (dS/m): 0 to 2
SAR: 0 to 4
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
Cg horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7, 6 to 8 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: fine sand
Masses of oxidized iron: quantity--0 to 10 percent, size--fine or medium, contrast--faint to prominent, boundary--clear or sharp
Iron depletions: quantity--0 to 15 percent, size--fine to coarse, contrast--faint or distinct, boundary--diffuse or clear
EC (dS/m): 0 to 2
SAR: 0 to 4
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Adamsville (FL),
Broward (FL),
Canaveral (FL),
Panam (TX), and
Satellite (FL) series. Similar soils are the
Arenisco (TX),
Daggerhill (TX),
Falfurrias (TX),
Galveston (TX)
Greenhill (TX), and
Rockport (TX) series.
Adamsville, Broward, Canaveral, and Satellite soils: all these soils have an udic soil moisture regime and are not subject to flooding by storm surge. Also, Adamsville soils are on uplands; Broward soils are moderately deep to limestone. Canaveral soils are calcareous and have shell fragments and are more alkaline throughout. Satellite soils are on flatwoods.
Panam soils: have slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline soil reaction throughout and have seashell fragments.
Arenisco soils: are somewhat excessively drained and have mixed sand mineralogy.
Daggerhill, Falfurrias, and Greenhill soils: are excessively drained and do not have a fluctuating water table within 203 cm (80 in) of the surface.
Galveston soils: are somewhat excessively drained, have mixed sand mineralogy, and are dry in the soil moisture control section for less than 90 cumulative days in normal years (udic soil moisture regime).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: Eolian and storm washover sandy sediments of Holocene age.
Landform: low mounds or stabilized dunes on barrier flat areas of barrier islands.
Slope: 0 to 2 percent
Mean annual air temperature range: 22 to 23 degrees C (71 to 73 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation range: 635 to 889 mm (25 to 35 in)
Precipitation pattern: November through April are the driest months, with a second dry period in July. September is the wettest month.
Frost-free period: 310 to 350 days
Elevation: 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 ft)
Thornthwaite P-E Index: 31 to 44
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Daggerhill,
Greenhill,
Madre,
Malaquite,
Mustang,
Novillo,
Panam,
Satatton, and
Tatton series.
Daggerhill and Greenhill soils: occur on higher landforms on convex foredunes and back-island stabilized dune fields.
Madre, Malaquite and Mustang soils: are poorly drained, have higher water tables for longer periods throughout the year, and occur on a lower, planar to concave landform on barrier flats. In addition, Madre and Malaquite soils have a SAR of 33 or more within 203 cm (13 or more within 40 in) of the soil surface.
Novillo soils: are Typic Psammaquents and are on a lower landform in fresh-water marshes.
Panam soils: are on a similar landform and are slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Satatton and Tatton soils: are Sodic Psammaquents and occur on a lower landform on wind-tidal flats.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is very high. A water table occurs in most pedons, at a depth of 76 to 127 cm (30 to 50 in) for at least two months in most years. The soil is occasionally flooded for very brief periods by high storm surge during strong tropical storms.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily as wildlife habitat and for recreation. Native vegetation consists of seacoast bluestem, gulfdune paspalum, brownseed paspalum, partridge pea and false indigo. The ecological site is Coastal Sand, PE 31-44 (150BY648TX).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Saline Prairies (MLRA 150B in LRR T) on barrier islands along the lower Gulf Coast of southern Texas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kleberg County, Texas, 2007. The name is from Padre Island.
REMARKS: This series was formerly included with the Galveston series. The series are separated based on differences in soil moisture regime and sand mineralogy.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 48 cm (0 to 19 in). (A1 and A2 horizons)
Particle size control section: 25 to 102 cm (10 to 40 in). (A2, C, Cg1 and Cg2 horizons)
Masses of oxidized iron: 0 to 147 cm (0 to 58 in). (A1, A2, C, Cg1, and Cg2 horizons)
Iron depletions: depleted matrix at 71 to 203 cm (28 to 80 in). (Cg1, Cg2 and Cg3 horizons)
Endosaturation: The zone of saturation at 76 to 127 cm (30 to 50 in) for at least two months in most years. (Cg1, Cg2, and Cg3 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: TAMU reference sample data for pH, salinity, sodicity, and mineralogy from samples S01TX-273-004 and S01TX-273-005. Particle-size analysis on five pedons, and salinity and sodicity tests on nine pedons performed at the soil survey project office.
TAXONOMIC VERSION: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Tenth Edition, 2006