LOCATION PEPPER FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic, ortstein Alfic Alaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Pepper sand--on a smooth 1 percent slope in woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When sampled the soil was wet.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; black (10YR 2/1) rubbed, sand; moderate medium granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; color is mixture of uncoated sand grains and organic matter; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
A2--6 to 9 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sand; weak medium granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Eg--9 to 23 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sand; single grained; loose; common medium and few fine roots; moderately acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Bh1--23 to 28 inches; black (10YR 2/1) sand; massive; firm; weakly cemented ortstein consists of 75 to 90 percent of the horizon; common fine sand few fine roots; sand grains are well coated; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bh2--28 to 33 inches; black (5YR 2/1) sand; massive; very firm; weakly cemented ortstein consists of 60 to 75 percent of the horizon; sand grains are well coated; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bh3--33 to 42 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) sand; massive; very friable; noncemented; common fine distinct black (10YR 2/1) masses having more organic matter than the matrix; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bh4--42 to 48 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) sand; massive; friable; noncemented; common medium distinct black (10YR 2/1) masses having more organic matter than the matrix; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bh5--48 to 57 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) sand; massive; friable; noncemented; many coarse distinct black (10YR 2/1) masses having more organic matter than the matrix; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bh horizons range from 12 to 44 inches)
Btg1--57 to 77 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; many light gray (2.5Y 7/2) sand streaks up to 0.25 inch in width having less organic matter than the matrix; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 24 inches thick)
Btg2--77 to 99 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) sandy loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; sand grains coated and bridged with clay; few fine distinct light gray (10YR 7/1) sand streaks; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: St. Lucie County, Florida; approximately 3.5 miles northwest of Fort Pierce. About 0.3 mile southwest of Avenue Q and Angle Road and about 60 feet south 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 is less than 30 inches. Depth to the Btg horizon is more than 40 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to moderately acid in the A, E, and BE horizons, from extremely acid to slightly acid in the Bh horizons, and from strongly acid to slightly alkaline in the Btg and Cg horizons. The more acid reactions in the Btg horizons are due to the presence of pyrites and cannot be predicted.
When rubbed, the A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. If the value is 3.5 or less, thickness is less than 8 inches. 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 the Bh horizon. It has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 1 or 2 with many uncoated sand grains. Thickness ranges up to 3 inches. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The Bh horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 4, 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 a lower Bh horizon that is noncemented and have the same range of colors and textures. Thickness is variable within short distances, ranging from about 6 to 36 inches or more thick. Streaks or pockets of uncoated sand range from none to common. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
Some pedons contain E', BE', OR B/E horizons between the Bh and Btg horizon. Where present, they have the same range of colors and textures as the E and BE horizons.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6, chroma 1 or 2; or is neutral with value of 4 or 6. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, yellow, and gray range from none to common. Texture is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy clay loam.
The Cg horizon, where present, has hue of 10YR to 5BG, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 5 or 6. Redoximorphic features in shards 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 series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pepper soils are on broad areas in the flatwoods of central and south Florida. Slope range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in sand and loamy marine sediments. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 60 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 73 to 75 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ankona, Basinger, Immokalee, Jonathan, Lawnwood, Malabar, Myakka, Nettles, Oldsmar, Pendarvis, Pineda, Pomello, Salerno, St. Lucie, Wauchula, and Waveland series. The very poorly or poorly drained Ankona, Immokalee, Myakka, Nettles, Oldsmar, and Waveland soils are on similar to lower positions and have spodic horizons at depths between 30 and 50 inches. In addition, Immokalee and Myakka soils are not in the ortstein family and do not have argillic horizons below the spodic horizon, Oldsmar soils are not in the ortstein family, and Waveland soils do not have argillic horizons below the spodic horizons. The very poorly drained Basinger soils are in lower positions, have weakly expressed spodic horizons, and are sandy throughout. The somewhat poorly to moderately well drained Jonathan and Pomello soils are on higher positions. In addition, Jonathan soils have spodic horizons below 50 inches and lack argillic horizons below the spodic horizons while Pomello soils are not in the ortstein family. Lawnwood soils are on similar positions and do not have argillic horizons below the spodic horizons. The very poorly to poorly drained Malabar and Pineda soils are on lower positions and do not have spodic horizons. In addition, Malabar soils have sandy surface and subsurface layers 40 to 80 inches in thickness while Pineda soils have sandy surface and subsurface layers 20 to 40 inches in thickness and are Glossic. The moderately well drained Pendarvis soils are on similar to higher positions, have spodic horizons at a depth of 30 to 50 inches, and do not have argillic horizons below the spodic horizons. Salerno soils are on similar to higher positions, have spodic horizons below depths of 50 inches, and lack argillic horizons. The excessively well drained St. Lucie soils are on higher positions and are sandy throughout. Wauchula soils are on similar positions but are not in the ortstein family.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow or very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Pepper soils are used for rangeland with lesser acreage planted to citrus, improved pasture grasses, and vegetables. Some areas are used for community development. The natural vegetation is principally open forest of longleaf pine and slash pine with ground cover of sawpalmetto, running oak, pineland threeawn, inkberry, and fetterbush in some places.
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: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 23 inches (A1, A2, and Eg horizons).
Spodic horizon - the zone from 23 to 57 inches (Bh1, Bh2, Bh3, Bh4, and Bh5 horizons).
Ortstein feature - the zone from 23 to 33 inches (Bh1 and Bh2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 57 to 99 inches (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons).
A water table is within depths of 10 inches for 2 to 4 months and depths of 10 to 40 inches for 6 months 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.
Pepper soils were included in the EauGallie series. In situ saturated hydraulic conductivity rates of 13 tests at 5 sites show permeability to range from 0.2012 to 0.0012 in/hr.