LOCATION SUGAR BEACH VIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Euic, isohyperthermic Fluvaquentic Haplosaprists
TYPICAL PEDON: Sugar Beach muck. (Colors for moist conditions.)
Oa--0 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) muck; about 10 percent fiber, by volume, when rubbed and about 35 percent fiber, by volume, unrubbed; massive; many medium and coarse roots; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Cg--4 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) mucky clay loam; massive; sticky, slightly plastic; many medium and coarse roots; moderate sulfide odor; common fine and medium faint black (10YR 2/1) masses of iron and manganese; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
O'a1--8 to 24 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) muck; about 10 percent fiber, by volume, when rubbed and about 40 percent fiber, by volume, unrubbed; massive; few fine and medium roots; moderate sulfide odor; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
O'a2--24 to 60 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) muck; about 10 percent fiber, by volume, when rubbed and about 40 percent fiber, by volume, unrubbed; massive; few very fine and fine roots; about 5 percent, by volume, mineral material in thinly bedded strata; moderate sulfide odor; neutral. (Combined thickness of the O'a horizons ranges from 40 to 56 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. Approximately 0.3 mile west of the intersection of VI-82 and VI-62, northeast on an improved road that exits VI-82, about 400 feet northeast across drain to northern bank of drain, about 1,000 feet northwest on foot trail along the northern bank that delineates the drain and salt marsh and about 100 feet northwest in a marsh. Christiansted topographic quadrangle; lat. 17 degrees 41 minutes 26 seconds N., long. 64 degrees 45 minutes 1 second W.; PRD 1940.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is strongly saline throughout. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral throughout. After drying, soil reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral throughout the profile. A moderate sulfide odor is present throughout the profile.
The Oa horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2, and chroma of 1 or 2. Content of pebbles ranges from 0 to 15 percent, by volume.
The Cg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 1 or 2. Redoximorphic features in shades of brown, yellow, and gray range from none to common. Soft masses of iron and manganese range from none to common. Content of pebbles ranges from 0 to 15 percent, by volume.
The O'a horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3, and chroma of 2. Content of thinly bedded strata of mineral material ranges from 0 to 5 percent, by volume. Content of pebbles ranges from 0 to 15 percent, by volume.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Saladar soil. Saladar soils do not have organic layers with hues yellower than 10YR.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Sugar Beach soils are in saline marshes, flats, and ponds in close proximity to the sea. They formed in organic materials consisting of the remains of hydrophytic plants. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The climate is semiarid. The average annual temperature ranges from 76 to 82 degrees F., and the mean annual rainfall is about 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Cinnamon Bay, Glynn, Jaucas, Solitude, and Sandy Point soils. Cinnamon Bay and Glynn soils are on higher positions, and are well drained mineral soils. Jaucas soils are on slightly higher positions, are excessively drained, and sandy throughout. Solitude soils are on slightly higher positions, are mineral soils, and are somewhat poorly drained. Sandy Point soils are on similar positions but are mineral soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Sugar Beach soils are used for protected wildlife habitat. The vegetation consists primarily of mangrove trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: U.S. Virgin Islands. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina
SERIES ESTABLISHED: St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon include:
Sapric soil materials - the zone from 8 to 60 inches (O'a1 and O'a2 horizons)
Fluvaquentic feature - the zone from 4 to 8 inches (Cg horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization pedon - St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands; S92VI-10-2. Sample by NSSL, Lincoln, NE., 1991.
MLRA: 271, 273.
SIR: VI0021.