LOCATION SMYRNA FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Aeric Alaquods
TYPICAL PEDON: Smyrna sand--range. (Colors are for moist soil.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; black (10YR 2/1) crushed sand; weak coarse granular structure; very friable; many fine roots; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A2--3 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) crushed sand; single grained; loose; common fine roots; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
E--6 to 13 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sand; few medium distinct very dark gray (10YR 3/1) streaks along root channels; single grained; loose; few fine roots; strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 14 inches thick)
Bh1--13 to 18 inches; black (N 2/0) sand; massive in place, parts to moderate medium granular structure; weakly cemented; many fine and medium decaying roots; sand grains coated with organic matter; upper 1/2 to 1 inch is transition consisting of interfingering of black and gray sand; few medium distinct dark gray vertical uncoated sand streaks; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bh2--18 to 28 inches; black (N 2/0) sand; with common coarse distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) mottles; massive in place, parts to moderate medium granular structure; weakly cemented; few medium decaying roots; many uncoated sand grains in dark brown mottles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bh horizon is 4 to 18 inches)
BC/Bh--28 to 35 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sand; common medium distinct weakly cemented black (N 2/0) natural Bh fragments; single grained; loose; few fine decaying roots; sand grains in natural fragments are well coated with organic matter; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
C1--35 to 43 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sand; common coarse distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and few coarse faint pale brown mottles; single grained; loose; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
C2--43 to 56 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sand; few medium distinct brown (10YR 5/3) mottles; single grained; loose; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
C3--56 to 80 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sand; common medium faint dark grayish brown mottles; single grained; loose; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Volusia County, Florida; about 12 miles east of DeLand on State Highway 44; about 0.75 mile east of junction of State Highways 44 and S40A and 50 feet south of pavement. NW1/4SE1/4, sec. 17, T. 17 S., R. 32 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 15 inches thick. Reaction is moderately acid to extremely acid throughout except where limed or irrigated with alkaline water.
Crushed color of the A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral (N) with value of 2 to 4. Uncrushed colors have a salt-and-pepper appearance. Texture is sand or fine sand.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2; hor hue of 2.5Y, value of 8, and chroma of 2; or it is neutral (N) with value of 5 to 8. Some pedons have mottles in shades of gray, yellow, and brown. Texture is sand or fine sand. Combined thickness of the A and E horizons is less than 20 inches.
The Bh horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 to 3, and chroma of 1 to 3; or hue of 5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 4; or it is neutral (N) with value of 2 or 3. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand. Sand grains in this horizon are coated with organic matter. A BE horizon 1/2 inch to 2 inches thick occurs above the Bh horizon in many pedons. The organic carbon content in the Bh horizon is 0.60 to 4 percent. Vertical or horizontal tongues and/or pockets of gray, light brownish gray, or light gray (E) material are in many pedons. The BC part of the BC/Bh horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. The Bh part is fragments of Bh material. In some pedons only a BC horizon exists without weakly cemented fragments.
In some pedons, there are two sequa of E' and Bh' horizons below a depth of about 40 inches.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 8, and chroma of 1 or 2, or value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 3 or 4. Where present, mottles are in shades of brown, yellow, or gray. Texture is sand or fine sand.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Myakka series. Myakka soils have A and E horizons 20 to 30 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Smyrna soils are on nearly level flatwoods areas with slope gradients of less than 2 percent. They formed in thick deposits of marine sandy materials. Rainfall averages about 50 to 60 inches annually, and annual air temperature is about 70 to 74 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Immokalee, Myakka, St. Johns, Wabasso, and Wauchula series and the Basinger, Hontoon, Pompano, and Samsula series. All the latter soils lack a spodic horizon, and Hontoon and Samsula soils are organic.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Smyrna soils are poorly to very poorly drained. They have slow internal drainage and slow to ponded runoff. Permeability of the A and E horizons are rapid, and the Bh horizon moderate or moderately rapid. The water table is at depths of less than 18 inches for 1 to 4 months in most years and between 12 and 40 inches for more than 6 months. In rainy seasons, the water table rises above the surface briefly. In depressions, water stands above the surface for 6 to 9 months or more in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Natural vegetation consists of longleaf and slash pines with an undergrowth of sawpalmetto, running oak, gallberry, waxmyrtle, and pineland threeawn. Most areas are used for forest and range. Large areas are used for tame pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peninsular Florida. The series is of large extent and is important in the area of occurrence.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Osceola County, Florida; 1976.
REMARKS: Smyrna soils were formerly included with the Myakka series. This description confines these soils to those that have a Bh horizon at depths less than 20 inches.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 13 inches (A1, A2 and E horizons).
Albic horizon--the zone between depths of 6 to 13 inches (E horizon).
Spodic horizon--the zone between 13 and 28 inches (Bh1 and Bh2 horizons).