LOCATION TIBURONES          PR
Established Series
Rev. GA
04/2000

TIBURONES SERIES


The Tiburones series consists of deep, poorly drained organic soils formed from sediments of highly decomposed plant tissues. Tiburones soils occur on nearly level bottom land and in depressional areas. Typically, Tiburones soils have a black, granular muck surface layers, are extremely acid and very strongly acid between 9 and 31 inches, and are slightly acid to neutral below 31 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Euic, isohyperthermic Typic Haplosaprists

TYPICAL PEDON: Tiburones Muck - abandoned sugarcane field.
(Colors are for moist soil.)

Oap--0 to 9 inches; black (N 2/0) broken face and rubbed colors; less than 5 percent fiber content; moderate medium granular; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and common medium roots; low mineral content; medium acid (pH 5.8 CaCl2); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)

Oa2--9 to 15 inches; Black (N 2/0) broken face and rubbed colors; some root channels have white fungi; less than 5 percent fiber; weak coarse prismatic and moderate medium platy structure; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; low mineral content; extremely acid (pH 4.3 CaCl2); gradual wavy boundary. ( 4 to 8 inches thick)

Oa3--15 to 31 inches; Black (N 2/0) broken face and rubbed colors; less than 5 percent fibers; massive; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; low mineral content; very strongly acid (pH 4.6 in CaCl2); clear smooth boundary. (14 to 18 inches thick)

Oa4--31 to 42 inches; Black (N 2/0) 90 percent with very dark brown (10YR 2/2) 10 percent; less than 5 percent fibers; massive; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; low mineral content; slightly acid (pH 6.4 in CaCl2); gradual smooth boundary. (9 to 13 inches thick)
Oa5--42 to 84 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) broken face and rubbed; less than 5 percent fibers, massive; friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; low mineral content; neutral (pH 6.9 in CaCl2).

TYPE LOCATION: Atlantico SCD, Puerto Rico, Cano Tiburones Area. 0.2 kilometers east of curve of dirt road, 2.1 kilometers east of kilometer marker 10.7 on Highway 682.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the sapric materials is over 7 feet. Reaction is medium acid to extremely acid in the upper part and slightly acid to neutral in the lower part. They are friable, slightly sticky and plastic throughout. Fiber content is less than 5 percent throughout. Soluble salts may or may not be present.

The Oap horizon is black (N 2/0). Structure ranges from weak to moderate granular.

The Oa2 horizon ranges from weak coarse to moderate coarse prismatic. Roots vary from common fine to medium.

The lower part of the Oa horizon ranges to hue of 10YR, with value of 2 and chroma of 2 or less.

COMPETING SERIES: The Palmas Altas series is in the same family. The Garrochales and Saladar series are in a related family. The Palmas Altas soils are slightly acid to neutral throughout. The Garrochales soils have a limnic layer within the control section that is 5 cm. or more thick. The Saladar soils have hemic materials in the bottom tier.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Tiburones muck are nearly level soils on bottomland and depressional areas. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They have formed from the sediments of organic decomposition under natural wet conditions. The climate is humid tropical. Average annual rainfall is 60 inches and the average annual temperature is 78 degrees F.

GEOGRPAHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Garrochales and Palmas Altas soils and the Vigia and Reparada soils. The Vigia soils are underlain by fine textured material. The Reparada soils have mineral fine textured material in the surface layers.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained, slow runoff and moderate permeability. Depth to water table varies from 0 to 30 inches.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage is in pasture. Sugarcane was cultivated for many years.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern humid coastal plain of Puerto Rico. The series is of minor extent, with about 3,300 acres.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil Survey of Puerto Rico; 1942.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data is available on the typical pedon; sample Nos. S73-PR-01-3, lab. Nos. 74B 161 - 74B 165.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U. S. A.