LOCATION TUSCAWILLA FLEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, siliceous, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Tuscawilla fine sand--forested with mixed hardwoods. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) crushed and rubbed, fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; many fine and coarse roots, few medium roots; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Eg--3 to 10 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand; single grained; loose; common fine and medium roots; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and few medium distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) areas of more organic matter than matrix; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Btg--10 to 13 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine and medium roots; few pockets of loamy sand; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) areas having less organic matter than the matrix; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Btk1--13 to 32 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few medium roots; common discontinuous strata or pockets of sandy clay; old root channels are weakly cemented with accumulations of calcium carbonate; few nodules of calcium carbonate mostly less than 1.5 inches across; discontinuous layers of hard limestone mostly less than 2 inches thick and about 24 inches across; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation and common medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1) areas of iron depletions; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Btk2--32 to 40 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium faint very pale brown (10YR 7/3) masses of iron accumulation in ped interiors and common coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation on ped interiors and exteriors; moderately alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizons range from 16 to 46 inches thick)
Cg1--40 to 62 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) fine sand; single grained; loose; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Cg2--62 to 68 inches; greenish gray (5G 5/1) fine sand; single grained; loose; discontinuous thin stratum of sandy clay loam at top of horizon; slightly alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Cg horizons range from 12 to 40 inches)
2Cg--68 to 80 inches; white (10YR 8/1) mixture of shells, shell fragments, and fine sand; single grained; loose; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Volusia County, Florida; approximately 0.25 mile south of Flagler County Line, about 0.5 mile north of Scenic Drive, about 450 feet south of Bulow Canal, and about 450 feet east of Trail that goes from Scenic Drive to Bulow Canal; NW 1/4, Sec. 37, T. 31 S., R. 30 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 30 to 50 inches. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral in the A horizon, from moderately acid to moderately alkaline in the Eg horizons, from neutral to strongly alkaline in the Bt and Btk horizons, and from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline in the BCg, Cg and 2Cg horizons.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, and chroma of 1; or it is neutral with value 2 to 4. Where the value is 3 or less, the thickness of the A is less than 6 inches. When the soil is mixed to a depth of 7 inches, the moist color value is 4 or more. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Eg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 7, and chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 4 to 7. Redoximorphic features in shades of gray, brown, or yellow range from few to common. In some pedons, nodules of calcium carbonate may comprise up to 15 percent of the volume of the E horizon. Texture is sand, fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 8, chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 4 or 5. Redoximorphic accumulations or discontinuous streaks in shades of yellow, brown, or red range from none to common. Texture is sandy clay loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
The Btk horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 8, chroma of 1 or 2; or it is neutral with value of 4 or 5. Redoximorphic accumulations or discontinuous streaks in shades of yellow, brown, or red range from none to common. Soft calcium carbonate accumulations and calcium carbonate nodules range from common to many. Discontinuous layers of hard limestone up to 6 inches thick and from 1 to 2 1/2 feet across may occur in some pedons. Texture is sandy clay loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
The BCg horizon, where present, has the same range of colors as the Bt horizon. Content of calcium carbonate nodules range from few to many. Texture is loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5GY, value of 5 to 8, and chroma of 1 or less. Texture is sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand.
The 2Cg horizon consists of loose strata of sandy to loamy material, shells, and shell fragments in varying proportions.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family. The Boardman series is in a closely related family. The poorly drained Boardman soils are on similar positions, are in the active CEC family, and do not have Calcic horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tuscawilla soils are in broad hammocks (a slightly higher area within a swamp) on the lower Coastal Plain in central Florida. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. They formed in sand and loamy marine sediments that contain shells and shell fragments. Most areas are characterized by a micro relief of fairly closely spaced low broad rises that are 25 to 50 feet across and about 4 to 6 inches above the general level of the soil surface in the hammock. The climate is humid subtropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 60 inches and the average annual air temperature ranges from 70 to 74 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bradenton, Chobee, Delray, Felda, Holopaw, Malabar, Manatee, Myakka, and Parkwood series. The poorly drained Bradenton soils are on similar to higher positions, have coarse-loamy control sections, and do not have Calcic horizons. Chobee, Delray, and Manatee soils are on lower positions, do not have Calcic horizons, and are Mollisols. In addition, Manatee soils have less clay in the control section. The poorly or very poorly drained Felda soils are on lower positions and have sandy surface and subsurface horizons 20 to 40 inches in thickness. The poorly and very poorly drained Holopaw and Malabar soils are on lower positions and have surface and subsurface horizons 40 to 80 inches in thickness. The poorly and very poorly drained Myakka soils are on lower positions and are Spodosols. Parkwood soils are on similar positions, have mollic epipedons, and have less clay in the subsoil.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Many areas of Tuscawilla soils are in natural vegetation and used for wildlife habitat. Some areas are artificially drained with water control and are used for citrus, nurseries, and specialty crops, and near cities, building sites. The native vegetation consists of laurel oak, live oak, sweetgum, and pignut hickory with an understory of cabbage palm, southern magnolia, southern redcedar, America hornbeam, waxmyrtle, longleaf uniola, and maidencane.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern and central Peninsular Florida. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Volusia County, Florida, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 10 inches (A horizon).
Albic horizon - the zone from 3 inches to 10 inches (E horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 10 to 40 inches; (Btg, Btk1, and Btk2 horizons).
Tuscawilla soils were formerly included with the Bradenton series.
A water table is within depths of 10 inches for 2 to 6 months in most years.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Data is available on a pedon sampled with number S75FL127-18(1-8). Characterization data was obtained from the University of Florida and engineering test data from the Florida Department of Transportation.