LOCATION VOLADORA PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, mixed, active, isohyperthermic Plinthic Haplohumults
TYPICAL PEDON: Voladora clay--naturalized pastureland (Colors are for moist soil).
Ap--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay; strong fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; moderately sticky, moderately plastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine and medium interstitial pores; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 8 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) clay; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; moderately sticky, very plastic; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; many fine and medium roots; common fine and medium irregular pores; few fine distinct dark red (10R 3/6) masses of iron accumulation; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--8 to 15 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) clay; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; moderately sticky, very plastic; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; few fine and medium roots; few fine irregular and tubular pores; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons ranges from 13 to 18 inches.)
Btv1--15 to 20 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; moderately sticky, very plastic; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and common fine prominent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) relic mottles; about 5 percent, by volume, dark red (10R 3/6) plinthite; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; few fine irregular and tubular pores; very strongly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
Btv2--20 to 48 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; moderately sticky, very plastic; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common fine prominent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) relic mottles; about 20 percent, by volume, dark red (10R 3/6) plinthite; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; few fine roots; common fine irregular pores; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btv horizons ranges from 16 to 30 inches.)
C--48 to 65 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) clay; massive; slightly hard, friable; moderately sticky, very plastic; many fine and medium prominent dark red (2.5YR 3/6) masses of iron accumulation; few fine roots; common fine vesicular pores; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Approximately 1.7 miles southwest of the downtown of the city of Cabo Rojo from the intersection of P.R. Hwy. 102 and P.R. Hwy. 312; about 0.6 mile northwest from the intersection of P.R. Hwy. 307 and P.R. Hwy. 308; about 1,800 feet north from P.R. Hwy. 308 on dirt road; USGS Puerto Real topographic quadrangle (1966); lat. 18 degrees 05 minutes 04 seconds N. and long. 67 degrees 10 minutes 12 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness range fro 38 more than 60 inches. Depth to the horizons having more than 5 percent plinthite ranges from 15 to 41 inches. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid throughout, except where the surface has been limed.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 3 or 4. Areas of iron accumulation in shades of red range from few to many. Texture is clay.
The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 10YR, value of 3 or 4, and chroma of 4 to 8. Areas of iron accumulation in shades of red range from few to many. Texture is clay.
The Btv horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. Content of plinthite range from 5 to 30 percent, by volume. Areas of iron accumulation in shades of red or brown range from few to many. Areas of relic mottles in shades of brown, yellow and gray range from common to many. Texture is clay.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 6, and chroma of 8. Areas of iron accumulation in shades of red, brown, gray and white range from common to many. Texture is loam, clay loam or clay.
The Cv horizon, where present, has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and chroma of 6 to 8. Areas of iron accumulation in shades of red, brown, gray and white range from common to many. Content of plinthite range from 5 to 30 percent, by volume. Texture is clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Voladora soils are on hill slopes on the Humid Mountains and Valleys MLRA. Slopes range from 5 to 20 percent. They formed in fine-textured volcanic and marine sediments. The climate is humid tropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 70 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 75 to 80 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cabo Rojo, Delicias, Guanajibo and Nipe series. All of these soils with the exception of Guanajibo soils have less than 5 percent plinthite in the solum. Cabo Rojo soils have less clay in the control section. The well drained Guanajibo soils are on lower landscapes. The well drained Nipe and Delicias soils are Oxisols and have darker red subsoils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Voladora soils are on naturalized pastureland. The vegetation consists of native and introduced grasses, shrubs, and trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Hill slopes of southern Puerto Rico. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Culebrinas SCD, Puerto Rico; 1979. The name is from the Voladora ward in Moca municipality, where it was originally recognized.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (Ap horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 2 to 48 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btv1 and Btv2 horizons).
Plinthic horizon - the zone from 15 to 48 inches (Btv1 and Btv2 horizons).
The type location was moved to its present location in 2006. The change from Typic Palehumults to Plinthic Palehumults was based on observations in the field.
Voladora soils are in MLRA 270.