Published soils of Florida

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1 Published 2008 soils of Florida

2 ii

ASA Editor-in-Chief Craig Roberts, CSSA Editor-in-Chief Sally Logsdon, SSSA Editor-in-Chief Mary

3 soils of Florida Frank C. Watts & Mary E. Collins Book and Multimedia Publishing Committee David Baltensperger, Chair Kenneth Barbarick, ASA Editor-in-Chief Craig Roberts, CSSA Editor-in-Chief Sally Logsdon, SSSA Editor-in-Chief Mary Savin, ASA Representative Hari Krishnan, CSSA Representative April Ulery, SSSA Representative Designer: Patricia Scullion Managing Editor: Lisa Al-Amoodi

4 Copyright 2008 by the Soil Science Society of America, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The views expressed in this publication represent those of the individual Editors and Authors. These views do not necessarily reflect endorsement by the Publisher(s). In addition, trade names are sometimes mentioned in this publication. No endorsement of these products by the Publisher is intended, nor is any criticism implied of similar products not mentioned. Soil Science Society of America, Inc. 677 South Segoe Road, Madison, WI USA ISBN: Library of Congress Control Number: Printed in the United States of America. About the Cover iv Soil Profile of Myakka Fine Sand Florida s Official State Soil: This poorly drained sandy soil of the flatwoods landform is characterized by a dark-colored surface, a gray-colored subsurface, and a dark-colored organic stained subsoil over deep unconsolidated acid sands. Slopes are nearly level and 0 to 2 percent. This soil is used for woodland and some for urban development. Flatwoods Landform: This landform is the dominant landform in Florida of the South Atlantic and Gulf Coastal lowlands landscape. It has broad, linear relief, with slightly convex relief bordering such landforms as the Flats, depressions, floodplains and concave relief bordering such landforms as the rises and knolls. The natural vegetation is open forest of south Florida slash pine, slash pine, and an under story of saw palmetto, running oak, inkberry (gallberry), and fetterbush.

victor W. Carlisle Soils professor, pedologist, ombudsman, confidant, and friend of Florida s soils Father of Pedology in Florida 1922 2006 We dedicate this book to Victor W.

5 victor W. Carlisle Soils professor, pedologist, ombudsman, confidant, and friend of Florida s soils Father of Pedology in Florida We dedicate this book to Victor W. Carlisle, whose career accomplishments included service as a soils professor, pedologist, ombudsman, confidante, and friend of Florida s soils and landforms, until his retirement on 28 Feb after nearly 43 years of distinguished service. Dr. Carlisle was the author or coauthor of more than 130 scientific publications, directed the programs of 20 students at the M.S. or Ph.D. levels, and served as coordinator of the Soil Characterization Laboratory at the University of Florida. He was born on 3 Oct. 1922, in Bunnell, FL, attended Flagler County public schools, and graduated from Bunnell High School in Dr. Carlisle then attended the University of Florida from 1940 to 1962, with a 3-year interruption for military service during World War II. After the war, he enrolled in the U.S. Air Force Cadet Pilot Training Program. Returning to his education, Mr. Carlisle earned a B.S. degree in Agriculture (with a major in Soils) in 1947, an M.S. degree in Agriculture (with a major in Soils) in 1953, and a Ph.D. in Soils with minors in Geology and Plant Science in Dr. Carlisle began his employment in soil science in 1947 as an assistant soil surveyor, followed by service as a soil surveyor in Hillsborough (1950) and Sarasota (1954) counties. He subsequently was placed in charge of the Escambia County soil survey in Dr. Carlisle began teaching soils in 1954 as a teaching assistant, and then moved to a faculty teaching position in He was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 1967, and to the rank of professor in Dr. Carlisle s work carried him abroad and included: service with the Association of Experimental Cafetalera, Guatemala, ; service with the USAID program at the University of Costa Rica in 1966; cooperating in the investigation of the feasibility of constructing an interoceanic sea-level canal across the Isthmus of Panama (employing peaceful nuclear devices) with the Batelle Memorial Institute in 1967; as a course coordinator for the Organization of Tropical Studies in Costa Rica and Honduras in 1968; and as a consultant to the Jamaica School of Agriculture in Spanishtown, Jamaica, in Dr. Carlisle attended tropical soils workshops in Puerto Rica and the Virgin Islands in 1969, and participated in soil sampling trips to Columbia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Malawi, with various graduate students in 1970, 1971, 1972, and Recognition for his service includes honorable citations from the American Men and Women of Science, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, and an invitational address to the Soil Science Society of Central America and Mexico. Dr. Carlisle is a recipient of the Professional Achievement Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society. He also was recognized as among the top 100 faculty of the University of Florida in terms of total grant funding for six successive years. Dr. Carlisle served as a member in the Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, International Society of Soil Science, Clay Minerals Society, American Association for the Quaternary Environment, Florida Academy of Science, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, Soil and Crop Science Society of Florida (Past-President), and the Florida Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. For his efforts, colleagues recognized his work at both the Soil and Crop Science Society of Florida and the Florida Association of Environmental Soil Scientists (formerly the Florida Association of Professional Soil Classifiers) where Dr. Carlisle was selected and served as President.

7 Contents Foreword viii Preface ix Formation of Soils in Florida 1 Factors of Soil Formation 2 Processes of Soil Differentiation 9 Soil Orders in Florida 11 Soil Physiographic Regions in Florida 15 Selected Florida Soil Series 29 Glossary 86 References 88

8 Foreword The Soil Science Society of America is pleased to publish this highly educational guide about the soils of Florida. In one sense this publication is a new venture for our Society because the title is more specific than those we have published in times past. However, the venture is not totally new because our Society has always published books that relate soil properties to life on this planet. Soils of Florida visually and beautifully illustrates the uniqueness and variability of Florida soils. The reader will find it to be interesting and informative. Authors Frank C. Watts and Mary E. Collins conceptualized this book after the death of Dr. Victor Carlisle, the soil scientist who did much of the photography displayed in the volume. However, the information accompanying the photographs is the result of work by many soil scientists in the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida. Congratulations to authors Watts and Collins for their efforts to make this information available to the general public. The Soil Science Society of America appreciates the opportunity to partner with the authors in publishing this volume. Gary A. Peterson President of the Soil Science Society of America viii

9 Preface Soils of Florida was prepared as an educational guide of soils, to demonstrate the uniqueness and variability of Florida soils, and provide a description of each soil series. This publication was first conceptualized after the death of Dr. Victor Carlisle, and was developed to honor his work and career. Soils of Florida became possible when Dr. Carlisle s slides of soil series profiles, described and sampled during the progressive soil survey of Florida, became available to the authors along with those of the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and those of the authors. Much effort has been spent in scanning these slides and adjustment of the color of the soil images to obtain color pictures of soil series profiles that represent the Soils of Florida. Much emphasis has been placed on color (Munsell, 1975). Soil color is necessary in the identification and classification of the Soils of Florida. O.C. Bryan of the State Department of Agriculture published Soils of Florida and their Crop Adaptation (Bryan, 1960) in June The information about Florida soils in this publication is the result of work by many soil scientists. Credit goes to soil scientists, past and present, of the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service), and the Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida. These soil scientists located typical sites of the soils, prepared the soil profiles for photographing, described the soils, and sampled the many soil horizons for laboratory analysis. The pictures in this publication were taken by handheld 35-millimeter cameras after the soil pit was dug and a soil pedon face was prepared using shovels and knives. Special recognition is given to the family of the late Victor W. Carlisle, who provided most of these soil profile slides. Recognition is also given to Darrell Leach who assisted in the collection of many soil slides and images, and to Willie Harris and Ronald J. Kuehl, who reviewed the manuscript. Soils of Florida, featuring 174 soils from throughout the state, has been prepared as an aid to further the knowledge of soils and is meant to be only an introduction to understanding the complex nature of soils in Florida. Each of these soils has characteristics that make it an individual soil. The prominent characteristics of each of the soils can be found by visiting the Official Soil Series (OSD) web page (Soil Survey Staff, 2004). The soils selected show the full range of prominent soil properties within the state. Soils differ from one another because there are deep soils and shallow soils; sandy soils, some containing loamy subsoils; loamy soils; organic soils; light-colored soils and darkcolored soils; excessively drained to very poorly drained soils; weakly developed and well-developed soils; soils with light-colored subsurfaces and carbon-rich organicstained subsoils; soils with and without limestone rock; nearly level to steep soils; soils with different temperature regimes; and soils with many other properties. The color pictures of the soils show the various layers or soil horizons. Scale is shown with a tape that is marked in feet and/or meters and/or length of a shovel (usually 42 inches long). Each soil series is briefly described using depth of profile, drainage, landform, permeability, parent material, slope, etc. (Soil Survey Staff, 1993). Each of these soils has been given a name called a series, like the Myakka series, which is Florida s official state soil. After the soil is identified, described, classified, and named, it is a soil that is recognized throughout the USA as that individual soil. No other soil can be named that name. These names come from local towns, counties, lakes, streams, etc. Each soil series is different by having different kinds of soil horizons or other properties in one or more soil horizons. All soils are classified using a nationwide system called U.S. Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 1999). It is similar to systems to classify plants and animals. The U.S. Soil Taxonomy is used by soil scientists to group soils by similar properties, compare different soils, and for identification of soils. Frank C. Watts and Mary E. Collins ix

LAB 12: Soils. Name School. Patrich Physical Geography Lab 1

LAB 12: Soils. Name School. Patrich Physical Geography Lab 1 Name School LAB 12: Soils Soil is a mixture of weathered rock & organic matter that usually covers bedrock (solid rock that underlies all soil). Both chemical & mechanical processes are involved in the