LOCATION JAMAICA NY NJTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Typic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Jamaica mucky sand, on gently sloping topography with Bayberry, Multiflora rose, Poison Ivy, and Phragmites. (Colors are moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
A-- 0 to 3 inches; black (10YR 2/1) mucky sand; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; strongly acid, abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick.)
C1-- 3 to 11 inches; gray (2.5Y 6/1) sand; massive; friable; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
C2-- 11 to 27 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) fine sand; massive; friable; few fine roots; common coarse prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation: slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary.
C3-- 27 to 65 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/1) fine sand; massive; friable; many fine distinct brown (10YR 5/3) masses of iron accumulation; moderately acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Kings County, New York; Floyd Bennett Field, from Flatbush avenue and Floyd Bennett Field road entrance intersection 1625 feet east on main road, then make the first left turn an go northwest 6,000 feet toward the last runway. Then travel northeast about 2,000 feet on the last runway. Then make a right turn toward an open area an go about 250 feet; USGS Coney Island, NY topographic quadrangle; Latitude 40 degrees, 35 minutes, 59 seconds N. and Longitude 73 degrees, 53 minutes, 20 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 10 to 20 inches. The thickness of the fill materials range from 40 to 80 inches. The anthrotransported material may be from any dredged, outwash or eolian sediments. Soil texture ranges from fine sand or coarser. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid through neutral. Coarse fragments are generally absent. Some pedons may contain sea shells.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 through 4, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is defined by moderate fine granular structure. Consistence is very friable.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 7, and chroma of 1 through 3. Structure is massive. Consistence is very friable. Some pedons have common 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick horizontal bands, with high proportions of dark minerals.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arloval, Barren (T) Carrolls, Conrad, Dair (T), Forbar, Gothenburg, Junius, Norway (T), Stafford, Tihonet (T), Tryon, Tyre, and Wanser. Arloval, Carrols, Conrad, Forbar, Gothenburg, Norway (T), Tryon, and Wanser soils lack B horizons. Barren (T) and Stafford soils have Bw horizons. Junius soils have a solum thickness that ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Dair (T) soils have colors of B horizon 10YR or redder. Tihonent (T) soils are not formed in anothrotransported material. Tyre soils have bedrock between 20 to 40 inches from soil surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Jamaica soils are on nearly level areas to gently sloping artificially created or modified landforms. These soils formed in anthrotransported soil material from eolian sand, outwash sand, or dredged sand from activities along coastal waterways, lakes, and rivers, in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. The anthrotransported material is relatively clean of human artifacts. Coarse fragments are less than 20 percent. Sea shell pieces may be present. Slope ranges are commonly 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual temperature range 45 to 63 degrees, mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 50 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barren (T), Fortress (T), Hooksan, Ipswich, Matunuck, Pawcatuck, Breeze (T), and Verazano (T). Barren soils have free water below 15 inches of the soil surface. Breeze soils average more than 10 percent (by volume) human artifacts throughout. Hooksan soils formed in wind transported materials on barrier islands. Ipswich, Matunuck and Pawcatuck soils are organic and subject to tidal flooding. Verazano soils have a contrasting particle size class within 40 inches from soil surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is low to very high. Permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of these soils are used for wildlife habitat and recreation. Urban development is unlikely due to high water tables and ponding. Native vegetation consists of poison ivy, bay berry, Multiflora rose, ferns, phragmites, bitter sweet, mugwort, and dogwood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils occur on modified landscapes in and near major urbanized areas of the Northeast. MLRA 144A, 149A, and 149B. The soils of this series are small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Amherst, Massachusetts.
SERIES PROPOSED: Kings County, New York, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1) Ochric epipedon - up to 2 inches thick.
2) Particle size class - sandy, less than 35 percent coarse fragments.
3) The classification of this series is provisional until new Taxonomic classifications are developed for Anthropogenic soils.