La Covana soil and landscape

An area of La Covana-Limestone outcrop-Seboruco complex, 12 to 40 percent slopes, in the Subtropical Dry Forest (Guánica). Vegetation consists mainly of dwarf shrubs and cacti (Soil Survey of San Germán Area, Puerto Rico by Jorge L. Lugo-Camacho, Natural Resources Conservation Service).

 

Setting

Landscape: Hills

Landform: Ridges and hillslopes

Major uses: Wildlife habitat

Elevation: 80 to 750 feet

 

Composition

La Covana and similar soils: 60 percent

Limestone outcrop: 20 percent

Seboruco and similar soils: 15 percent

Dissimilar soils: 5 percent

Typical Profile

La Covana

Surface layer:

0 to 5 inches—dark reddish brown gravelly clay

Subsoil:

5 to 19 inches—yellowish red extremely gravelly clay that has calcium carbonate concretions

19 to 31 inches—very pale brown indurated petrocalcic material

Substratum:

31 to 80 inches—very pale brown silt loam that has yellow mottles and calcium carbonate concretions

 

Minor Components

Dissimilar:

• Pitahaya soils that are in positions similar to those of the major soils but are shallow to fractured limestone bedrock

 

Soil Properties and Qualities

Depth class: La Covana—shallow; Seboruco—moderately deep

Depth to bedrock or hardpan: La Covana—6 to 20 inches; Seboruco—20 to 40 inches

Parent material: La Covana—material that weathered from limestone bedrock; Seboruco—shallow marine sediments overlying limestone bedrock

Surface runoff: Very high

Drainage class: Well drained

Permeability: La Covana—very slow; Seboruco—slow

Available water capacity: Very low

Flooding: None

Hazard of water erosion: Severe

Rock fragments in the surface layer: La Covana—20 to 60 percent, by volume, mostly pebbles and cobbles; Seboruco—less than 10 percent, by volume, mostly pebbles and cobbles

Extent of rock outcrop: Less than 20 percent

Shrink-swell potential: Low

Natural fertility: La Covana—low; Seboruco—moderate

Content of organic matter in the surface layer: La Covana—moderate to high;

Seboruco—moderate

Reaction: La Covana—slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline; Seboruco—moderately alkaline

 

Land Use

Dominant uses: Wildlife habitat

Other uses: Forestland

 

Agricultural Development

Cropland

Suitability: La Covana—unsuited; Seboruco—poorly suited

Management concerns: La Covana—depth to hardpan, slope; Seboruco—slope, very low available water capacity

Pasture and hayland

Suitability: Poorly suited to pasture; unsuited to hayland

Commonly grown crops: Buffelgrass; guineagrass

Management concerns: La Covana—depth to hardpan, slope; Seboruco—slope

Management measures and considerations:

• Returning crop residue to the soil improves the retention of soil moisture and increases the supply of plant nutrients.

• Overgrazed pastures should be reestablished and then protected from further overgrazing.

Naturalized pastureland

Suitability: Poorly suited

Management concerns: La Covana—depth to hardpan, slope; Seboruco—slope

Management measures and considerations:

• Overgrazed areas should be reestablished and then protected from further overgrazing.

 

For additional information about the survey area, visit:

www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/puerto_rico/PR...

 

For a detailed soil description, visit:

soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/L/LA_COVANA.html

 

For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:

casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#la%20covana

 

Done