Land use: Most of this area is in farms and ranches. About 20 percent is forest of mixed pine and cabbage palm or of cabbage palm and hardwoods. About an equal proportion of the remaining acreage is cropland, improved pasture, and rangeland. Citrus fruits, the chief crop grown, are planted in beds between shallow ditches that are part of the water-control system. Vegetation on the rangeland consists of native grasses, forbs, sedges, and a few scattered pines.
Elevation and topography: Elevation is about 25 m; the lower areas are near the St. Johns marsh and the Everglades. The very broad and nearly level lowlands are mantled by sand over loamy materials and in a few places over limestone. Most of the area is almost flat, but some hummocks rise a meter or two above the general level.
Climate: Average annual precipitation-1,325 to 1,525 mm. Maximum precipitation is in summer, and the minimum is late in autumn and in winter. Average annual temperature-22 to 23 C. Average freeze-free period-330 to 360 days.
Water: Rainfall, surface water, and ground water provide an abundance of water. Unless practices are used to control the water level in naturally wet areas, shallow water covers the surface during much of the rainy season. Canals and ditches control the groundwater level for crops and pasture. Excess water is pumped out during the rainy season, and irrigation water is applied during the growing season. Domestic and irrigation water supplies are obtained mainly from wells in the underlying limestone. Water from this source is highly mineralized.
Soils: The dominant soils are Aqualfs, Aquolls, and Aquods. They have a hyperthermic temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime. Poorly drained, sandy Glossaqualfs (Riviera, Winder, and Pineda series), poorly drained, sandy Ochraqualfs (Parkwood and Boca series) and very poorly drained Argiaquolls (Chobee, Floridana, and Manatee series) have a loamy subsoil. Poorly drained, sandy Haplaquods (Wabasso and Oldsmar series) have cemented layers at a depth of about 2 to 3 1/2 feet underlain by loamy subsoil. Poorly drained, shallow Psammaquents (Hallandale series) are scattered throughout the area.
Potential natural vegetation: This area supports "hummock and slough" swamp vegetation. Slash pine and cabbage palm are the dominant species. Sawpalmetto, cordgrasses, and bluestems make up the understory.
(From "Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United
States". United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service
Handbook 296. Dec. 1981. page 115 - 116.)