Semi-detailed Soil Survey of the LIuidas Vale Area, St. Catherine-St ...

1. INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
In the period 1958-1970, the soils of Jamaica were mapped at scale 1:12,500
by the Regional Research Centre of the University of the West-Indies
(formerly the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture) in Trinidad. These
surveys resulted in the publication of the "Soil and Land Use Surveys", also
known as the "Green Books" (RRC 1958-1970). They cover 13 of the 14
parishes of the island (scale 1:50,000).
Soil investigations during the late 70s and early '80s in the Western Region.
(RPPD 1981) indicated that the "Green Book" studies should be updated,
especially the chemical and physical characterization of the soils. These
additional data, plus more detailed morphometric soil descriptions were
needed as well to classify the soils according to the classification system in
Jamaica, which is based on USDA Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff 1975). The
new data should also allow for better agricultural interpretation for rural
planning.
For the purpose of updating the available soil data, the Jamaica Soil Survey
Project, a bi-lateral undertaking of the Governments of Jamaica and the
Netherlands, was started in 1983. During its first surveys priority was given
to areas of major agricultural importance, e.g. the Coastal Plains of St.
Catherine (SSU 1986b). More recently, the Upper Rio Cobre watershed in the
parish of St. Catherine was re-surveyed. The soils of this parish were first
described by Vernon (1958). The central part of this watershed, comprising
the major part of the St. Thomas in the Vale basin, has been re-surveyed in
1986 and the results are documented in the "Semi-detailed Soil Survey of
the Linstead-Bog Walk Area" (SSU 1987b, see also Appendix XI).
The Lluidas Vale basin and surrounding hills, located north-east of the
Linstead-Bog Walk area, are the subject of this report. The area has been
partially re-surveyed in 1986, but the major part of the field work has been
done during autumn of 1988 and spring 1989.
The Lluidas Vale survey resulted in a further standardization of the
methodology for soil surveys within the Soil Survey Unit of the Ministry of
Agriculture in Jamaica. The report is written according to the format
developed under tenure of the Jamaica Soil Survey Project (SSU 1989g).
The report consists of 5 chapters, 11 appendices and one enclosure, i.e. the
soil map of the Lluidas Vale area (1:25.000). After the introduction (Chapter
1), a general description of the survey area is given in Chapter 2, including
location and infrastructure, climate, geology, landforms, hydrology and land
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