LOCATION BERSON WA
Established Series
Rev. KDV/KDPL/SBC
09/2019
BERSON SERIES
Landscape--mountains
Landform--structural benches, mountain slopes
Slope--0 to 60 percent
Parent material--colluvium and residuum derived from Yakima basalt with an influence of volcanic ash and loess in upper part
Mean annual precipitation--about 640 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 6 degrees C
Depth class--deep
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--xeric
Soil temperature regime--frigid
Soil moisture subclass--typic
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Andic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Berson gravelly ashy loam, forested, on an 8-percent, southeast-facing slope at an elevation of 1050 m
Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed needles and twigs
A1--3 to 13 cm; gravelly ashy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) dry, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary
A2--13 to 28 cm; gravelly ashy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) dry, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary
AB--28 to 48 cm; very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; 25 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary
BA--48 to 84 cm; very gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary
Bt--84 to 112 cm; extremely stony loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary
BCt--112 to 147 cm; extremely stony loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few discontinuous clay films on vertical faces of peds; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones (igneous rock); moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary
Cr--147 cm; weathered basalt
TYPE LOCATION: Klickitat County, Washington, about 18 km northeast of Goldendale; about 460 m north and 490 m east of the southwest corner of section 31, T. 6 N., R. 18 E.; latitude 45 degrees, 57 minutes, 26 seconds north and longitude 120 degrees, 36 minutes, 30 seconds west
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section--usually moist, but dry in all parts 60 to 75 consecutive days
Mean annual soil temperature--6 to 8 degrees C
Thickness of volcanic ash influence--18 to 35 cm
Estimated moist bulk density--0.80 to 0.90 g/cm3
Volcanic glass content--30 to 60 percent
Acid oxalate Al plus one-half Fe--1 to 2 percent
Phosphorus retention--50 to 75 percent
15-bar water retention--8 to 12 percent
Particle-size control section--15 to 75 percent rock fragments, averaging more than 35 percent; 15 to 25 percent clay
Rock fragment content below a depth of 100 cm--50 to 70 percent
Thickness of mollic epipedon--25 to 46 cm
Reaction--5.6 to 6.5 throughout
A horizon
Hue--5YR, 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5 dry
Chroma--2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture--gravelly ashy fine sandy loam, gravelly ashy loam
Combined thickness--18 to 35 cm
AB and BA horizons
Hue--5YR, 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture--gravelly loam, very gravelly loam, very cobbly loam
Thickness of AB horizon--13 to 25 cm
Thickness of BA horizon--30 to 46 cm
Bt and BCt horizons
Hue--5YR to 10YR
Value--4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--4 to 6 dry or moist
Texture--extremely cobbly fine sandy loam, extremely stony loam, very cobbly loam, very stony loam
COMPETING SERIES: None
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--580 to 1475 m
Climate--cool, dry summers; cold, moist winters; snow cover in December through April
Mean annual precipitation--510 to 890 mm
Mean January air temperature--about -6 degrees C
Mean July air temperature--about 15 degrees C
Mean annual air temperature--about 4 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free season--80 to 120 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bocker--less than 25 cm (very shallow) to a lithic contact (basalt)
Itat--mesic soil temperature regime
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--moderately high
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat
Native vegetation--ponderosa pine, some Douglas-fir and Oregon white oak, snowbrush ceanothus, pinegrass, elk sedge, common snowberry, prince's pine, oceanspray, lupine
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Klickitat and Yakima Counties, Washington; MLRA 6; moderate extent
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Klickitat County, Washington; 2003
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon
*Mollic epipedon--zone from 3 to 48 cm
*Argillic horizon--zone from 84 to 147 cm
*Depth to paralithic contact--147 cm
*Andic soil properties--zone from 3 to 28 cm
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Partial laboratory data--National Soil Survey Laboratory pedon number 87P055
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.