LOCATION CARIS OR+CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Caris gravelly loam - on a 75 percent slope in a forested area at 3,200 feet elevations. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--1 inch to 0; partially decomposed needles and twigs.
A--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; strong medium and fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
BA--7 to 12 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) very gravelly clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many irregular pores; 30 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 20 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; base saturation is 90 percent; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--20 to 31 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common fine roots; many irregular pores; 50 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; base saturation is 94 percent; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 8 to 32 inches)
R--31 inches; hard, fractured metamorphosed volcanic bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Oregon, about 3 miles southeast of Ruch; approximately 380 feet west and 500 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 31, T. 38 S., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 80 to 110 consecutive days or more in the four months that follow the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 54 degrees F. Depth to highly fractured bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments in the control section average 35 to 70 percent of which 35 to 50 percent are gravel and 0 to 20 percent are cobbles and stones. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 30 percent clay.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is extremely gravelly sandy loam or gravelly loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is very gravelly loam, very gravelly clay loam, extremely gravelly loam, or extremely gravelly sandy loam. It has a base saturation by ammonium acetate of 75 to 95 percent.
In some pedons, there is a C horizon with colors similar to the Bw horizon and extremely gravelly sandy loam or extremely gravelly loam textures.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brownbear, Itat, Maki, McGuire, Olete, and Pardaloe series. Brownbear soils have Bt horizons. Dehart, Itat, McGuire and Pardaloe soils are deeper than 60 inches to bedrock. Maki soils are effervescent throughout. Olete soils have hue of 5YR or 2.5YR.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Caris series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils on mountains. These soils formed in colluvium derived dominantly from altered sedimentary and extrusive igneous rocks. Elevations are 1,000 to 4,750 feet. The climate is characterized by warm wet winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 25 to 40 inches. In California, the mean annual precipitation ranges to 60 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 54 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 160 days. Slopes range from 50 to 90 percent.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Offenbacher, McMullin, Vannoy, and Voorhies soils. The Offenbacher soils are fine-loamy. The McMullin soils are shallow. The Vannoy and Voorhies soils have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production. Native vegetation is Douglas fir, Pacific madrone, California black oak, creambush oceanspray, poison oak and California fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Oregon and northern California; MLRA 5. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County Area, Oregon, 1988.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 12 inches (A and BA horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 12 to 31 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 31 inches (lower 2 inches of BA and the Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference samples from type location numbers 83T7850-51; NSSL.