LOCATION FANTAIL CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, thermic Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fantail loam on a southwest facing hill on a 65 percent slope under a cover of coastal sage, ripgut and buckwheat at an elevation of 1190 feet (363 meters) on Santa Cruz Island. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 4 cm); sage brush leaves and sticks; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick, 2 to 13 centimeters thick)
A1--2 to 4 inches, (4 to 10 cm); dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; 25 percent 2 to 75 millimeter gravel; neutral (pH 7.0) by Phenol red; abrupt wavy boundary.
A2--4 to 12 inches, (10 to 30 cm); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) gravelly loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky and moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; 30 percent 2 to 75 millimeter gravel; neutral (pH 6.8) by Phenol red; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 4 to 20 inches, 10 to 50 centimeters)
Bw--12 to 22 inches, (30 to 55 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky and moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; 38 percent 2 to 75 millimeter gravel; neutral (pH 6.8) by Phenol red; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick, 0 to 36 centimeters thick)
Bt1--22 to 35 inches, (55 to 90 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; few thin clay films on ped faces; 40 percent 2 to 75 millimeter gravel; neutral (pH 6.6) by Phenol red; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--35 to 39 inches, (90 to 98 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; few thin clay films on ped faces; 50 percent 2 to 75 millimeter gravel; neutral (pH 6.6) by Phenol red; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 12 to 35 inches, 31 to 89 centimeters thick)
Crt--39 to 51 inches (98 to 130 cm); highly fractured shale with fractures 1 to 2 cm apart, and many clay films extending into the fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara County, California, in the Channel Islands Soil Survey Area at 34 degrees North latitude, 0 minutes, 6.2 seconds and 119 degrees, 39 minutes, 47.1 seconds West longitude, NAD83; U.S.G.S Quad: Santa Cruz Island D.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 64 degrees F. (15 to 18 degrees C. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about mid-August to mid-November (about 90 days) and is usually moist the rest of the time.
Depth to bedrock ranges from 16 to 43 inches (40 to 110 centimeters) but is best represented by 20 to 40 inches (50 to 100 centimeters).
Mollic epipedon thickness ranges from 8 to 35 inches (20 to 90 centimeters) but is best represented by 20 to 30 inches (50 to 76 centimeters). Mollic epipedon thickness is highly variable due to disturbance by animals, mainly wild pigs, and erosion.
The particle size control section averages 40 to 60 percent clay, and 35 to 60 percent rock fragments.
Organic matter ranges from 1 to 4 percent to a depth of at least 20 inches (50 centimeters).
The A horizon dry color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 4/2, 4/1, 3/2, or 3/1. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 3/2, 2/2, or 2/1.
The Bw horizon is absent in pedons that have been highly disturbed by animals, mainly wild pigs.
The Bt horizon dry color is 10YR 5/4, 5/3, 4/2, or 4/3. Moist color is 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 3/4, 3/3, 3/2, 3/1 or 2/2.
Clay content averages from 40 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments average from 35 to 60 percent.
Thin surface phases exist in areas where the surface layer has been eroded.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fantail soils are on side slopes of hills from uplifted marine deposited sediments on islands. Slopes range from 30 to 75 percent. The soils formed in materials derived from shale. Elevations are 10 to 1453 feet (3 to 443 meters). The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters with fog common all year. The mean annual precipitation is 13 to 24 inches (330 to 610 mm), the mean annual temperature is 61 to 73 degrees F. (16 to 23 degrees C.), and the frost free season is 320 to 365 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Forestay and Lospinos series. Forestay soils have an abrupt clay increase and are very deep to bedrock. Lospinos soils are loamy-skeletal and have mixed mineralogy. Both these soils are on hills.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Wildlife habitat, recreation and building site development. Vegetation is dominated by coastal sage brush in relatively undisturbed areas, and is dominated by fennel in areas that have been disturbed or eroded and disturbed by animals, mainly wild pigs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Santa Barabara County, California on Santa Cruz Island. The soil is not extensive. MLRA 20.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Barabara County, California, 2004.
REMARKS: The series name is coined. NASIS Pedon ID is CA03688SC55. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon--The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 22 inches.
Argillic horizon--The zone from a depth of 22 inches to a depth of about 39 inches.
Paralithic material--The zone from a depth of 39 inches to about 51 inches.