LOCATION KAIWIKI                 HI

Established Series
Rev. HHS/PGN
05/2012

KAIWIKI SERIES


The Kaiwiki series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from volcanic ash. Kaiwiki soils are on ashfields and have slopes of 0 to 35 percent. The mean annual rainfall is about 5500 millimeters (220 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 21 degrees C (69 degrees F)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Hydrous, ferrihydritic, isothermic Acrudoxic Hydrudands

TYPICAL PEDON: Kaiwiki highly organic hydrous silty clay loam on an east facing 10 percent slope under a cover of ohia lehua, eucalyptus and strawberry guava forest at an elevation of 518 meters (1700 feet). When described the soil was moist from 0 to 127 centimeters (0 to 50 inches). (Colors are for moist, crushed, soil unless otherwise noted).

Oi--0 to 3 centimeters (0 to 1 inches); black (N 2.5/) slightly decomposed plant material, black (10YR 2/1) rubbed, moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine and common medium roots throughout; many very fine dendritic tubular pores; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 centimeters thick {0 to 4 inches})

A--3 to 23 centimeters (1 to 9 inches); very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/3) highly organic hydrous silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) crushed, dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly smeary; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine dendritic tubular pores; very strongly acid, pH 4.7 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 25 centimeters thick {1 to 10 inches})

Bw1--23 to 30 centimeters (9 to 12 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) hydrous silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) crushed, dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly smeary; common fine and few medium roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular pores; 2 percent subangular very weakly cemented gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary.

Bw2--30 to 48 centimeters (12 to 19 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) hydrous silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) crushed, dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly smeary; common fine and few medium roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular pores; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.

Bw3--48 to 61 centimeters (19 to 24 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) hydrous silty clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) crushed, dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly smeary; few fine roots throughout; common very fine dendritic tubular pores; strongly acid, pH 5.6 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.

Bw4--61 to 79 centimeters (24 to 31 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) hydrous silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) crushed, dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; strongly smeary; few fine roots throughout; common very fine dendritic tubular pores; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.

Bw5--79 to 86 centimeters (31 to 34 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) hydrous silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) crushed, dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly smeary; few fine roots throughout; common very fine dendritic tubular pores; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.

Bw6--86 to 152 centimeters (34 to 60 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) hydrous silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) crushed, dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly smeary; few fine roots throughout; common very fine dendritic tubular pores; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by pH meter 1:1 water. (combined depth of Bw horizons is 95 to over 125 centimeters thick {37 to over 49 inches})

TYPE LOCATION: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii; from Mamalahoa Highway on the Hamakua coast, pass through north entrance of Onomea Ranch Vistas, approximately 2 miles north of the village of Papaikou. Follow the winding paved road west. At approximately 1.75 miles the pavement ends. Follow the rock cane haul road through the pastures to the forest line and park. You will be at the edge of Kawainui stream. Follow the hunters trail along the Kawainui stream 0.5 miles to stream fork. Cross the stream bed and follow trail approximately 0.3 miles N/NW to north fork of Kawainue stream. Type location is 100 feet south of stream on upper bank; Akaka Falls Quandrangle 19 degrees, 49 minutes 23 seconds N. latitude and 155 degrees, 9 minutes, 28 seconds W. longitude, (Old Hawaiian datum 6 ft., measured by GPSmap 76CSx).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 112 to over 152 centimeters (44 inches to over 60 inches)
Soil moisture: The soil is typically moist but there may be occasional brief periods of dryness in the surface from 0 to 30 centimeters (0 to 12 inches) during the driest months of the year, usually June thru August.
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent cobbles in the first 102 centimeters (40 inches)
Soil temperature: 17 to 22 degrees C (63 to 72 degrees F)
Surface fragments: 0 to 10 percent
The Oi horizon may not be present in some pedons

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 3 moist
Texture: Highly organic hydrous silty clay loam or hydrous silty clay loam

Bw horizons
Hue: 2.5YR or 10YR
Value: 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist
Texture: Hydrous silty clay loam or cobbly hydrous silty clay loam

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Akaka, Honokaa, Honomanu, Kehena, Maile, Moaula, and Ohia Series. Akaka soils are moderately well drained with redox features in A and Bw horizons and Bs horizons. Honokaa, Maile, and Moaula soils have a udic soil moisture regime. Honomanu and Kehena soils are 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 39 inches) deep. Ohia soils are on younger Mauna Loa flows and are slightly smeary in the A horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kaiwiki soils are on ashfields that are on mid-elevation windward slopes of Mauna Kea volcano at elevations of 335 to 1615 meters (1100 to 5300 feet). The soils formed in material weathered from volcanic ash underlain by 100-300 thousand year old pahoehoe and `a`a lava flows. Kaiwiki soils are typically found on the summit, shoulder or backslope of the hillslope profile. Slopes are 0 to 35 percent but can be as high as 100 percent in gulch areas. Mean annual precipitation is 5000 to over 6000 mm (200 to over 240 inches). The mean annual temperature is 15 to 21 degrees C. (59 to 70 degrees F.). The mean summer soil temperature and the mean winter soil temperature differ by less than 6 degrees C. (11 degrees F.)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Akaka, Onomea and Hilo soils. Akaka soils are found on toeslope and backslope positions and are moderately well drained. Onomea soils are found on toeslopes and in depressions and are poorly to very poorly drained. Hilo soils have a isohyperthermic soil temperature regime with soil temperatures over 22 degrees C. (72 degrees F.).

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for forest, wildlife habitat, building site development, recreation, orchard crops, agroforestry, and livestock grazing. The natural vegetation is ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), hapuu treefern (Cibotium chammisoi or C. glauca), uluhe fern (Dicranopteris linearis), Common vegetation is strawberry guava (Psidium catleianum), hilograss (Paspalum conjugatum), guinea grass (Urochloa maxima), and California grass (Urochloa mutica).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This series is found on the Island of Hawaii and is moderately extensive, with a total of about 35,000 acres. MLRA 159A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil Survey, Territory of Hawaii, 1949.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Perudic soil moisture regime
Isothermic soil temperature regime
Andic soil properties- 3 to 125 centimeters (1 to 49 inches) (A and Bw horizons).
Umbric epipedon- 3 to 30 centimeters (1 to 12 inches) (A horizon).
Cambic horizon- 30 to 125 centimeters (12 to 49 inches) (Bw horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL samples 07HI001001, 61HI001002, 87HI001005, 07HI001001, and S09HI001001.

Edit Log: 02/09 Changed type location to a more representative site to reflect concept changes in soil series. Horizons and range of characteristics updated. PGN


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.