LOCATION KAMAKOA HI
Established Series
Rev. HHS/RCH/MRK
05/2012
KAMAKOA SERIES
The Kamakoa series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from alluvium from volcanic ash. Kamakoa soils are on flood plains and have slopes of 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual rainfall is about 510 centimeters (20 inches) and mean annual temperature is about 18 degrees C. (64 degrees F.)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, amorphic, isothermic Humic Haplustands
TYPICAL PEDON: Kamakoa medial very fine sandy loam, on a west facing, slightly concave, 2 percent slope, under grasses, at an elevation of 773 meters (2535 feet). (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures".)
Ap--0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) medial very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak very fine granular structure; loose; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and irregular pores; 2 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 centimeters {3 to 6 inches} thick)
A--10 to 23 centimeters (4 to 9 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) medial very fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; loose, friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and irregular pores; 2 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 15 centimeters {4 to 6 inches} thick)
Bw1--23 to 56 centimeters (9 to 22 inches); very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2) gravelly medial fine sand, brown (7.5YR 4/3) dry; single grain; loose; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; many very fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; coarse fragments have thin, white (10YR 8/1) coatings of calcium carbonate that are slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (28 to 38 centimeters {11 to 15 inches} thick)
Bw2--56 to 74 centimeters (22 to 29 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) medial very fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; single grain; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 20 centimeters {7 to 8 inches} thick)
C -- 74 to 84 centimeters (29 to 34 inches); very dark gray (N 3/) lithochromic ashy coarse sand; single grain; loose; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; few fine roots; many medium interstitial pores; a thin intermittent band of grayish sand in the upper inch; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 15 centimeters {4 to 6 inches} thick)
Bk1--84 to 112 centimeters (34 to 44 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) medial very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent with dilute hydrochloric acid; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 31 centimeters {5 to 12 inches} thick)
Bk2--112 to 122 centimeters (44 to 48 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) medial very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/2) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; nonsmeary; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; many white mycelium-like mottles of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent with dilute hydrochloric acid; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4)
TYPE LOCATION: TYPE LOCATION: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii; From Saddle Road Junction in South Kohala, drive north about 1.6 miles on Highway 190, turn right onto 4WD road on Parker Ranch and drive about 0.3 miles; Pedon is located 15 meters south of 4WD road at elevation 773 meters (2535 feet). Nohonaohae Quadrangle; lat. 19 degrees 57 minutes 29 seconds N. and long. 155 degrees 40 minutes 47 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 102 to 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Depth to calcium carbonate: 84 to 127 centimeters (34 to 50 inches).
Mean annual soil temperature: 17 to 22 degrees C. (62 to 71 degrees F.)
A horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 moist or dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist or dry.
Texture: Medial very fine sandy loam, silt loam, or very fine sand
Structure: Weak granular, subangular blocky, or platy.
Soil reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 6.6 to 7.8).
Some A horizons may be stratified
Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist or dry.
Texture: Gravelly or non gravelly Medial very fine sand or fine sand.
Some Bw horizons may be stratified
C horizon when present
Texture: Ashy coarse, medium, and fine sand.
Bk horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 3 to 5 moist or dry.
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist or dry.
Effervescence: Slight or strong.
Calcium carbonate percentage: 5 to 10 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Kamaoa,
Kapapala,
Kikoni,
Kiolakaa,
Kula, and
Waimea series. Kamaoa soils have strong structure in the A horizon and have a silty clay loam Bw horizon that is slightly to moderately plastic. Kapapala soils have a depositional, non-alluvial ashy coarse sand 2C horizon. Kikoni soils have strong granular structure in the A horizon and strong subangular blocky structure in the 2Bw horizon. Kiolakaa soils are moderately deep to pahoehoe bedrock. Kula soils have silty clay loam Bw horizons. Waimea soils do not have an alluvial C horizon and are not on flood plains.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kamakoa soils are on mid elevation, leeward slopes of Mauna Kea and Kohala shield volcanoes at elevations from 457 to 1280 meters (1500 to 4200 feet). These soils are near intermittent streams on nearly level to gently sloping flood plains on lava flows that are 65,000 to 250,000 years old. Slope gradients range from 0 to 20 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from basic volcanic ash. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 381 to 762 millimeters (15 to 30 inches), with most of the rainfall occurring from October through April. The mean annual pan evaporation ranges from 1780 to 2030 millimeters (70 to 80 inches). The mean annual air temperature ranges from 15 to 22 degrees C. (60 to 71 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 Puu Pa, and the competing
Waikaloa and
Waimea series. Puu Pa soils are medial-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is very low. Permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Natural vegetation is bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), cactus (Opuntia megacantha), aalii (Dodonaea viscosa) and mountain dandelion (Taraxacum vulgare).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South Kohala District, Island of Hawaii; MLRA 157. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil Survey, Territory of Hawaii, 1949.
REMARKS: Soil moisture - dry in some or all parts for short intermittent periods totaling 90 or more days during the months of April through October in most years (Ustic moisture regime).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from the surface to 23 centimeters (9 inches) (A horizons).
Andic soil properties - from 0 to 122 centimeters (0 to 48 inches) (All horizons).
Edit Log: 6/04 Classification revised due to changes in series concept. Old classification: ashy over loamy, isothermic Mollic Ustifluvents. Competing series updated. MRK.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 5/78.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.