LOCATION KEEI                    HI

Established Series
Rev. RCH/HHS/PGN/NEM/AMS
05/2012

KEEI SERIES

The Keei series consists of very shallow to shallow, well drained soils that formed in a thin mantle of organic material and small amounts of volcanic ash overlying pahoehoe lava. Keei soils are on the windward slopes of Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes. Slopes range from 2 to 10 percent. Mean annual rainfall is about 3048 millimeters (120 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 17 degrees C (63 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Euic, isothermic, micro Lithic Udifolists

TYPICAL PEDON: Keei highly decomposed plant material under ohia lehua and guava forest on a 4 percent slope at an elevation of 725 meters (2380 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. When described soil was moist throughout. All textures are apparent field textures. pH was measured using organic dyes.)

Oi--0 to 3 centimeters (0 to 1 inches); black (10YR 2/1) peat, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; structureless; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic, and non-smeary; many fine roots; 5 percent subrounded paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 centimeters (1 to 3 inches) thick)

Oa--3 to 13 centimeters (1 to 5 inches); black (10YR 2/1) highly decomposed plant material, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic, and weakly smeary; many fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 10 percent subrounded gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 51 centimeters (2 to 20 inches) thick)

2R--13 centimeters (5 inches); hard pahoehoe lava.

TYPE LOCATION: Island of Hawaii; From Hilo follow Highway 11 south. Turn left onto South Glenwood Road and proceed approximately 5 miles to Kahaualea Natural Area Reserve trailhead at the end of the road. Proceed approximately 0.25 mile to the south on the trail, take secondary trail to the left and follow blue flagging approximately 100 feet to the type location at Kalalua Quadrangle; 19 degrees 26 minutes 48.9 seconds North latitude and 155 degrees 7 minutes 28.6 feet West longitude (Old Hawaiian Datum, +/- 12 feet, measured by Garmin GPS).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 5 to 51 centimeters (2 to 20 inches).
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent gravel.
Soil Reaction: Very strongly acid to strongly acid.
Soil temperature: 16 to 22 degrees C (61 to 72 degrees F).
Soil moisture: The soil is typically moist throughout the profile. Precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration in all months of normal years (perudic soil moisture regime).

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Kona series. Kona soils are moist in the control section from April thru October.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Keei soils are on Mauna Loa and Kilauea pahoehoe lava flows 250 to 1000 years old at elevations of 366 to 1,372 meters (1,200 to 4,500 feet). Slopes range from 2 to 10 percent. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 3000 to 4000 millimeters (120 to 160 inches) with most of the rainfall occurring from October to May. Mean annual pan evaporation ranges from 762 to 1,016 millimeters (30 to 40 inches). Annual temperatures average from 13 to 20 degrees C (55 to 68 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Kopua, Makaala, Waikea, Kiloa and Ihope series. Kopua series is a shallow ash soil. Makaala soils are moderately deep. Waikea soils are skeletal. Kiloa soils are skeletal. Ihope soils are very poorly drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is high. Permeability is rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are in forest. A few areas are used for pasture. Natural vegetation is ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), tree fern (Cibotium spp.), uluhe (Dicranopteris linearis) and strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii. This series is moderately extensive with approximately 62,000 acres. MLRA 162.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hawaii County, Hawaii, 1971.

REMARKS:

Last revised by state 08/09

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Fibric soil materials - from a depth of 0 to 3 centimeters (0 to 1 inches) (Oi horizon).
Sapric soil materials - from a depth of 3 to 13 centimeters (1 to 5 inches) (Oa horizon).
Lithic contact - at a depth of 13 centimeters (5 inches) (2R horizon).
Perudic moisture regime.

Type location moved from Stainback Highway area to Kahaualea Natural Area Reserve area 01/05.

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS Pedon User ID 03HI602401.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.