LOCATION MARTY              OR
Established Series
Rev. NP/MHF/RWL
10/2003

MARTY SERIES


The Marty series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in material derived mainly from quartz diorite or other coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock types. Marty soils occur on broad ridges and steep side slopes of mountains. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 100 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, ferrihydritic, frigid Alic Hapludands

TYPICAL PEDON: Marty gravelly medial loam, forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) gravelly medial loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) dry; strong very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine pores; 20 percent very fine 2 to 4 millimeter gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)

A2--6 to 13 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) gravelly medial loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; strong very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine pores; 25 percent fine 2 to 20 millimeter gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)

BA--13 to 21 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) gravelly medial loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine pores; 25 percent fine 2 to 20 millimeter gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 17 inches thick)

Bw1--21 to 34 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly medial loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; many fine pores; 25 percent fine 2 to 20 millimeter gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--34 to 46 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly medial clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; 25 percent fine 5 to 25 millimeter gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 25 to 40 inches)

C--46 to 60 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; 15 percent partly weathered rock fragments; very strongly acid (pH 4.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Polk County, Oregon; about 4 miles east of Valsetz, in the SW1/4 SE1/4 section 32, T. 8 S., R. 7 W.: Fanno Ridge, OR 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle; NAD 1927.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are usually moist and are dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for less than 45 consecutive days during the four month period following the summer solstice in most years. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. The solum and depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. The rock fragments range from 10 to 25 percent in the upper part of the solum and from 0 to 30 percent in the lower part. Below 5 feet rock fragments increase to 50 percent. The particle-size control section has moist bulk density of 0.80 to 0.90 grams per cubic centimeter, an estimated phosphate retention of more than 85 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 2.0 to 4.0 percent, and more than 2.0 cmol per kg fine earth of 1N KCL extractable aluminum. It is slightly to moderately smeary throughout. Reaction is strongly to very strongly acid.

The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 moist. Chroma of 3 are limited to the upper 9 inches of the A horizon.

The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR, 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 4 to 6 moist and dry. Texture ranges from heavy loam to clay loam with field estimated clay of 18 to 30 percent clay.

The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 6 or greater moist and dry. It ranges from heavy loam to clay loam with a field estimated clay content of 22 to 35 percent clay.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Giveout (T), Murtip and Tolany series. Giveout soils have an umbric epipedon 10 to 20 inches thick and have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Murtip soils have an umbric epipedon 10 to 20 inches thick and have a paralithic contact at depths of 40 to 60 inches. Tolany soils (see remarks) have hue of 7.5YR or 5YR in the Bw horizons and texture of silt loam predominantly but ranging to loam.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on gently sloping broad ridges and steep slopes up to 60 percent in mountainous topography. Elevations are 500to 3,000 feet. The soils formed in very deep, moderately fine textured colluvium or locally transported material derived from quartz diorite or other coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock types. The climate is characterized by cool wet winters and warm moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 60 to 120 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 150 to 200 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blachly, Bohannon, Kilchis and Klickitat soils.. Blachly soils are fine textured. Bohannon soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to arkosic sandstone. Kilchis soils are on very steep slopes, are less than 20 inches deep to bedrock, and contain more than 35 percent rock fragments. Klickitat soils contain more than 35 percent rock fragments.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, recreation, wildlife habitat, watersheds. The native vegetation is dominantly Douglas fir and alder with some hemlock and noble fir at higher elevations. The understory is mixed herbs and shrubs including vine maple, salal, western swordfern, cascade Oregongrape, Oregon oxalis, red huckleberry, and Pacific trillium.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Marty soils occur on the western slopes of the central portion of the Coast Range Mountains in Oregon; MLRA 1. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Benton County (Benton Area), Oregon, 1970.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - from 21 to 34 inches (Bw1, Bw2 horizons).
Andic properties - from 0 to 46 inches (A1, A2, BA, Bw1, Bw2 horizons). Below a depth of 46 inches, andic soil properties are absent primarily due to reduced organic matter and higher bulk density.
Particle-size control section - from 0 to 40 inches.

Classification revised 3/92 from Medial mesic Andic Dystrochrepts based on the Andisol Order.

The Marty soil competes with the Murtip and Tolany series based on the new classification. With the combining of the Benton County Area, Oregon and part of the Alsea Area, Oregon soil survey, into the Benton County, Oregon update soil survey, the Marty series has been correlated to the Murtip series. Field observations and documentation support this correlation decision. As a result, the official series type location has been moved to the Polk County. The Marty soil will need further investigation during the MLRA A1 update project to validate the series concept. Field observations and documentation from transects and traverses in Polk County have shown that the Marty soil is mapped within the mesic soil temperature regime and not the frigid regime as it is currently classified. To date, findings in Polk County, as part of the MLRA 1 update, support a correlation of the Marty series to the Murtip soils.

The Marty series cannot be separated adequately from the Tolany soil. The Marty series should ultimately be inactivated.

Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first minaral layer.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.