LOCATION MELLOWMOON OR

Established Series
Rev. RGC/TDT
06/2011

MELLOWMOON SERIES

The Mellowmoon series consists of very deep, well drained soils on benches and foot slopes. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived dominantly from a variety of extrusive igneous rocks. Slopes are 3 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 70 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, frigid Typic Humudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Mellowmoon gravelly loam, forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, cones, and wood fragments.

A--2 to 10 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)

Bw1--10 to 15 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)

Bw2--15 to 22 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

Bw3--22 to 41 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (14 to 20 inches thick)

Bw4--41 to 54 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) gravelly clay loam, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)

Bw5--54 to 62 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) gravelly loam, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; very strongly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Oregon; 1 3/4 miles west-northwest of Huckleberry Mountain in the Western Cascade Mountains; 1,050 feet east and 1,840 feet north of the SW corner of section 1, T. 24 S., R. 2 W., W.M.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry for less than 45 consecutive days during the summer months. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. Depth to bedrock typically is greater than 60 inches but can be as shallow as 40 inches in some pedons. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. Hue is 10YR or 7.5YR.

The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry. Rock fragments range from 15 to 25 percent gravel.

The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 through 7 dry and chroma of 4 through 6 moist and dry. It is clay loam, gravelly clay loam, gravelly loam, or loam with 25 to 35 percent clay. Rock fragments range from 0 to 30 percent gravel and cobbles.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mellowmoon soils are on benches and footslopes of mountains. Elevation is 2,800 to 4,600 feet. The soils formed in a variety of extrusive igneous rocks. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. The soils are in a cold humid climate with mean annual precipitation of 60 to 80 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 50 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Illahee, Limpy, and Scaredman series. Illahee soils are more than 40 inches to bedrock. Limpy soils have a lithic contact at 10 to 20 inches. Scaredman soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. In addition, all of these soils are loamy-skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat and watershed. The native vegetation is dominantly Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western white pine. The understory vegetation is mainly vine maple, Pacific rhododendron, cascade Oregon grape, red huckleberry, western princesspine, and salal.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Uplands of the Calapooya Divide within the western Cascade Mountains of western Oregon; MLRA 3. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Oregon, 1994.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Umbric epipedon - from 2 to 15 inches.

Cambic horizon - from 15 to 62 inches.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.