LOCATION SKYLAND CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Skyland very cobbly sandy loam, on a northeast facing, linear, 40 percent slope under sugar pine, California bay, incense cedar, ponderosa pine and black oak at an elevation of 1,500 meters (4,920 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 10 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles.
A-- 0 to 18 centimeters, (0 to 7 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine and medium roots throughout; 20 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 20 centimeters)
Bw1-- 18 to 50 centimeters, (7 to 20 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; 10 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2-- 50 to 64 centimeters, (20 to 25 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly sandy loam, 50 percent brown (10YR 4/3) and 50 percent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; 10 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw3-- 64 to 112 centimeters, (25 to 44 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, 50 percent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and 50 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine and medium roots throughout; 5 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 80 to 120 centimeters)
Cr-- 112 to 152 centimeters, (44 to 60 inches); highly to slightly weathered gneissic bedrock; very few medium roots in cracks; moderately acid (pH 5.6).
R-- 152 centimeters, (60 inches); unweathered gneissic bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; 380 meters (1,250 feet) east and 685 meters (2,250 feet) south of the NW corner of section 20, T. 2 N., R. 4 W.; 34 degrees, 14 minutes and 38.4 seconds north latitude and 117 degrees, 19 minutes and 28.2 seconds west longitude; San Bernardino North 7.5 minute quadrangle; UTM 11S 0470119e 3789259n (DTM: NAD83).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil moisture control section: Usually dry in all parts from late May or early June until late November or early December, and usually moist in some or all parts the rest of the year. The soils have a xeric moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 12 degrees C. (50 to 54 degrees F.)
Organic matter: 1 to 4 percent
Surface rock fragments: 20 to 45 percent gravel and cobbles
Depth to bedrock: 100 to 150 centimeters (40 to 60 inches)
Control section -
Rock fragments: averages 35 to 65 percent gravel and cobbles
Clay content: range is between 10 and 18 percent
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 45 to 70 percent gravel and cobbles
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 25 to 60 percent gravel and cobbles
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brownbear, Burwill, Caris, Cohila (T), Indleton, Itat, Maki Pardaloe and Rockyglen(T) series. Brownbear, Caris and Maki soils have a lithic contact within 100 centimeters (40 inches). Brownbear and Caris soils are formed from sedimentary, metavolcanic or volcanic rock. In addition, Brownbear and Caris soils have a particle-size control section with 20 to 30 percent clay and 18 to 30 percent clay, respectively; and Maki soils have a mean annual precipitation of 508 millimeters (20 inches), a mean annual air temperature of 8 degrees C. (47 degrees F.) and are formed from calcareous rock and glacial till influenced by loess and volcanic ash. Burwill soils have a mean annual precipitation of 813 millimeters (32 inches), a mean annual air temperature of 8 degrees C. (46 degrees F.), are formed from rhyolite, tuff and basalt and have a particle-size control section with 20 to 27 percent clay. Cohila soils have a mean annual precipitation of 546 millimeters (22 inches), a mean annual air temperature of 8 degrees C. (47 degrees F.) and are formed in alluvium from granitic material. Indleton soils have a particle-size control section with 18 to 25 percent clay and are formed from metasedimentary material. Itat soils are formed from basalt with an influence from loess and old alluvium, allow hues of 2.5YR and 5YR in the control section and have mean annual precipitation of 584 millimeters (23 inches). Pardaloe soils have mean annual precipitation of 1,524 millimeters (60 inches) and are formed from sandstone, siltstone or shale. Rockyglen soils have more than 1525 millimeters (60 inches) of annual precipitation and are over 152 centimeters (60 inches) to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Skyland soils are on mountain sideslopes. Slopes range from 50 to 80 percent. These soils formed in residuum from metamorphic sources. Elevations range from 1,465 to 1,980 meters (4,800 to 6,500 feet). The climate is subhumid mesothermal with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters with some snow. The mean annual precipitation range is 483 to 635 millimeters (19 to 25 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 7 to 9 degrees C. (45 to 49 degrees F.) The frost-free season is 35 to 142 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Burntflat (T) and Marielouise (T) soils. Burntflat soils are on similar landscape positions and have a paralithic contact within 20 to 30 centimeters. Marielouise soils have a mollic epipedon and are on adjacent alluvial fans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium to high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Skyland soils are used for recreation, watershed and wildlife habitat. Some areas are used for homesites. The present vegetation is mainly sugar pine, California bay, incense cedar, ponderosa pine and black oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Inland mountain ranges of San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties, southern California. MLRA 20. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino National Forest, Private Land Soil Survey Update Project, 2004. The name is from a location in the soil survey area.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon: 0 to 18 centimeters (A horizon)
2. Cambic horizon: 18 to 112 centimeters (Bw1, Bw2 and Bw3 horizons)
3. Particle-size control section: 25 to 100 centimeters (Bw1, Bw2 and Bw3 horizons)
4. Paralithic contact: 112 to 152 centimeters (Cr horizon)