LOCATION SKYMOR ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Skymor very gravelly loam - woodland, on an 80 percent south-facing slope at 4,800 feet elevation. (When described on August 12, 1993, the soil was moist to a depth of 3 inches and dry below this depth. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
0i--1 inch to 0; partially decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and woody materials.
A--0 to 5 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium, and few coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)
R--15 inches; highly fractured and partially weathered metasedimentary rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Curry County, Oregon; about 1,980 feet south and 20 feet east of the northwest corner of section 27, T. 34 S., R. 10 W., W. M. (Latitude 42 degrees, 35 minutes, 18 seconds N; Longitude 123 degrees, 52 minutes, 34 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 42 to 47 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice.
The particle-size control section averages 18 to 30 percent clay and has 40 to 75 percent total rock fragments. Depth to a lithic contact is 12 to 20 inches. Hue is 10YR or 7.5YR. Soil reaction is strongly acid to moderately acid throughout.
The A horizon has value of 2 to 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is very gravelly loam with 18 to 25 percent clay. It has 35 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones.
The B horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 to 5 moist and 3 to 6 dry. It is very gravelly loam, extremely gravelly loam, or very gravelly clay loam with 18 to 30 percent clay. It has 35 to 60 percent gravel, 5 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Skyrock series. Skyrock soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for more than 75 consecutive days and contain 15 to 40 percent mica minerals in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Skymor soils are on steep to very steep south-facing side slopes of mountains. The soils formed in medium textured gravelly colluvium weathered from metasedimentary, metavolcanic, and sedimentary rock. Elevations are 3,000 to 5,500 feet. The climate is characterized by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 90 to 120 inches. The mean annual temperature is about 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Althouse and Jayar soils, both of which occur on south-facing side slopes of mountains, are loamy-skeletal, and have ochric epipedons. Althouse soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock. Jayar soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for watershed, recreation, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation includes white fir, Shasta red fir, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, canyon live oak, golden shinkapin, tanoak, huckleberry oak, greenleaf manzanita, pinemat manzanita, Sadler oak, snowbrush ceanothus, trailing blackberry, Rocky Mountain maple, creambush oceanspray, western hazed, salal, western princess pine and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of southwestern Oregon; MLRA 5. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Curry County, Oregon, 1995. The name is coined.
REMARKS: The series type location has been relocated in Curry County, Oregon. Skymore soils are labeled Unit 825 in the BLM Soil Survey.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - the zone from 5 to 15 inches (Bw horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 15 inches (lower part of the Bw horizon)
Dystric feature - base saturation (by NH4OAc) of less than 60 percent in all horizons between 10 and 15 inches (lower part of the Bw horizon)
Lithic feature - bedrock at a depth of 15 inches