LOCATION ABALOBADIAH CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isomesic Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Abalobadiah loam - on a northwest facing slope of 59 percent under annual and perennial grasses and forbs at 400 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 11/20/81 the soil was moist throughout).
A1-- 0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong very fine and fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
A2-- 3 to 13 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong very fine, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 inches thick)
Bt-- 13 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong very fine, fine and medium subangular and strong very fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; many very fine and common fine tubular and interstitial pores; few thin clay films on peds and in pores; 2 percent moderately hard, subangular cobbles (5-l0cm); slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
BCt--21 to 39 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; common thin clay films on peds and in pores; 30 percent moderately hard angular sandstone pebbles (2-75mm); slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick thick)
Crt--39 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) soft sandstone, crushes to sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; few thin clay films on fracture faces that are 5-40mm apart and less than 1mm wide; 15 percent moderately hard angular sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Mendocino County, California; 450 feet south and 1700 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 20, T.20N., R.17W., MDBM, Inglenook quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Thickness of the mollic epipedon and thickness of the solum range from 20 to 30 inches. The epipedon ranges from 0.6 to 4 percent organic carbon, decreasing regularly with increasing depth. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 54 to 57 degrees F. The difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature ranges from 4 to 9 degrees F. The soil between the depths of 6 and 17 inches is moist in all parts from November 1 to June 15. It is dry in some or all parts from July 15 to October 1 in most years. Clay content averages 20 to 27 percent in the particle-size control section. Reaction is moderately or slightly acid throughout.
The A horizon is 10YR 4/1, 4/2, 5/1, 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 2/l, 2/2, 3/l, 3/2 or 3/3. Clay content ranges from 15 to 25 percent. Very fine and fine, soft to moderately hard gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Base saturation (ammonium acetate) ranges from 65 to 85 percent.
The Bt horizon is 10YR 4/2, 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 2/2, 3/2 or 3/3. It is loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 35 percent. Soft to moderately hard gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Moderately hard cobble content ranges from 0 to 5 percent. Total coarse fragment content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Base saturation (ammonium acetate) ranges from 75 to 95 percent.
The BCt horizon, when present, is 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 7/3 or 7/4. Moist color is 10YR 5/3, 5/4 or 5/6. It is gravelly sandy loam or gravelly loam. Clay content ranges from 15 to 25 percent. Soft to moderately hard gravel content is 15 to 35 percent. Base saturation (ammonium aetate) ranges from 75 to 95 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bruhel (CA), Candlestick (CA), Mallopass (CA), and Miramar (CA) series. The Bruhel series is greater than 40 inches to a paralithic contact. The Candlestick series is 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. The Mallopass series is very deep and has mottling between 40 and 80 inches. Miramar soils have less than 15 percent gravel in the control section and formed over quartz diorite.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Abalobadiah soils occur on coastal hills and mountains that have rounded primary and secondary ridges and deep well defined dissections. Slopes are 9 to 75 percent. Elevations are 50 to 1300 feet. The soils are formed in material weathered from sandstone. The climate is humid with cool foggy summers and cool moist winters. A strong marine influence limits the diurnal and annual range of temperature. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 55 inches. Mean January temperature is 48 degrees F. Mean July temperature is about 57 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is 53 degrees F. The frost-free period is 250 to 330 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Bruhel soils and the Dehaven, Hotel, Irmulco, Tramway, and Vizcaino soils. All are in similar landscape positions. Dehaven, Hotel, Irmulco and Tramway soils occur out of the direct influence of salt laden winds, have conifer vegetation and lack a mollic epipedon. Vizcaino soils occur near primary and secondary ridges and are shallow to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; surface runoff under bare soil conditions is medium through very rapid; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock, grazing, wildlife habitat and watershed. The vegetation is annual and perennial grasses and forbs where grazed. If undisturbed, it is dense brush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern coastal California. The series is not extensive. MLRA is 4.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mendocino County, California, Western part, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon (pachic) - the zone from the surface to a depth of 21 inches (A1, A2 and Bt horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 13 to 21 inches (Bt horizon)
Paralithic contact - the boundary at 39 inches (Cr horizon)