LOCATION ALAE HI

Established Series
Rev. CWS/SN/HI/JVP/MK
09/2019

ALAE SERIES

The Alae series consists of deep, excessively drained soils that formed in material weathered from alluvium from volcanic ash. Alae soils are on alluvial fans and have slopes of 0 to 7 percent. The mean annual precipitation (MAP) is about 431 millimeters (17 inches), and the mean annual air temperature (MAAT) is about 23 degrees C. (74 degrees F.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, isohyperthermic Ustic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Alae cobbly sandy loam--pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)

A1--0 to 5 centimeter (0 to 2 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) cobbly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many fine pores; many ash particles up to 2 millimeters in diameter that do not break down on continued rubbing; 20 percent subangular 'a'a gravel and 14 percent subangular 'a'a cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)

A2--5 to 18 centimeters (2 to 7 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; many ash particles up to 2 millimeters in diameter that do not break down on continued rubbing; a few thin layers of yellowish red (5YR 4/6) slightly decomposed volcanic cinders (0.15 to l millimeters); slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

CB--18 to 36 centimeters (7 to 14 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine pores; many ash particles up to 2 millimeters in diameter that do not break down on continued rubbing; slight effervescence with hydrochloric acid; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches)

2Bk1--36 to 74 centimeters (14 to 29 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) gravelly coarse and very coarse sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; single grained; loose; many ash particles up to 2 millimeters in diameter; 20 percent subangular 'a'a gravel-size fragments of basalt; violent effervescence with hydrochloric acid; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)

2Bk2--74 to 140 centimeters (29 to 55 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly, very coarse sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; single grained; loose; 35 percent subangular 'a'a gravel and 15 percent subangular 'a'a cobbles; many volcanic ash particles up to 2 millimeters in diameter; strong effervescence with hydrochloric acid; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Island of Maui, Maui County, Hawaii; about 1,500 feet northeast of village 13 and 100 feet southeast of Upper Kihei Road in Pulehu Gulch between fields 808 and 809 of the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company plantation; Paia Quadrangle; lat. 20 degrees 50 minutes 11.34 seconds N. and long. 156 degrees 26 minutes 1.23 seconds W. (WGS84 Datum).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual air temperature (MAAT) is about 23 degrees C. (74 degrees F.); average January temperature is 22 degrees C. (72 degrees F.), average July temperature is 24 degrees (76 degrees F.) The differences between the summer and winter temperatures is less than 6 degrees C. (11 degrees F.) These soils are more than 60 inches deep. Gravel and cobbles in the surface layer range from 5 to 35 percent. The control section ranges from coarse sand to very coarse sand and rock fragment average 30 to 45 percent.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 through 3 moist or dry. It is cobbly sandy loam or gravely sand loam. It average 70 to 100 percent sand, and 5 to 35 percent gravel or cobble. It has weak fine granular structure and is friable or very friable. It ranges from pH 6.8 to 7.4.

The B horizon has hue 10YR, value of 3 through 5 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 through 3 moist or dry. It can be stratified and has textures of sandy loam, coarse sand and very coarse sand. A few volcanic ash bands l/4 to 3/4 inch in thickness are present in the B horizon in some pedons. It ranges from pH 7.4 to 8.2.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Alae soils are near intermittent streams on alluvial fans. Slopes range from 0 to 7 percent. Elevation ranges from 16 to 68 meters (52to 223 feet). The soils formed in alluvium from volcanic ash and basalt. Mean annual air temperature (MAAT) is about 23 degrees C. (74 degrees F.); average January temperature is 22 degrees C. (72 degrees F.), average July temperature is 24 degrees C. (76 degrees F.). Mean annual precipitation is 366 to 484 millimeters (14 to 19 inches).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jaucas, Pulehu and Waiakoa soils. Jaucas soils do not have a calcic horizon in the control section. Pulehu soils have a fine-loamy control section. Waiakoa soils have a fine control section and hue of 5YR or redder.

DRAINAGE AND SATTURATED HYDRAYLIC CONDUCTIVITY: Excessively drained; high saturated hydraulic conductivity; slow runoff.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for dryland pasture;in the past small areas were used for irrigated sugarcane. Vegetation is feather fingergrass (Chloris virgata), kiawe (Prosopis pallida), and uhaloa (Waltheria indica).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Island of Maui, Maui County, Hawaii. MLRA 158 and MLRA 163.Central and western areas on the island of Maui, Hawaii. This series is small extent or not extensive, with a total of approximately 2,058 acres.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Island of Maui, Maui County, Hawaii, 1958.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: the zone from a depth of 0 to 5 centimeters (A1).
Calcic Horizon: the zone from a depth of 36 to 140 centimeters (2Bk1 and 2Bk2).
Lithologic Discontinuities: the zone from a depth 36 to 140 centimeters (CB, 2Bk1, and 2Bk2).
Particle size control section- the zone from 25 to 100 cm (CB, 2Bk1, and 2Bk2).

FCC Classification: Ld+ekx-.

Edit Log: 12/03 SN. Horizon designations updated, plus minor edits.
2/01 SN. Classification changed from Medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal, glassy, isohyperthermic Typic Vitritorrands.

4/19 JVP. The taxonomic class was changed from Medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal, amorphic over mixed, ishohyperthermic Typic VItritorrands to Sandy-skeletal, mixed, ishohyperthermic Ustic Haplocalcids.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.