LOCATION ALBUS CA
Established Series
Rev. AMP/SRM/TDC
04/2023
ALBUS SERIES
The Albus series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in material weathered from mica schist. Albus soils are on mountain sideslopes and have slopes of 30 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 60 inches and the mean annual temperature is 48 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, micaceous, frigid Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Albus gravelly loam - on a south facing convex slope of 40 percent under white fir at 4,560 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on May 22, 1979, the soil was moist throughout).
Oi--0 to 1 cm; fresh and decomposing needle litter.
A--1 to 21 cm; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) gravelly loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); diffuse wavy boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)
BAt--21 to 37 cm; pale olive (5Y 6/3) heavy loam , olive (5Y 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slight;y plastic; common fine, many medium, few coarse roots; few thin clay films on peds; 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); diffuse wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)
Bt1--37 to 67 cm; pale yellow (5Y 7/3) very cobbly clay loam, olive (5Y 4/4) moist; moderate fine to medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds; 25 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear way boundary. (20 to 41 cm thick)
Bt2--67 to 90 cm; light gray (5Y 7/2) very cobbly clay loam, olive (5Y 4/4) moist; moderate fine to medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, sticky and plastic, few fine and medium roots; many moderate thick clay films on peds; 25 percent pebbles; 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (38 to 64 cm thick)
BCt--90 to 113 cm; pale yellow (5Y 8/3) gravelly silt loam, olive yellow (5Y 6/6) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure to massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky plastic; few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds; 30 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); diffuse wavy boundary. (28 to 64 cm thick)
C--113 to 153 cm; white (5Y 8/1) gravelly silt loam, pale olive (5Y 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6).
TYPICAL LOCATION: Trinity County, California; on South Fork Mountain, on Forest Service Road 2SO2 approximately .6 mile west of Cedar Gap junction, pit is 50 feet upslope from road; SE1/4, SE1/4, sec. 29, T. 28 N., R. 12 W., MDB&M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to micaceous schist ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. The mean annual temperature is estimated to be less than 47 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature is estimated to be 48 degrees to 50 degrees F. The soil between the depths of 20 to 61 cmis usually dry in all parts from mid-June to mid-October and moist in all parts from November to April. The base saturation be Hach kit, is about 40 to 50 percent in the upper 76 cm of the argillic horizon.
The A horizon is 2.5Y 6/2; 5Y 6/2; 10yr 6/2,6/3, 7/2. Moist colors are 2.5Y 3/2; 5Y 3/2, 4/2; 10YR 3/2, 4/3. Where colors are dark, the horizon is too thin to be mollic. It is loam or silt loam and may be modified by gravel with 18 to 25 percent clay and 0 to 25 percent gravel. It is neutral to moderately acid.
The B2t horizon is 2.5Y 7/2. 7/4; 5Y 7/2, 7/3, 7/4. Moist colors are 2.5Y 4/4, 4/5, 6/6. It is clay loam or silty clay loam with 30 to 35 percent clay and 25 to 50 percent gravel and 10 to 25 percent cobbles. It is slightly or moderately acid.
The C horizon is 2.5Y 7/2, 8/1; 5Y 7/2, 8/1. Moist colors are 2.5Y 5/2. 6/4; 5Y 5/3, 6/3. It is silt loam, silty clay loam or silty clay with 15 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: See Remarks
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Albus soils are on mountain sideslopes. Slopes are 35 to 75 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from micaceous schist. Elevations are 4,500 to 5,800 feet. The climate is subhumid mesothermal with warm dry summers and cool wet winters. Mean annual precipitation varies from 54 to 64 inches. Mean January temperature is 36 degrees F, mean July temperature is 65 degrees F, and mean annual temperature is 48 degrees F. Frost-free season is estimated to be 100 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: See Remarks.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE OF VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber productions and watershed. Native vegetation is white fir.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern California. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Trinity County, California, 1981, Six Rivers National Forest. Source of name Alba is Spanish for white, and white fir predominated in the vegetative cover.
REMARKS: The mineralogy is assumed to be micaceous; all horizons contain visible flecks of mica and exhibit a greasy feel, characteristic of the mineral; specific data needed. Moisture and temperature data are also needed. The argillic horizon in pedon description begins at 37 cm. This series was established to identify and map a new family in a survey area that classified soil map unit components only to the family level.
Last revised by the state on 6/81.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.