LOCATION ALDING OR

Established Series
Rev. ED/AON
03/2013

ALDING SERIES

The Alding series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in colluvium weathered from metavolcanic rocks with an influence of ash in the surface. Alding soils are on hills with slopes of 2 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 20 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 42 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, frigid Lithic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Alding gravelly ashy loam - forested, on a 26 percent, northwest facing slope at an elevation of 4,720 feet. (When described on May 17, 1973, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly ashy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; few fine and very fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)

2Bt1--5 to 10 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on ped faces; 15 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)

2Bt2--10 to 16 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on ped faces; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

2R--16 inches; fractured metavolcanic bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Oregon; about 3 miles south of U.S. 26 on Pine Creek Road and about 1.5 miles along Forest Service Road 1430, 50 feet east of road in SW1/4 NE1/4 sec. 12, T.14S., R.32E. Latitude - 44 degrees, 22 minutes, 24 seconds North; Longitude - 118 degrees, 48 minutes, 56 seconds West.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. A lithic contact of metavolcanic bedrock is at depths of 10 to 20 inches. Rock fragments in the solum average 20 to 35 percent and are mostly gravel. The soil is dry for 60 to 80 consecutive days after the summer solstice. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick and includes all or part of the 2Bt. Base saturation is over 75 percent throughout the solum.

The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 [SW1]moist and dry. It is loam with 15 to 27 percent clay. It has 10 to 20 percent glass and aluminum plus half the iron is 0.20 to 0.40 percent (Vitrandic). It has 0 to 3 percent cobbles and 20 to 35 percent gravel.

The 2Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 to 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is clay loam or clay with 35 to 60 percent clay. It has 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 15 to 25 percent gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crocan, Madeline, Merlin, Millich and Ninemile series. Crocan, Madeline and Ninemile soils have an aridic soil moisture regime. Merlin and Millich soils lack the surface layer vitrandic feature.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Alding soils are on hills at elevations of 3,400 to 5,500 feet but can range to 6,600 feet on south slopes. Slopes are 2 to 70 percent. They formed in colluvium weathered from metavolcanic rocks with an influence of ash on the surface. The climate can be characterized by cold wet winters and hot, dry summers. Mean annual precipitation of 17 to 24 inches. Mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F.; mean July temperature is about 58 degrees F.; and mean January temperature is about 28 degrees F. The frost-free period is 30 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hankins, McGarr Ruddley and Lemonex soils. Hankins soils are deeper than 40 inches to bedrock. McGarr soils have fine-loamy control sections and are 20 to 40 inches deep over bedrock. Ruddley soils have fine-loamy control sections and have a paralithic contact at depths of 12 to 20 inches. Lemonex soils are over serpentine bedrock and have magnesic mineralogy.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production and livestock grazing. Overstory consists of ponderosa pine, juniper and mountain-mahogany. The understory is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass and Sandberg bluegrass. The soil is in the "dry" ponderosa pine forest plant community group.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Oregon. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 10.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grant County, Oregon, l975.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:

Mollic epipedon- from 0 to 16 inches.
Argillic horizon - from 5 to 16 inches.
Pale feature - there is a 20 percent or more absolute increase in clay between the A and 2Bt horizon.
Vitrandic - the A horizon meets Vitrandic subgroup criteria.

Xeric moisture regime

ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon S97OR-023-008 is from the series type location.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.