LOCATION AMBROSIA CA
Established Series
REV: CAH/PBF/ET
04/2015
AMBROSIA SERIES
The Ambrosia series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in dominantly granitic alluvium. The Ambrosia soils are on alluvial fans and fan remnants. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 5 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 66 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, thermic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: On Garlock-Arizo-Ambrosia complex, 2 to 8 percent slopes at an elevation of 2,950 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by 50 percent gravel.
A -- 0 to 2 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores and many very fine interstitial pores; noneffervescent; 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
AB -- 2 to 4 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate, medium subangular blocky structure; loose, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout and few medium and coarse in cracks; common very fine and fine tubular pores and many very fine interstitial pores; noneffervescent; 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 2 to 16 inches.)
Btk -- 4 to 31 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate, medium subangular blocky structure; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few medium roots throughout; few fine and many very fine interstitial pores; very few thin clay films on faces of peds; slightly effervescent with disseminated lime throughout (calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 percent); 26 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary.
Bk -- 31 to 39 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate, medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, calcium carbonate disseminated and segregated with thin strata 2 to 3 inches wide (calcium carbonate equivalent of 6 percent); 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the B horizon is 28 to 46 inches)
Ck -- 39 to 53 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; loose, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent with disseminated calcium carbonate (calcium carbonate equivalent of 6 percent); 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear irregular boundary. (14 to 20 inches thick)
C1 -- 53 to 66 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) gravelly sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores; noneffervescent; 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear irregular boundary.
C2 -- 66 to 80 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very gravelly sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; loose, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores; noneffervescent; 40 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3). (Combined thickness of the C1 and C2 horizons is greater than 25 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 1,950 feet west and 600 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 29, T. 13 N., R. 12 E., 35 degrees 12 minutes 14 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees 47 minutes 19 seconds west longitude, Paradise Range quadrangle. UTM: 11S, 0519114e 3894654n
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.
Surface rock fragments: 15 to 80 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent stones.
Soil temperature: 63 to 72 degrees F.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent
Depth to a calcic horizon: 2 to 16 inches.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth: coarse sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 55 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
B horizon
Value: 4 to 8 dry and 4 to 7 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 moist or dry
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 30 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
C horizon
Value: 4 to 8 dry and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist
Texture of the fine earth: sand or loamy sand
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 45 percent gravel
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 10 percent in upper part and 0 to 5 in the lower part
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Arada,
Edalph,
Knob Hill,
Lovelace, and
Rilloso series. Arada, Edalph and Lovelace soils have less than 15 percent coarse fragments in the control section. In addition Edalph soils have silica accumulations within the control section. Knob Hill soils have calcic horizons between 16 and 24 inches. Rilloso soils are moist in some part of the moisture control section for greater than 20 days, cumulative, between June and September.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ambrosia soils are on alluvial fans. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The soils formed in material from dominantly granitic sources. Elevations are 2,100 to 3,400 feet. The climate is arid, with hot, dry summers and cool winters. Most precipitation comes in the winter but in some areas it is sporadic. The mean annual precipitation is 3 to 7 inches. The mean annual temperature is 61 to 70 degrees F. Mean July temperature is about 78 degrees F., and mean January temperature is about 42 degrees F. The frost-free season is 240 to 340 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Arizo, and
Garlock soils. Arizo soils have a sandy particle size control section and are on broad inset fans. Garlock soils are fine-loamy and are found on similar landscape positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low or low runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the surface layer and very rapid permeability below.
USE AND VEGETATION: Ambrosia soils are used for military exercises and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is creosotebush, white bursage, range ratany and desert needlegrass
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Fort Irwin Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is coined.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 4 inches (A horizon)
2. Calcic horizon -- 4 to 53 inches (Btk, Bk, and Ck horizons)
3. Particle-size control section -- 10 to 40 inches (parts of the Btk, Bk, and Ck horizons)
Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/2000. ET
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.