LOCATION AUBELL CA
Established Series
Rev: ACF/JPS/ET/SAA
07/2016
AUBELL SERIES
The Aubell series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Aubell soils are on fan remnants and have slopes of 0 to 9 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1780 millimeters (70 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, mesic Oxyaquic Humudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Aubell clay loam - on a slightly convex, south-facing slope of 4 percent under sweet vernal grass, velvet grass, orchard grass, with small Douglas-fir and cascara at 30 meters (100 feet) elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described on June 15, 2005, the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap1--0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches); very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky and moderated medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular and common very fine, fine and medium irregular pores; 1 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary.
Ap2--10 to 26 centimeters (4 to 10 inches); very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; strong very fine, weak fine subangular blocky and moderated medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular and common very fine and fine irregular pores; 1 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Ap horizons is 20 to 50 centimeters)
Bw1--26 to 41 centimeters (10 to 16 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and common very fine irregular pores; few fine prominent masses of iron accumulations in matrix, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; 3 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--41 to 58 centimeters (16 to 23 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and common very fine irregular pores; common fine prominent masses of iron accumulations in matrix, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; 3 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary.
Bw3--58 to 69 centimeters (23 to 27 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and common very fine irregular pores; common fine prominent masses of iron accumulations in matrix, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and few fine prominent masses of manganese accumulations in matrix, black (N 2.5/) moist; 3 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 15 to 50 centimeters)
C1--69 to 100 centimeters (27 to 39 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) silty clay loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) dry; massive; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; moderately few very fine, roots; common very fine tubular and very fine irregular pores; many fine and medium prominent masses of iron accumulations in matrix, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and many fine and medium distinct iron depletions in matrix, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; 3 percent gravel, 1 percent paragravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.
C2--100 to 152 centimeters (39 to 60 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine irregular pores; common fine prominent masses of iron accumulations in matrix, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and common fine distinct iron depletions in matrix, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; 50 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0). (combined thickness of the C horizons is 75 to 100 centimeters)
TYPE LOCATION: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte County, California; East of Aubell Road at North Operations Center;
WGS84 Decimal degrees 41.7814722 latitude and -124.1489444 longitude; HBLM; USGS Crescent City Quadrangle. UTM Zone 10 404762mE 4624753mN; NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: The soil is usually moist in all parts in the soil moisture control section from about November 1 to July 15, and is dry in all parts from about September 10 to October 15 in most years. The soils have an udic moisture regime and an oxyaquic subclass regime. A seasonal water table is present for 20 or more consecutive days or 30 or more cumulative days in most years within the zone from 26 to 100 centimeters (10 to 39 inches).
Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature is 10 to 15 degrees C (50 to 59 degrees F). The difference between mean summer and mean winter temperature is 6 to 10 degrees C.
The umbric epipedon is 20 to 50 centimeters thick.
Depth to Redoximorphic features is 25 to 100 centimeters.
Particle-Size Control Section (weighted average):
Rock fragments: 0 to 7 percent gravel.
Clay content: 35 to 40 percent clay.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 through 3 dry and moist
Texture of fine earth: clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 7 percent gravel
Clay content: 27 to 30 percent clay
Reaction: is strongly acid
Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry and moist
Texture of fine earth: clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 12 percent gravel
Clay content: 35 to 40 percent clay
Reaction: strongly acid
Redoximorphic features:
Amount: few to many
Kind: masses of iron and manganese, and iron depletions
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y, or N
Value: 2.5 through 5 moist
Chroma: / through 8 moist
C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry and moist
Texture of fine earth: clay loam, clay, or silty clay loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent gravel
Clay content: 30 to 45 percent clay
Reaction: moderately to very strongly acid
Redoximorphic features:
Amount: few to many
Kind: masses of iron and manganese, and iron depletions
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y, or N
Value: 2.5 through 5 moist.
Chroma: / through 8 moist.
COMPETING SERIES: At this time there are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Aubell soils are dissected fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 9 percent. Elevations are 3 to 55 meters (10 to 180 feet). The soils formed in alluvium from mixed sources. The climate is humid with cool, foggy summers and cool, rainy winters. Mean annual precipitation is 1520 to 2030 millimeters (60 to 80 inches). Mean January temperature is about 8 degrees C; mean July temperature is about 14 degree C; and the mean annual temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 55 degrees F). Frost free season is about 275 to 325 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Endoaquepts,
Sasquatch, and
Talawa soils. Endoaquepts are poorly to very poorly drained. Sasquatch soils are fine-loamy and well drained. Talawa soils are coarse-loamy. Endoaquepts are on floodplains. Sasquatch soils are on lower hillslopes underlain by greywacke and mudstone. The Talawa soils are on uniform dissected marine terrace remnants.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained; high runoff; saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low to moderately high. Aquic conditions for 20 or more consecutive days or 30 or more cumulative days in most years within the zone from 26 to 100 centimeters.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil has been used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and watershed. The existing vegetation is sweet vernal grass, velvet grass, orchard grass and other annual and perennial grasses and forbs. Invasion by Himalayan blackberry, Douglas-Fir, and cascara. Succession to forest is in progress.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: California Coastal Redwood Belt; MLRA 4B. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Redwood National Park portion, Humboldt and Del Norte Area Soil Survey, California, 2005. The source of the name is from the Aubell North Operations Center of Redwood National & State Parks.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Umbric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 26 centimeters (Ap1 & Ap2 horizon)
2. Cambic horizon - the zone from 26 to 69 centimeters (Bw1, Bw2 & Bw3 horizons)
3. Redoximorphic features - in the zone from 26 to 152 centimeters (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, C1 & C2 horizons)
4. Particle-size control section - the zone from 25 to 100 centimeters, averages 37 percent clay, by field estimate, and 3 percent rock fragments, by volume. CEC/clay ratio is estimated to be superactive
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Soil classification updated from 10th edition Dystrudepts to Humudepts using the 11th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.
Soil last classified using 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.
NASIS User Pedon ID: 05-CA605-081
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.