LOCATION ASHBUTTE CAEstablished Series
The Ashbutte series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in tephra from cinder cone volcanoes. Ashbutte soils are on cinder cone volcanoes in the Southern Cascade mountains. Slopes range from 15 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 51 inches (1295 mm) and the mean annual temperature is about 41 degrees F (5 degrees C).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over medial-skeletal, amorphic, frigid Typic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Ashbutte very gravelly ashy coarse sand, on a south facing (193 degrees) slope of 54 percent, under a cover of California red fir, Jeffrey pine, bush chinquapin and snowbrush ceanothus at an elevation of 7567 feet, (2306 m). When described on 8/16/06, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches (0 to 5 cm); slightly decomposed fir needles and twig litter; few very fine roots; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm) thick)
A1--2 to 6 inches (5 to 14 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly ashy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and few coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 20 percent subangular fine gravel and 20 percent subangular medium and coarse gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.6 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 10.4; abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 11 inches (14 to 28 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly ashy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine, many medium, and few coarse and very coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 11 percent subangular fine gravel and 14 percent subangular medium and coarse gravel; neutral, pH 6.8 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 11.4; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 4 to 9 inches, (11 to 23 cm) thick)
C1--11 to 15 inches (28 to 39 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly ashy loamy coarse sand, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine, many medium, few coarse, and many very coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 14 percent subangular fine gravel and 11 percent subangular medium and coarse gravel; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 11.0; clear smooth boundary.
C2--15 to 24 inches (39 to 60 cm); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly ashy loamy coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine, common medium and coarse, and many very coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; and 11 percent subangular fine gravel, 11 percent subangular medium and coarse gravel and 10 percent subangular cobbles; neutral, pH 7.2 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 11.3; abrupt smooth boundary.
C3--24 to 36 inches (60 to 92 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely cobbly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 2 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine, common fine and medium, many coarse and common very coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 7 percent subangular fine gravel, 35 percent subangular medium and coarse gravel and 30 percent subangular cobbles; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 11.3; clear smooth boundary.
C4--36 to 60 inches (92 to 152 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravel, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine, common fine and medium and many coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 5 percent subangular fine gravel, 63 percent subangular medium and coarse gravel and 30 percent subangular cobbles; neutral, pH 6.9 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 11.5. (Combined thickness of the C horizon is 49 to 56 inches (125 to 142 cm) or more thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Lassen County California, about .38 miles south southeast of the summit of Red Cinder Cone, approximately 1,300 feet east and 700 feet north of the center of sec. 1, T.30 N, R.6 E, 40 degrees, 29 minutes, 29 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees, 15 minutes, 23 seconds west longitude, NAD83; USGS Quad: Mount Harkness, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to restrictive feature: bedrock more than 60 inches (152 cm).
Mean annual soil temperature: 42 to 44 degrees F (5.5 to 7 degrees C)
Soil moisture control section is dry: July to October (about 90 days).
Particle-size control section: ashy part, 1 percent clay, 32 percent rock fragments, sandy-skeletal part, 2 percent clay, 72 percent rock fragments, mainly cinders.
Surface fragments: 5 to 80 percent gravel, 0 to 50 percent cobbles and 0 to 20 percent stones.
A horizon:
Color dry: 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/3, 6/4, 2.5Y 5/3
Color moist: 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/2, 4/3, 7.5YR 4/3
Texture: gravelly ashy loamy sand, very gravelly ashy loamy sand, very gravelly ashy loamy coarse sand, gravelly ashy coarse sand, very gravelly ashy coarse sand
Clay content: 1 to 3 percent
Rock fragments: 11 to 30 percent fine gravel, 8 to 25 percent medium and coarse gravel, 25 to 50 percent total gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 25 to 50 percent total rock fragments
Organic matter: 4 to 5 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.95 to 1.3
P retention: 30 to 45
Glass content: 6 to 10 percent
NaF pH: 10.5 to 11.0
Soil reaction: neutral
Upper C horizon:
Color dry: 10YR 4/4, 5/4, 6/6, 7.5YR 5/4
Color moist: 10YR 3/3, 4/4, 7.5YR 3/3, 4/4
Texture: gravelly ashy loamy coarse sand, extremely gravelly ashy loamy sand, extremely gravelly ashy loamy coarse sand, extremely gravelly ashy coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 1 to 3 percent
Rock fragments: 11 to 30 percent fine gravel, 11 to 50 percent medium and coarse gravel, 20 to 80 percent total gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 20 to 80 percent total rock fragments
Organic matter: 2 to 3.5 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 1.5 to 2.25
P retention: 55 to 70
Glass content: 6 to 12 percent
NaF pH: 10.3 to 11.3
Soil reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
Lower C horizon:
Color dry: 10YR 2/2, 5/4, 5/6, 6/6, 2.5Y 4/1, 7/4, 8/6, 7.5YR 5/4, 7/6
Color moist: 7.5YR 2.5/1, 3/4, 4/4, 4/6, 5/3, 5/8, 10YR 3/2, 4/4, 2.5Y 4/2, 4/3, 5YR 3/4
Texture: extremely cobbly sandy loam, extremely gravelly coarse sand, gravel
Clay content: 0 to 3 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 40 percent fine gravel, 28 to 63 percent medium and coarse gravel, 40 to 80 percent total gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones, 60 to 98 percent total rock fragments
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 3.5 to 4.7
P retention: 65 to 90
Glass content: 2 to 5 percent
NaF pH: 9.8 to 11.5
Soil reaction: neutral
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ashbutte soils are on cinder cones in the Southern Cascade mountains. Slopes are 15 to 70 percent. These soils formed in tephra. Elevation is 6526 to 7600 feet (1989 to 2316 m). Mean annual precipitation is 27 to 57 inches (686 to 1448 mm). The mean annual temperature is 41 to 42 degrees F (5 to 6 degrees C). Frost free season is 50 to 85 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Scoured and Buttelake soils. The Scoured soils are moderately deep to lithic bedrock and occur on glaciated headlands. The Buttelake soils are deep to dense glacial till and occur on moraines.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very rapid saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for wildlife habitat, recreation, ecosystem management and watershed. Vegetation is California red fir, Jeffrey pine, white fir, bush chinquapin, snowbrush ceanothus, greenleaf manzanita and buckwheat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The soils are inextensive and are mapped in MLRA: 22B, Southern Cascade Mountains
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: 2009 Lassen County, California. Source of name from Ash Butte.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon 2 to 11 inches (5 to 28 cm)
Andic soil properties: 15 to 24 inches (39 to 60 cm)
Particle-size control section: 2 to 41 inches. (5 to 105 cm)
Soil moisture control section: 18 to greater than 60 inches (45 to greater than 152 cm)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data from lab pedon user pedon id S08CA035201; pedon number 08N0483, NSSL Lincoln NE. NASIS User Pedon ID in Davis, MLRA Office: 789201.