LOCATION BEHEMOTOSH CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Behemotosh gravelly loam, forested. (Colors for dry conditions unless otherwise noted).
O--1/2 to 0 inches; litter from conifers and oaks.
A11--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly light loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; plentiful very fine roots; common very fine random, open, interstitial pores between peds; very few thin clay films; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A12--2 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly light loam, dark brown (7.5R 4/4) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; plentiful very fine and fine roots; common very fine random, open interstitial pores between peds; very few, thin clay films; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
B1t--4 to 16 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; plentiful fine and medium roots; common very fine random, open, interstitial pores; common thin clay films on ped faces and in pores; strongly acid (pH 5.4); diffuse irregular boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
B2t--16 to 24 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) very cobbly light clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak fine to medium blocky subangular structure; hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; few moderately thick, common thin clay films on ped faces and in pores; moderately acid (pH 5.6); diffuse irregular boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
CR--24+ inches; rhyolite stones with a small amount of soil and with very few very fine to fine, and plentiful medium roots.
TYPE LOCATION: In Shasta County, California, about 1/2 mile southwest of Iron Mountain Mine near the south line of section 34, T. 33 N., R. 6 W. On South Fork Mountain Road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 20 to 33 inches to the bottom of the Bt horizon and mean annual soil temperature ranges from 54 to 59 degrees F.
The A horizon colors are grayish brown to light brownish gray dry in 7.5YR and 10YR hues and have values of 5 and 6 dry and 3 and 4 moist. Chromas are 2, 3 and 4 moist and 2 or 3 dry. Texture ranges from gravelly sandy loam to loam, structure from weak granular to moderate subangular blocky, and reaction from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The B1 horizon colors are very pale brown dry and brown moist. Hues are 10YR dry and 7.5YR moist with values of 7 dry and 5 moist and chromas of 3 and 4 dry and 4 to 6 moist. Textures are similar to the A horizon.
The B2t horizon colors are reddish yellow, strong brown and brownish yellow in 7.5YR and 10YR hues with values of 7 and 6 dry and 5 and 6 moist. Chromas are 6 to 8 both dry and moist. Texture ranges from very cobbly or very gravelly loam or clay loam; and in reaction from strongly acid to moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Diamond Springs, Kanaka, Lyonsville and Neuns soils. The Diamond Springs soils have very pale brown, very strongly acid, heavy clay loam Bt horizons. The Kanaka soils lack Bt horizons. The Lyonsville soils are frigid and have very strongly acid lower Bt horizons. The Neuns soils lack Bt horizons and have dark brown A horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Behemotosh soils occur on sloping to very steep uplands under conifers, oaks, and shrubs. Underlying rocks are light-colored metavolcanics. The soils occur at elevations of about 1,500 to 3,000 feet in a moist humid mesothermal climate with mean annual rainfall of 45 to 60 inches with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual temperature is about 57 degrees F, average January temperature about 39 degrees F, and average July temperature about 75 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: Behemotosh soils occur in the same general area as the Auburn, Boomer, Kidd, Neuns and Goulding soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately slow permeability, runoff is medium to rapid and erosion hazard is moderate to high.
USE AND VEGETATION: Watershed and forest. Natural vegetation is Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, knobcone pine, black oak, canyon oak and manzanita.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Shasta County, California. Soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES PROPOSED: Shasta Area, California, 1965. Name from Behemotosh Mountain, Shasta County.
REMARKS: The Behemotosh series was formerly classified in the Yellowish Brown Lateritic Group. The soils have very cobbly argillic horizons, ochric epipedons, and R layers at moderate depths.
This OSD was entered into the Ames data base on 01/2000. Only the format was adjusted to fit current standards. Competing series were not revised.