LOCATION BONEPILE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, glassy, frigid Typic Haploxerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Bonepile gravelly medial loam, on a west facing 5 percent slope under a cover of planted ponderosa pine at an elevation of 5140 feet, (1567 m). When described on 9/23/97 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inches, (0 to 3 cm); needle and leaf litter.
A1--1 to 3 inches, (3 to 8 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; 18 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 15 percent subangular gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.3 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.5; gradual smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 9 inches, (8 to 23 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) cobbly medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; 15 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 15 percent subangular gravel and 15 percent subangular cobbles; strongly acid, pH 5.1 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 11.0; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 3 to 9 inches, (8 to 23 cm) thick).
Bw1--9 to 18 inches, (23 to 46 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 16 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 30 percent subangular gravel; very strongly acid, pH 5.0 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.9; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--18 to 30 inches, (46 to 76 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 16 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine and medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 25 percent subangular gravel and 10 percent subangular cobbles; very strongly acid, pH 4.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.7; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 6 to 30 inches, (15 to 76 cm) thick).
2Bw3--30 to 44 inches, (76 to 112 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 23 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 30 percent subangular gravel and 10 percent subangular cobbles and 10 percent subangular boulders; very strongly acid, pH 4.8 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.4; gradual smooth boundary. (14 to 36 inches, (36 to 91 cm) thick)
2Cr--44 inches, (112 cm); very weakly cemented andesite; roots are more than 4 inches, (10 cm) apart.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 3 miles north of Inskip, approximately 600 feet north and 1200 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 9, Township 25 N., Range 4 E.; 40 degrees, 1 minutes, 57 seconds, North latitude and 121 degrees, 31 minutes, 35.3 seconds West longitude, NAD83. U.S.G.S. Quad: Butte Meadows, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to paralithic bedrock is 40 to 60 inches, (102 to 152 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 47 degrees F, (5 to 8 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about July to about October (about 90 days). The particle-size control section averages 10 to 20 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel in the upper part and 12 to 25 percent clay and 35 to 50 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel in the lower part. Mineralogy is glassy. Acid Oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe ranges from 2.0 to 2.75 to a depth of 30 inches, (76 cm). CEC by ammonium acetate ranges from 35.5 in the A1 to 16.4 in the 2Bw3. P retention ranges from 92 to 98 between 1 and 30 inches, (2.5 to 76 cm). Rock fragments on the surface range from 5 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 30 percent stones and 0 to 30 percent boulders.
The A horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 5/2, 5/3, 10YR 4/2, 5/2 or 5/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 5YR 3/2, 3/3 or 10YR 2/2. Texture is gravelly medial loam, gravelly medial sandy loam, or gravelly medial fine sandy loam or their cobbly equivalents. Clay content ranges from 10 to 20 percent. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones. Organic matter ranges from 10 to 15 percent. NaF pH ranges from 10 to 11.5. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The upper part of the Bw horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/3 or 5/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/3, 3/4, 5YR 3/4 or 4/3. Texture is gravelly medial loam, gravelly medial sandy loam, gravelly medial fine sandy loam or very gravelly medial sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 10 to 20 percent. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones. Organic matter ranges from 5 to 10 percent. NaF pH ranges from 10.5 to 11.5. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The lower part of the Bw horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 10YR 5/4 or 4/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/4, 4/3 or 10YR 4/4. Texture is gravelly medial sandy loam, gravelly medial fine sandy loam, gravelly medial loam or very gravelly medial loam or their cobbly equivalents. Clay content ranges from 12 to 20 percent. Rock fragments range from 20 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones. Organic matter ranges from 3 to 5 percent. NaF pH ranges from 10.0 to 11.0. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid.
The 2Bw horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/4, 5/3, 5/4, 5/6, 6/3, 6/4, 6/6, 7/6, 5YR 5/3 or 4/6. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4, 5YR 4/3, 4/4 or 4/6. Texture is gravelly medial loam, gravelly medial sandy loam, very gravelly medial loam, very gravelly medial sandy loam, or extremely gravelly medial sandy loam or their cobbly equivalents. Clay content ranges from 15 to 25 percent. Rock fragments range from 15 to 70 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles and 0 to 20 percent stones. Organic matter ranges from 0.5 to 3 percent. NaF pH ranges from 9.0 to 10.5. Reaction ranges from extremely acid to strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fons and Powderhouse series. Fons soils lack a paralithic contact and formed in ash over cinders on side slopes of cinder cones. Powderhouse soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bonepile soils are on volcanic ridge tops in Cascade mountains. Slopes range from 2 to 30 percent. These soils formed in tephra over residuum weathered from volcanic rocks. Elevation is 3320 to 5660 feet, (1012 to 1725 m). The mean annual precipitation is 70 to 80 inches, (1778 to 2032 mm). The mean annual temperature is 49 to 52 degrees F, (9 to 11 degrees C). Frost free season is 100 to 145 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beecee and Lydon soils. Beecee soils are on back slopes and are very deep. Lydon soils are on ridge tops and side slopes and are moderately deep to a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; moderate to moderately rapid saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is white fir, ponderosa pine, California black oak, sugar pine, incense cedar, Douglas-fir, greenleaf manzanita, whitethorn ceanothus, Sierra chinquapin, brackenfern, California needlegrass, Sierra gooseberry, whitevein shinleaf and common snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occurs in the M261Dm (Lassen-Almanor) subsection of the M261D (Southern Cascade) section. MLRA 22B - Southern Cascade Mountains. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 1 to 9 inches, (3 to 23 cm). (A1, A2)
Cambic horizon - zone from 9 to 44 inches, (23 to 112 cm). (Bw1, Bw2, 2Bw3)
Paralithic contact - at 44 inches, (112 cm).
Andic soil properties - 1 to 44 inches, (3 to 112 cm). (A1, A2, Bw1, Bw2, 2Bw3)
Glass content ranges from 22 to 49 percent throughout.
Lithic discontinuity at 30 inches, (76 cm).
Particle-size control section - zone from 1 to 41 inches, (3 to 104 cm).
The soil moisture control section - zone from 11 to 34 inches, (28 to 86 cm).
Bulk density is assumed to be 0.9 g/cc or less to a depth of 30 inches, (76 cm).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference samples from lab pedon number: 97P0308 NSSL, Lincoln, NE.