LOCATION BRANDENBERRY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic Eutric Pachic Fulvicryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Brandenberry extremely gravelly medial sandy loam-forestland, on a 62 percent northwesterly aspect at an elevation of 2,710 feet in a Pacific silver fir/devil's club plant association. (When described on April 22, 1994, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless
otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and cone fragments; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A--2 to 7 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) dry; weak very fine and fine granular and weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slight hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic, weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 55 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 14 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--14 to 23 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--23 to 32 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) extremely gravelly medial loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 14 to 26 inches thick.)
Bh--32 to 36 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
R--36 inches; fractured hard metavolcanic rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Clallam County, Washington, about 2/3 mile east of Snider Peak, about 1,320 feet east and 2,555 feet south of the northwest corner of Section 22, T. 30 N., R. 11 W. (Latitude 48 degrees, 04 minutes,54 seconds N., Longitude 124 degrees, 06 minutes, 26 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. Mean winter soil temperature is 37 to 41 degrees F. These soils are usually moist and have a surplus of available water on a monthly basis throughout the year; perudic moisture regime. Depth to bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the bedrock contact has andic soil properties and 50 to 90 percent rock fragments by volume. The andic soil material has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.30 to 0.70 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 3 percent, phosphate retention of 85 to 100 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 20 to 50 percent for air dried samples. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 1.5 to 3.0 percent. The umbric epipedon is 15 to 25 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry and value and chroma of 2 or 3 moist. Reaction is very strongly or strongly acid. It has 20 to 40 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 through 6 dry, and chroma of 3, 4, or 6 moist and dry. It is extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, extremely gravelly medial loam, or very gravelly medial loam. Reaction is strongly or moderately acid. It has 10 to 20 percent organic matter. It has 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum.
The Bh horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 3 or 4 dry. It is extremely gravelly medial loam or very gravelly medial loam.It has 15 to 25 percent organic matter and 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Merriman and Quitter series. Merriman and Quitter soils have over 2 cmol/kg of aluminum. Merriman soils also have an ochric epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brandenberry soils are on continental glaciated mountain slopes. Slopes are 40 to 90 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum from marine basalt and associated volcanic rocks. Elevations are 2,400 to 3,100 feet. Average annual precipitation is 95 to 105 inches. Average annual temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Balcher, Buckman, Fahnestock and Sniderpeak soils. Balcher, Fahnestock and Sniderpeak soils are on glaciated mountain slopes and have a udic moisture regime. Buckman and Sniderpeak soils are on mountain slopes and also have a udic moisture regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Pacific silver fir, western hemlock, devil's club, western swordfern, threeleaf foamflower, starflower, and mosses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Olympic Mountains of Clallam County, Washington; MLRA 3. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clallam County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are the following:
An umbric epipedon from 2 to 23 inches with a color value, moist, and chroma of 3 or less that meets the depth thickness, and organic carbon requirements of a melanic epipedon (A, Bw1, and Bw2 subhorizons)
Illuvial organic matter - 32 to 36 inches (Bh subhorizon)
Andic soil properties - 2 to 36 inches (A, Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, and Bh subhorizons)
Lithic contact - 34 inches
PSCS - 0 to 34 inches (A, Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, and Bh subhorizons)
This soil has a perudic moisture regime.
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon. This series also meets the requirements for the Eutric subgroup as defined for Eutric Pachic Fulvudands.