LOCATION BRUHEL CA
Established Series
Rev. CAR-DJE-JJJ
01/2023
BRUHEL SERIES
The Bruhel series consists of deep or very deep, well drained soils formed in material weathered from sandstone. Bruhel soils are on coastal hills and mountains and associated marine terraces and have slopes of 2 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 45 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 53 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isomesic Pachic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bruhel loam - on a southwest facing convex slope of 55 percent under annual and perennial grasses and forbs at 300 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil, unless otherwise stated. When described on November 20, 1981 the soil was moist throughout).
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 5 percent soft through hard subangular pebbles (2-5mm); moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 16 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few thin clay films lining pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Bt2--16 to 21 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial and few fine tubular pores; common thin clay films lining pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt3--21 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial and few fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent soft through hard subangular pebbles (2-10mm); moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)
BCt--26 to 41 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky and angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial and few fine tubular pores; common thin and few moderately thick clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent soft through hard, subrounded pebbles (2-10mm); moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
Crt1--41 to 45 inches; fractured soft sandstone; fractures are 2-5mm wide and 1-5cm apart; few very fine roots in fractures; many moderately thick clay films and common black (10YR 2/1) stains on fracture faces; about 15 percent of horizon is hard angular sandstone; about 10 percent of the horizon is soil material filling fractures; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Crt2--45 to 55 inches; fractured soft and moderately hard sandstone; fractures are less than 1mm wide and 5-20cm apart, lesser fractures are 1-2cm apart; few very fine roots in fractures; many moderately thick clay films on fracture faces; about 10 percent of horizon is hard angular sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Mendocino County, California; about 950 feet south and 1500 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 20, T.20N., R.17W., MDBM, Inglenook quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact ranges from 40 to 70 inches. Thickness of the solum ranges from 35 to 55 inches. Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 20 to 50 inches. Organic carbon content of the epipedon ranges from 0.6 to 4 percent, decreasing regularly with increasing depth. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 54 to 57 degrees F. The difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature ranges from 4 to 9 degrees F. The soil between the depths of 6 and 17 inches is moist in all parts from November 1 to June 15 and is dry in some or all parts from July 15 to October 1 in most years. Clay content averages 25 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section. Reaction is moderately or slightly acid throughout.
The A horizon is 10YR 4/1, 4/2, 5/1, 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 2/1, 2/2, 3/1, 3/2 or 3/3. Clay content ranges from 15 to 27 percent. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Base saturation ranges from 70 to 80 percent (ammonium acetate).
The Bt horizon is 10YR 4/2, 5/2 or 5/3 in the upper part. Moist color is 10YR 2/2, 3/2 or 3/3. In the lower part it is 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 7/3, 7/4 or 7/6. Moist color is 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/3, 5/6 or 7.5YR 4/4. It is loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam and may be gravelly. Clay content ranges from 20 to 35 percent. Gravel content ranges from 0 to 35 percent, increasing with depth. Base saturation ranges from 75 to 95 percent (ammonium acetate)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Abalobadiah (CA),
Candlestick (CA),
Mallopass (CA) and
Miramar (CA) series. The Abalobadiah and Miramar series are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. The Candlestick series is 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Mallopass series have mottling between 40 and 80 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Bruhel soils occur on coastal hills and mountains and associated marine terraces. Slopes are 2 to 75 percent. Elevations are 50 to 1300 feet. The soils are formed in material weathered from sandstone. The climate is characterized by cool foggy summers and cool moist winters. A strong marine influence limits the diurnal and annual range of temperature. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 55 inches. Mean January temperature is 48 degrees F.; mean July temperature is 57 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is 53 degrees F. The frost-free period is 250 to 330 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Abalobadiah and
Mallopass soils and the
Dehaven,
Flumeville,
Hotel,
Irmulco,
Tramway,
Vizcaino and
Windyhollow soils. Dehaven, Hotel, Irmulco and Tramway soils are on coastal hills. They occur out of the direct influence of salt laden ocean winds, have conifer vegetation and lack mollic epipedons. Vizcaino soils occur near primary and secondary ridges and are shallow to a paralithic contact. Flumeville and Windyhollow soils occur on marine terraces. Flumeville soils have mottles between 10 and 30 inches, and have fine particle-size control sections. Windyhollow soils have mottles between 30 and 50 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; surface runoff under bare soil conditions is slow through very rapid; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and as watershed. A few area are used as pasture and for hay production. The vegetation is annual and perennial grasses and forbs where grazed. Where undisturbed, it is dense brush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Coastal California. The series is not extensive. MLRA 4.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mendocino County, California, Western Part, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Pachic mollic epipedon -- The zone from 0 to 26 inches (A, Bt1, Bt2, Bt3).
Argillic horizon -- The zone from 4 to 26 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.