LOCATION BUCKING                 CA

Established Series
Rev. JWF/BES/DJE/TKK
03/2023

BUCKING SERIES

The Bucking series consists of deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in material weathered from granitic rocks. Bucking soils are on mountains and have slopes of 5 to 65 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1015 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Typic Humixerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Bucking loamy sand, on an east, northeast facing slope of 9 percent under a cover of red fir and white fir at 2068 meters elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on June 8, 1979, the soil was moist throughout).

Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed plant material.

Oe--3 to 5 cm; moderately decomposed plant material.

A1--5 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, 8 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, few fine and medium rots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

A2--20 to 33 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, 6 percent clay; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

C1--33 to 81 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist, 4 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 3 percent gravels; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary. (28 to 76 cm thick)

C2--81 to 135 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist, 5 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 3 percent gravels, 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (51 to 76 cm thick)

Cr--135 to 160 cm. strongly weathered granitic rock with few roots in fractures 18 to 25 cm apart.

TYPE LOCATION: Sierra County, Tahoe National Forest; California; about 0.3 miles north of Hwy 49 on Yuba Pass Road, 30 feet east of road in the NW 1/4 of the NW 1/4, sec. 11, T. 20 N., R. 13 E., MDB&M. WGS84 39.621369 latitude and -120.487310 longitude; UTM zone 10, 4388751 meters N, 715675 meters E WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm ranges from 7 to 9 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a frigid temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about late July to late September (about 60 days).

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Umbric epipedon thickness: 25 to 38 cm thick
Depth to paralithic contact: typically 100 to 150 cm but ranges from 100 to 193 cm.

Base saturation: 17 to 25 percent and increases with depth

Rock fragments: Gravel content ranges from 0 to 14 percent throughout the soil profile.

Particle size control section weighted average:
Clay content: 2 to 14 percent

A horizon (s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Texture: loamy sand or loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 2 to 14 percent
Reaction: slightly acid

C horizon (s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: loamy sand or loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 2 to 14 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bucking soils are on convex ridges, side slopes and interfluves of mountains and are at elevations of 1,660 to 2,515 meters. Slopes range from 5 to 65 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from granitic rock. The climate is Mediterranean with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 625 to 1805 mm, much of which falls as snow. The mean annual air temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C. The average frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cagwin, Chiquito, Fugawee, Goodwin, Trojan, Waca and Windy soils. Cagwin and Chiquito soils are less than 100 cm to a paralithic contact. Fugawee and Trojan soils lack an umbric epipedon and have an argillic horizon. Waca and Windy soils have bulk density less than 0.91 gm/cc and the exchange complex is dominated by amorphous material. Goodwin soils are loamy-skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately high to very high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bucking soils are used for wildlife habitat, timber production, recreation, and water supply. Natural vegetation is mainly white fir, red fir, Jeffrey pine, incense-cedar, whitethorn, pinemat manzanita and snowbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern part of the Sierra Nevada Range of California (MLRA 22A). The soils are not extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sierra County (Tahoe National Forest), California, 1981.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 30 to 105 cm.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric Epipedon 5 to 33 cm
Paralithic Contact 135 to 160 cm

Was formerly called Buckingham.
Classification was updated from a Typic Dystroxerept to a Typic Humixerept on 03/2023.
Previously revised by the state on 05/81.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for this type location only:
Pedon Type: OSD pedon
Pedon Purpose: soil survey inventory
NASIS User Pedon ID: 1982CA091007

This soil was classified using the 13th edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.