LOCATION BUCKMAN WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic Lithic Haplocryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Buckman very gravelly medial sandy loam-forestland, on a 73 percent southerly aspect at an elevation of 3,150 feet in a Pacific silver fir/Alaska huckleberry-Oregon-grape plant association. (When described on September 28, 1994, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and other wood fragments; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Oe--1 to 2 inch; moderately decomposed organic materials; abrupt smooth boundary. (0.5 to 1.5 inches thick)
A--2 to 4 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) very gravelly medial sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bw--4 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
R--9 inches; hard metavolcanic rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Clallam County, Washington, about 3 miles east-northeast of North Point, about 2,595 feet north and 660 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 16, T. 30 N., R. 10 W. (Latitude 48 degrees, 05 minutes, 39 seconds N., Longitude 124 degrees, 00 minutes, 23 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. The mean winter soil temperature is 37 to 41 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are dry for 0 to 30 consecutive days in the soil moisture control section; udic soil moisture regime. Depth to bedrock is 4 to 10 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the bedrock contact has andic soil properties and 45 to 90 percent rock fragments by volume. The andic soil material has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.70 to 0.90 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 15 to 30 percent for air dried samples. It has 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum. Acid oxalate extractable aluminum is 1.5 to 3.0 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR moist and dry, value of 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and 3 or 4 dry. Reaction is very strongly or strongly acid. It has 5 to 15 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR moist and dry, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 3 or 6 dry. It is extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, extremely gravelly medial loam, and extremely cobbly medial sandy loam. Reaction is moderately acid. It has 1 to 7 percent organic matter.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bungalow, Constance, Graves, Weatherwax, and Yellowstone series. Bungalow soils are dry for 30 to 45 consecutive days. Constance soils are shallow to bedrock. Graves soils have over 2 cmol/kg of aluminum (Alic). Weatherwax soils have a perudic moisture regime. Yellowstone soils are shallow to bedrock and have over 2 cmol/kg of aluminum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Buckman soils are on continental glaciated mountain slopes. Slopes are 15 to 80 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum from hard marine basalt and associated volcanic rocks. Elevations are 2,600 to 3,750 feet. Average annual precipitation is 50 to 105 inches. Average annual temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 120 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fahnestock, Sniderpeak, and Urgestein soils. Sniderpeak soils are on mountain slopes and glaciated mountain slopes and are moderately deep. Urgestein soils are on open mountain slopes and are moderately deep. Fahnestock soils are over 40 inches deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, Pacific silver fir, western hemlock, red huckleberry, Alaska huckleberry, salal, Oregon-grape, common beargrass, and bunchberry dogwood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern slope of Olympic Mountains, 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:
Umbric epipedon - 2 to 9 inches
Andic soil properties - 2 to 9 inches
Lithic contact - 9 inches
PSCS - 2 to 9 inches
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.