LOCATION CALIFON NJ+PAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Fragiudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Califon loam - idle field. (Colors are for moist soil.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches, brown (10YR 4/3) loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; firm; many fine roots; 2 percent subangular gravel of granite, quartzite and chert; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 11 inches)
BA--10 to 16 inches, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; many fine roots; krotovina and large root cavities filled with Ap material; 2 percent subangular gravel of granite, quartzite and chert; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bt--16 to 23 inches, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few fine roots; few distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common medium and fine pores; few fine distinct brown (10YR 5/3) iron depletions; 10 percent subangular gravel of granite, quartzite and chert; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (7 to 18 inches thick)
Btx1--23 to 28 inches, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loam; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and thick platy structure; very firm and brittle; few fine roots; few fine pores; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron depletions and yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron concentrations; 10 percent subangular gravel of granitic gneiss ; few fine faint clay films on faces of peds; common black (N 2.5/) manganese and iron stains; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btx horizons 8 to 50 inches thick)
Btx2--28 to 33 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; moderate medium and thick platy structure; very firm and brittle; many fine pores; few medium and many fine faint brown (7.5YR 5/4) iron depletions; 10 percent subangular gravel of granitic gneiss; common discontinuous distinct clay films on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common black (N 2.5/) manganese and iron coatings; very strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Btx3--33 to 43 inches, variegated with equal parts of yellowish red (5YR 5/6), strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and gray (5YR 5/1) loam; moderate medium and thick platy structure; very firm and brittle; few fine pores; few discontinuous faint clay films on top faces of peds; 10 percent subangular gravel of granitic gneiss; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
Btx4--43 to 50 inches, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loam; weak thick platy structure; very firm and brittle; few fine pores; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions; few patchy distinct clay films on faces of peds; common clay pockets; 10 percent subangular gravel, stones and boulders of granitic gneiss; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
C--50 to 75 inches, yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy loam and bands of yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and very pale brown (10YR 7/3); common black (N 2.5/) manganese coatings; structureless massive; friable; 10 percent granitic gneiss subangular gravel, stones and boulders; strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Hunterdon County, New Jersey; Union Township; 1/4 mile east of Van Syckel, south side of road, 30 feet west of fence, 50 feet in from road; USGS High Bridge Quad
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness 35 to 60 inches. Depth to top of the fragipan ranges from 20 to 30 inches. Depth to hard granitic gneiss bedrock ranges from 6 feet to 20 feet. The particle size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay. Unlimed reaction ranges from moderately to slightly acid near the surface and strongly to very strongly acid in the lower part of the solum and the C horizon. Individual horizons within the solum or C horizons have up to 25 percent, mostly subangular or angular gravel, cobbles or stones.
The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR with values of 4 or 5 and chroma of 2 through 4. In uncultivated areas, thin A horizons are dominantly very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2). The A horizons are loam or gravelly loam. Structure is weak or moderate, fine granular or subangular blocky.
The Bt and Btx horizons have hues of 10YR through 5YR, values of 5 or 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. Redoximorphic features are few, common or many, fine or medium, distinct or prominent and have hues of 10YR through 5YR, values of 5 through 7 and chromas of 1 through 8, but 2 chroma is absent in the upper 10 inches of the argillic horizon. Very dark manganese stains are common. The Bt horizons are loam, clay loam, silt loam or sandy clay loam. Textures of the Btx horizons are sandy clay loam, sandy loam, loam and clay loam. Though clay in any one subhorizon may range from 18 to 40 percent, the Bt horizon averages from 27 to 35 percent and the Btx horizon from 18 to 27 percent. Clay films are common on secondary ped faces but are few in some subhorizons. It has weak or moderate, medium subangular blocky structure. The Bt horizons are friable or firm. Structure in the upper parts of the Btx is weak very coarse prismatic parting to weak or moderate, thick or very thick platy.
The C horizons are similar to the Bt and Btx horizons but have more redoximorphic features. The C horizons are sandy loam, sandy clay loam, loam, clay loam or loamy sand. In pedons where the C horizon extends into saprolite, many fine or very fine angular pebbles are present.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Annandale, Delassus, Meckesville, Tonti, and Watson series. Annandale soils lack iron depletions within a depth of 40 inches. Delassus soils formed in loess and underlying residuum weathered from granite or similar igneous rocks. Meckesville soils have hues of 5YR or redder in the fragipan. Tonti soils have bedrock at depths of less than 6 feet. Watson soils lack rock fragments dominated by sandstone, siltstone, shale or quartzite.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Califon soils formed either in deeply weathered old till or colluvium derived predominantly from granitic gneiss. Slope gradients range from 0 to 15 percent. Climate is humid temperate. Average annual air temperature is 45 to 55 degrees F. and average annual precipitation is 40 to 45 inches. Frost free days range from 130 to 170 days and elevations range from 200 to 1100 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Annandale soils and the Cokesbury, Gladstone, and Parker soils. The well drained Annandale, Gladstone, and Parker soils lack low chroma redox features in the sola. The poorly drained Cokesbury soils have low chroma redox features immediately below the Ap or A horizon and the Gladstone and Parker soils lack fragipans. Parker soils are skeletal and lack an argillic horizon as well.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Califon soils are moderately well or somewhat poorly drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low in the fragipan and moderately high in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Only a small part of the Califon soils are now cultivated. They are used mainly for growing pasture, hay and woodland. Natural vegetation is red maple, pin oak, yellow poplar and elm.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 148. In North-central New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. These soils are moderate in extent (24,000 acres)
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bucks County, Pennsylvania; 1941
REMARKS: The 03/2005 revision places Califon soils in an active family based on sampled pedon 83NJ019001, analyzed by the NSSL. The pedon description was updated to currently used horizon nomenclature and redoximorphic feature terminology. Additionally, competing series were also updated.
10/2007 revision distinguishes two landscape positions and parent materials on which Califon occurs: old till of North-central New Jersey and East-central Pennsylvania (MLRA 144A/140) and driftless colluvial landscapes of the Northern Piedmont (MLRA148). Associated with terminal moraines, these landscapes and parent materials intermix geographically. Also, this revision includes competing series and other sections on the OSD were revised and updates this soil to the 10th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy. Minor revisions to nomenclature within the description were done. This pedon has been entered into NASIS and has pedon ID# 81NJ019001.
Diagnostic horizons and soil characteristics recognized in this pedon are
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 23 inches (Ap and BA horizons)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 10 to 50 inches (BA and Bt horizons
Fragipan--the zone from 23 to 50 inches having very firm moist consistence (Btx horizons)
Revised 4/81-CFE, KPW, CFJ; 04/2005-MD
Previous revision 5/2005 MDJ-DHK-ART-JWB