LOCATION CERPONE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, parasesquic, mesic Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Cerpone gravelly loam, on a northeast facing 11 percent slope under a cover of ponderosa pine, incense cedar, Douglas-fir and whiteleaf manzanita at an elevation of 3140 feet (957 m). When described on 9/25/97 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inches, (0 to 3 cm); needles and twigs.
Oe--1 to 1.5 inches, (3 to 4 cm); partially decomposed needles and twigs.
A--1.5 to 3.5 inches, (4 to 9 cm); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 18 percent clay; strong fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine to medium irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 20 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness of the A horizon is 2 to 3 inches (5 to 18 cm) thick).
Bt1--3.5 to 9.5 inches, (9 to 24 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; 22 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and medium, and few coarse roots; many very fine to medium irregular and tubular pores; few faint discontinuous clay films in root channels and pores; noneffervescent; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--9.5 to 16.5 inches (24 to 42 cm); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) cobbly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; 26 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine, and few medium irregular and tubular pores; few faint discontinuous clay films in root channels and pores; noneffervescent; 10 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid, pH 6.2 by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--16.5 to 26.5 inches (42 to 67 cm); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 31 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine and common medium irregular and tubular pores; common distinct discontinuous clay films in root channels and pores; noneffervescent; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.
Bt4--26.5 to 40.5 inches (67 to 144 cm); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very gravelly silty clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; 34 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine, and common medium irregular and tubular pores; common distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; noneffervescent; 40 percent gravel; neutral, pH 6.6 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.
Bt5--40.5 to 56.5 inches (103 to 144 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very gravelly silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; 29 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; few distinct discontinuous clay films in root channels and pores; noneffervescent; 55 percent gravel; neutral, pH 6.7 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 37 to 58 inches).
R--56.5 inches (144 cm); very strongly cemented ultramafic bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 1.2 miles northeast of Sawmill Peak, approximately 2150 feet south and 250 feet east of the northwest corner of Section 28, Township 23 N., Range 4 E., 39 degrees, 49 minutes, 23.54 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 32 minutes, 29.94 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S. Quad: Paradise East, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic bedrock is 40 to 60 inches (51 to 102 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 55 to 58 degrees F (13 to 14 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about July to about October (about 90 days). The particle-size control section averages 25 to 35 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is parasesquic. Rock fragments on the surface range from 10 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones. There is greater than 40 percent silt content in subsurface horizons. Magnesium extractable bases in the majority of the control section equals or exceeds calcium extractable bases.
The A horizon dry color is 7.5YR 6/3, 6/4, 6/6, 5YR 5/4, 6/4 or 6/6. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/4, 4/3, 5YR 4/3 or 6/4. Texture is gravelly loam or very gravelly loam. Clay content ranges from 16 to 22 percent. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.
The upper Bt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 6/4, 6/6, 5/8, 5YR 5/4 or 5/6. Moist color is 7.5YR 4/4, 5YR 3/4 or 4/4. Texture is gravelly loam or cobbly loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 27 percent. Rock fragments range from 10 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.
The lower Bt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 5/6, 6/4, 6/6, 7/6, 5YR 6/4, 5/6, 6/6 or 10YR 5/6. Moist color is 7.5YR 5/8, 5YR 4/4, 4/6, 5/6 or 10YR 4/6. Texture is gravelly clay loam, very gravelly silty clay loam, very gravelly loam or very gravelly clay loam. Clay content ranges from 25 to 35 percent. Rock fragments range from 15 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arkright, Burney and Dunsmuir soils. Arkright soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Burney and Dunsmuir soils are both deep to paralithic contacts.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cerpone soils are on ridge tops and side slopes on ultramafic Sierra Nevada mountains. Slopes range from 3 to 70 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from ultramafic rocks. Elevation is 900 to 3600 feet (274 to 1097 m). Mean annual precipitation is 42 to 65 inches (1067 to 1651 mm). The mean annual temperature is 55 to 58 degrees F (13 to 14 degrees C). Frost free season is 185 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Earlal soils. Earlal soils are shallow and loamy skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; moderate saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A and upper Bt horizons and moderate to moderately slow in the lower Bt horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for wildlife habitat, watershed and some timber production. Vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, incense cedar, sugar pine, California black oak, tanoak, whiteleaf manzanita and some white fir, buckbrush, California Laurel, California buckthorn, Orcutt brome, bottlebrush squirreltail, toyon, Jeffrey pine and foothill pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occurs in the M261EF (Metamorphic foothills) subsection of the M261E (Sierra Nevada) section. MLRA 22A - Sierra Nevada Range. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name is coined.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 1.5 to 3.5 inches, (4 to 9 cm)(A).
Argillic horizon - zone from 3.5 to 56.5 inches, (9 to 144 cm)(Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5).
Lithic contact at 56.5 inches, (144 cm).
12.8 percent Fe2O3 (by weight) in the control section
Particle-size control section - zone from 3.5 to 23.5 inches, (9 to 60 cm).
The soil moisture control section - zone from 10 to 24 inches, (25 to 61 cm).
Horizon Ca:Mg Base Saturation, Sum of Cations
A 1:0.85 30
Bt1 1:0.6 34
Bt2 1:1 38
Bt3 1:2.7 41
Bt4 1:6.5 56
Bt5 1:11.7 66
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference samples from lab pedon number: 98P0294, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.