LOCATION ELAERO CA+NV
Established Series
Rev. EWB-JVC
12/2022
ELAERO SERIES
The Elaero series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rock. Elaero soils are on mountains. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 500mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Elaero very gravelly loamy coarse sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 7 percent stones.
A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)
A2--5 to 15 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and many fine roots; common very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
Bt1--15 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, common fine, and common medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay bridges between sand grains; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
Bt2--25 to 41 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint clay bridges bridging sand grains and few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 45 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)
Bt3--41 to 53 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, few fine, and common medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 35 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 51 cm thick)
Cr--53 to 79 cm; weathered granodiorite.
TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 1 mile west of Huntoon Valley; approximately 400 feet north and 1,600 feet east of the southwest corner of section 9, T. 5 N., R. 24 E.; USGS Mount Jackson 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 18 minutes 5.5 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 20 minutes 7.4 seconds west longitude, NAD27; UTM Zone 11; 295788e, 4241851n.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry from July through early October; xeric moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 50 cm; includes the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons.
Depth to bedrock - 50 to 100 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered granitic rock.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 12 to 18 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly fine (2 to 5 mm diameter) gravel. Lithology of fragments is granitic rocks such as granodiorite.
A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt1 and Bt2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt3 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Clanalpine,
Devaul,
Heechee,
Heenlake,
Holmes,
Horrocks,
Hoskin,
Howcan,
Longday,
Pequop,
Moreypeak,
Suak,
Valmar,
Vitale, and
Wambolt series.
Clanalpine and
Moreypeak soils have more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
Devaul soils are deep to paralithic contacts.
Heechee,
Holmes,
Howcan,
Longday,
Pequop, and
Wambolt soils are very deep.
Heenlake soils average 25 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section, have rock fragments that are volcanic rocks, and have paralithic material of weathered volcanic rock in the series control section.
Horrocks soils are deep to lithic contacts.
Hoskin,
Suak,
Valmar, and
Vitale soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Elaero soils are on mountains. They typically occur on backslope positions. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rocks. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 2,150 to 2,600 meters. The climate is subhumid-continental with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 600 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Granhogany,
Granidry, and
Lockgate soils. Granhogany soils are sandy-skeletal, shallow to paralithic contacts, and do not have diagnostic subsurface horizons. Granidry soils are shallow to paralithic contacts. Lockgate soils have thick mollic epipedons and are deep to paralithic contacts.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or high surface runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Elaero soils are used for rangeland, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, western needlegrass, Thurber's needlegrass, and Indian ricegrass. This pedon is correlated to R022AY043NV, South Slope 14-16" P.Z.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California and western Nevada, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive with about 9,600 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRAS 22A AND 26.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mono County (Toiyabe National Forest Area), California, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 41 cm (A1, A2, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 53 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 53 cm to underlying soft, weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 15 to 53 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: User pedon ID: 2001CA051001.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.