LOCATION FICO ID+WA
Established Series
Rev. BLR-BDG-EMM
10/2012
FICO SERIES
The Fico series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in residuum from granite or gneiss with a thick mantle of volcanic ash. They are on mountain slopes and ridges. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the upper part and high in the lower part. Slopes range from 5 to 70 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 46 inches and the average annual air temperature is about 40 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy, amorphic over isotic Typic Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Fico medial loam, forested, on a 30 percent slope at 5,050 feet elevation. Aspect is north. When described on July 9, 1993, the soil was moist to 14 inches and dry below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inch; fresh and partially decomposed needles, twigs, and leaves.
Oe--1 to 3 inches; decomposed needles, twigs, and leaves. (combined thickness of O horizons is 2 to 3 inches thick)
A--3 to 8 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) medial loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many fine and medium and common coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick).
Bw1--8 to 17 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many fine and medium and common coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 3 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 11 inches thick).
2Bw2--17 to 25 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout and common very fine roots on faces of peds; many fine and medium irregular pores; 15 percent fine gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 27 inches thick).
2BC--25 to 31 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout and common very fine and few coarse roots located on faces of peds; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.7); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick).
2C1--31 to 42 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) gravelly loamy coarse sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; common very fine and fine roots located on faces of peds and few very fine roots throughout; few very fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary.
2C2--42 to 56 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) gravelly coarse sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; few very fine and fine roots; 25 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2C horizons is 9 to 26 inches)
2Cr--56 inches; decomposing granitic bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; about 4 miles northeast of Pierce, Idaho; about 300 feet north and 1,200 feet east of the southwest corner of section 7, T. 37 N., R. 6 E.; Latitude - 46 degrees, 33 minutes, 28 seconds North; Longitude - 115 degrees, 45 minutes, 17 seconds West. USGS Jaype Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 38 to 41 degrees F. Cryic temperature regime.
Soil moisture control section - usually moist year around and not dry for 45 consecutive days during June to October. Udic moisture regime.
Depth to paralithic contact - 40 to 60 inches.
Thickness of volcanic ash mantle - 14 to 20 inches
Volcanic glass content - 15 to 50 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 1.3 to 2.7 percent
Phosphate retention - 55 to 95 percent
15-bar water retention on air dried samples - 11.0 to 15.0 percent (weighted average for all horizons with andic soil properties is greater than 12.0 percent and less than 15.0 percent)
A horizon
Value - 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry, 1 or 2 moist
Texture - medial loam or medial silt loam
Clay content - 5 to 8 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 3 percent gravel
Reaction - 5.3 to 7.3
Bulk density - 0.65 to 0.90 g/cc (estimated)
Bw1 horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture - medial loam or medial silt loam
Clay content - 8 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 6 percent gravel
Reaction - 5.6 to 7.3
Bulk density - 0.65 to 1.00 g/cc (estimated)
2Bw2 horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Texture - loam or sandy loam
Clay content - 10 to 16 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 15 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction - 4.5 to 6.5
2BC horizon
Value - 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Texture - loam or loamy coarse sand
Clay content - 8 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction - 5.1 to 6.5
2C horizons
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 7 or 8 dry
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture - loamy coarse sand or coarse sand
Clay content - 4 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 15 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction - 4.5 to 6.5
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fico soils are on mountain slopes and ridges at elevations of 3,300 to 5,800 feet with slopes of 5 to 70 percent. These soils are formed in residuum from granite or gneiss with a thick mantle of volcanic ash. The average annual temperature is 38 to 41 degrees F. and the average precipitation is 40 to 60 inches. The frost free season is 30 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Vassar, and
Weitas series. Vassar soils are on smooth to concave mountain side slopes, are frigid and have deep volcanic ash mantles. Weitas soils are on concave mountain side slopes and ridges, are cryic and have umbric epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity in the upper part and high in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, watershed, and recreation. Potential natural vegetation is subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas fir, western redcedar, and grand fir with an understory of arrowleaf groundsel, wild ginger, starry false Solomons seal, goldthread, queencup beadily, baneberry, miners lettuce, false bugbane, and rustyleaf menziesia.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Idaho. Fico soils are not extensive, about 5,000 acres in size.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clearwater County, Idaho, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 8 inches (Oi, Oe, and A horizons).
Andic soil properties - the zone from 3 to 17 inches (A and Bw1 horizons).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 8 to 25 inches (Bw1 and 2Bw2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 3 to 43 inches (A, Bw1, 2Bw2, 2BC, 2C1, and part of the 2C2 horizons).
The ranges of values listed under the Range In Characteristics for the soil properties Volcanic glass content, Acid-oxalate Al+1/2 Fe, Phosphate retention, and 15-bar water retention are estimates only.
ADDITIONAL DATA: This pedon has laboratory data - field sample no. S93ID-035-002 (project no. 94P 39, pedon no. 94P 187) Clearwater County, Idaho by NSSL, Lincoln NE.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.