LOCATION FINDOME CA

Established Series
JBB/CEC/JTW
09/2021

FINDOME SERIES

The Findome series consists of shallow to densic material, well drained soils formed in glacial till derived from granitic rocks. Findome soils are on ground moraines of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 3 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 860 millimeters and the mean annual temperature is about 2 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, shallow Vitrixerandic Dystrocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Findome very gravelly coarse sand on a south-facing (163 degree), 5 percent slope under subalpine perennial forbs at an elevation of 3313 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on July 8, 2015 the soil was dry to 3 cm.)

A--0 to 3 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 2 percent clay; structureless single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 50 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 1 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 9.5; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 18 cm thick)

BA--3 to 21 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 4 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky parts to weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 2 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 9.5; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

Bw--21 to 46 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 10 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky parts to weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 35 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 2 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 10.0; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

Cd--46 to 100 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 4 percent clay; massive; extremely hard, slightly rigid, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine irregular pores; 50 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 2 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles.

TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California, near Siberian Outpost in Sequoia National Park; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Johnson Peak, California; WGS84 36.472075 latitude and -118.282325 longitude; UTM zone 11 4037075 meters N 385117 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters is 0 to 4 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperatures is more than 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic soil temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about July to October (about 90 days).

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 18 cm
Cambic horizon thickness: 15 to 30 cm
Depth to densic contact: 25 to 50 cm

Depth to redoximorphic features: 15 to 50 cm, 0 to 30 cm thick

Base saturation: less than 50 percent (by ammonium acetate) in a layer 10 cm or more thick directly above the densic contact

Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.4 to 2.0 percent (by weight) in an 18 cm thick layer within a depth of 75 cm from the mineral soil surface

Volcanic glass: 5 to 30 percent in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction in an 18 cm thick layer within a depth of 75 cm from the mineral soil surface

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, with 15 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones.
Clay content: 4 to 10 percent
NaF pH: 9.0 to 11.0

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, coarse sand
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent
5 to 60 percent gravel
0 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: very strongly to strongly acid

Bw or BA horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 4 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent
15 to 60 percent gravel
0 to 20 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: strongly to moderately acid

Cd or Cdq horizons:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, coarse sand
Clay content: 1 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent
15 to 50 percent gravel
0 to 20 percent cobbles
0 to 20 percent stones
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron and iron-manganese masses in matrix
Quantity: none to few
Size: fine to medium

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Findome soils are on footslopes of ground moraines on basin floors. Slopes range from 3 to 15 percent. These soils formed in till derived from granite and granodiorite. Elevation is 3215 to 3955 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 620 to 1430 mm and the mean annual air temperature is -1 to 3 degrees C. The frost free season is 45 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Evolution and Forgotten soils. The Evolution soils are between 100 and 150 cm to a densic contact and are moderately well drained. The Forgotten soils are on high-gradient drainageways and lack a densic contact.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the densic layer is moderately low to moderately high.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is bottlebrush squirreltail, cushion buckwheat, frosted buckwheat, rosy buckwheat, June grass, and mountain parsley.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. These soils are of limited extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Tulare County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from the landscape feature in Kings Canyon National Park.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 25 to 46 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 3 cm
Cambic Horizon 21 to 46 cm
Densic Contact 46 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 2015CA7925053

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.