LOCATION GEISEL                  OR

Established Series
Rev. MSA-JTH-TDT
06/2011

GEISEL SERIES

The Geisel series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium weathered from sedimentary rock. They are on mountains at elevations of 20 to 750 feet. Slopes range from 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 65 inches. The mean annual temperature is about 52 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, isotic, isomesic Typic Humudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Geisel silt loam - on a 5 percent convex southwest facing slope in a forested area at 330 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oi--0 to 2 inches; litter of slightly decomposed needles, leaves, and twigs.

A--2 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) silt loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) dry; strong fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

BA--6 to 12 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) silt loam, dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

Bw1--12 to 32 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silty clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine granular; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)

Bw2--32 to 51 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silty clay, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (16 to 25 inches thick)

BC--51 to 56 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) silty clay, reddish brown (5YR 5/3) dry; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)

Cr--56 inches; variegated partially weathered siltstone and sandstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Coos County, Oregon; about 0.5 mile south of Eastside; 100 feet west of the northeast corner, sec. 1, T. 26 S., R. 13 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum and depth to partially weathered sedimentary rock is 40 to 60 inches. The lower part of the solum has as much as 15 percent gravel in some pedons. The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. The difference between the mean summer and mean winter soil temperature ranges from 5 to 9 degrees F. The soil is usually moist but is dry in all parts above the Bw horizon for less than 45 consecutive days during the summer. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 14 inches thick.

The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 2 to 4 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is moderately acid or slightly acid.

The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is silty clay loam or silty clay and averages 35 to 45 percent clay. It is very strongly acid to moderately acid.

The Cr horizon is variegated siltstone or sandstone in various stages of weathering.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. The Fendall series is similar. Fendall soils are 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact, and have 12 kilograms or more of organic carbon throughout.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Geisel soils are on mountains in the Coast Range. They formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from weakly consolidated, tuffaceous siltstone and sandstone. Slopes range from 2 to 50 percent. The marine climate is characterized by cool wet winters and cool moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 55 to 80 inches, mean annual temperature is 51 to 53 degrees F, and the frost-free period is 200 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Salander and Templeton soils. Salander soils are in the medial family. Templeton soils are in the fine-silty family.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Geisel soils are used for timber production, pasture, homesite development, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Native vegetation is mainly Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, Sitka spruce, red alder, trailing blackberry, brackenfern, cascara buckthorn, evergreen and red huckleberry, salmonberry, salal, and western swordfern.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Oregon Coast Range; MLRA 4A. The series is inextensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coos County, Oregon, 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Umbric epipedon - from 2 to 12 inches
Cambic horizon - from 12 to 51 inches
Particle-size control section - from 12 to 42 inches

All depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.