LOCATION GOZEM CA
Established Series
REV:KEJ/DJE
12/2022
GOZEM SERIES
The Gozem series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from ultramafic rocks with a large component of serpentinitic minerals. Gozem soils are on upper mountain ridges and have slopes of 20 to 80 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 55 inches and the mean annual temperature is 43 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, magnesic, frigid Lithic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Gozem very cobbly loam - on an east-southeast facing slope of 20 percent under scattered grasses, sparse huckleberry oak, pinemat manzanita, prostrate ceanothus and forbs at 5,600 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 9/7/81 the soil was dry throughout.)
0--0.5 to 0 inches; dead grass and sparse scattered pine needles.
A--0 to 4 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles; 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
BA--4 to 11 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very cobbly loam dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 30 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 18 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) very gravelly heavy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine interstitial and tubular pores; 35 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt irregular boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
R--18 inches; fractured, serpentinized peridotite with roots in cracks.
TYPE LOCATION: Siskiyou County, California; about 10 miles west of Dunsmuir and 2 miles NW of Gray Rock Lake, about 300 feet east and 2,300 feet north of the SW corner Sec. 16, T.39N., R.5W., above road, in first bare spot on Bear Ridge.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to bedrock is 10 to 20 inches. Rock fragments consist of pebbles, cobbles, and stones and make up 35 to 60 percent of the control section. The mean annual soil temperature is 41 degrees to 45 degrees F. The soil is usually moist but is dry throughout for 45 to 90 days from July 1 to September 30 in most years. The base saturation is over 60 percent throughout the soil.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/4, 5/6, 6/3. 6/4, 7/3, or 2.5Y 5/4 ans moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 4/6; 7.5YR 4/4 or 2.5Y 4/4. It is sandy loam, loam, or sandy clay loam with 18 to 25 percent clay modified by 15 to 50 percent rock fragments. It is slightly acid through mildly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has dry color of 2.5YR 5/4; 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 5/8, or 4/8 and moist color of 10YR 3/4, 3/6, 4/6 5/6, and 2.5Y 4/4. It is loam or sandy clay loam with 20 to 30 percent clay modified by 35 to 60 percent rock fragments. It is neutral or mildly alkaline.
A C horizon having less clay and more rock fragments than the Bw horizon is in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gozem soils are on ridges, upper side slopes, and on glacial cirques with linear slopes and shallow drainage patterns. Slopes are 20 to 80 percent. The soil formed in material weathered from ultramafic bedrock. Elevations are 5,500 to 7,500 feet. The climate has warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 45 to 60 inches with about one half falling as snow. The mean annual temperature varies from 36 degrees to 44 degrees F. Mean January temperature is 27 degrees F. and the mean July temperature is 62 degrees F.. The frost-free season ranges from about 75 to 145 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: See remarks.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Wildlife habitat, watershed, and rangeland. Dominant vegetation is huckleberry oak, prostrate ceanothus, pinemat manzanita, a few sparce Jeffrey pine and incense-cedar, scattered forbs and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Klamath Mountains of northern California and possibly of southern Oregon. The soils are of moderate extent, about 20,000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Siskiyou County, California, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, 1983.
REMARKS: This series was established to identify and map a new family in a survey area that classified map unit components only to the family level. Serpentinitic mineralogy is assumed from data confirming other soils as serpentinitic occurring in serpentinitic geology with 2.5Y and 10YR hue color.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 5/83.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.