LOCATION GRANHOGANY              CA

Established Series
Rev. EWB-JVC
05/2014

GRANHOGANY SERIES

The Granhogany series consists of shallow, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rock. Granhogany soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 600 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5.6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid, shallow Entic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Granhogany very gravelly loamy coarse sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles.

A1--0 to 10 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--10 to 28 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine 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; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)

A3--28 to 38 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine 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; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear irregular boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Cr--38 to 64 cm; weathered granodiorite.

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 4.5 miles southwest of the town of Walker; approximately 2,000 feet south and 350 feet east of the northwest corner of section 18, T. 7 N., R. 23 E.; USGS Lost Cannon Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 27 minutes 12.9 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 30 minutes 4.0 seconds west longitude, NAD27; UTM Zone 11; 281752e, 4259106n.

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 soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered granitic rock.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 3 to 8 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 50 to 80 percent, mainly fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter). Lithology of fragments are granitic rocks such as granodiorite.

A1 horizon
Value: 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 3 to 6 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

A2 and A3 horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, very gravelly loamy coarse sand, or very gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 3 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Pimogran series. Pimogran soils have mollic epipedons less than 36 cm thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Granhogany soils are on mountains. They typically occur on shoulder positions. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rock. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 2,100 to 2,600 meters. The climate is subhumid-continental with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 750 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 Elaero and Lockgate soils. Elaero soils have argillic horizons and are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Lockgate soils have thick mollic epipedons, argillic horizons, and are deep to paralithic contacts.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium or high surface runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Granhogany soils are used for rangeland, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly curl-leaf mountain mahogany, mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, snowberry, and western needlegrass. This pedon is correlated to R022AY024NV, Mahogany savanna.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive with about 3,600 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 22A.

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 38 cm (A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 38 cm to underlying soft, weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 38 cm (A3 horizon and part of the A2 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: User pedon ID 2002CA051001.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.