LOCATION GRANIDRY CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Granidry very gravelly coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, and 5 percent boulders.
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--3 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay bridges between sand grains; 50 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt2--7 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint clay bridges between sand grains and common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 60 percent gravel; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt3--11 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium and common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds, lining pores, and coating gravel; 75 percent gravel; neutral; clear irregular boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Crt--16 inches; weathered and fractured granodiorite; illuvial clay is in fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 2,000 feet east northeast of the Buckeye Creek Campground; approximately 300 feet south and 700 feet east of the northwest corner of section 4, T. 4 N., R. 24 E.; USGS Twin Lakes 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 14 minutes 29.4 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 20 minutes 19.3 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry from July through early October for 75 to 90 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 14 inches; includes the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons.
Depth to bedrock - 14 to 20 inches to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered granitic rock.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 12 to 18 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 80 percent, mainly fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter). Lithology of fragments are granitic rocks such as granodiorite.
A horizons - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt1 and Bt2 horizons - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly coarse sandy loam or extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt3 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly sandy clay loam or extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 65 to 80 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Granidry soils are on mountains. They typically occur on south-facing backslope positions. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from granitic rock. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 7,000 to 8,500 feet. The climate is subhumid-continental with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 24 inches, mean annual temperature is 39 to 45 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Elaero, Granhogany, and Lockgate soils. Elaero soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts and have a frigid temperature regime. Granhogany soils are sandy-skeletal, do not have diagnostic subsurface horizons, and have a frigid temperature regime. Lockgate soils have thick mollic epipedons, are deep to paralithic contacts, and have a frigid temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Granidry soils are used for rangeland, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, desert needlegrass, currant, Anderson's peachbrush, and cheatgrass with some scattered singleleaf pinyon and Jeffrey pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive with about 1,300 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 11 inches (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 3 to 16 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 16 inches to underlying soft, weathered bedrock (Crt layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 3 to 16 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).