LOCATION HENTINE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, magnesic, thermic Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Hentine very gravelly sandy loam on an east facing slope of 38 percent under a dense stand of chamise with some manzanita, ceanothus and scattered foothill pine. The elevation is 3,810 feet. (Color is for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described May 6, 1985, the soil was dry to 2 inches and moist below).
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 14 percent clay content; 60 percent gravel fragments of serpentine 1/8 to 1.5 inches in size; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick).
Bt1--2 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm; moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular and interstitial pores; many moderately thick colloid stains and clay films bridging mineral grains; 27 percent clay content; 37 percent gravel fragments of serpentine 1/8 to 3/4 inch in size, with few 2.5 inch fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick).
Bt2--9 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine and common coarse roots; common very fine, fine and few coarse tubular and interstitial pores; common thin colloid stains and clay films bridging sand grains; 29 percent clay content; 37 percent gravel fragments of serpentine 1/8 to 3/4 inch in size, with few 2.5 inch fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick).
Bt3--15 to 18 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine and coarse roots; few very fine, fine and coarse tubular and interstitial pores; few thin clay films bridging sand grains; 29 percent clay content; 37 percent gravel fragments of serpentine 1/8 to 3/4 inch in size, with few 2.5 inch fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); 40 percent lateral rock interruption; abrupt broken boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
R--18 to 28 inches; hard fractured serpentinite rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California; 100 feet northwest of the dirt road; 2.2 miles north of Duckworth Creek and Los Gatos Creek junction; 1.5 miles east of the San Benito County line; 1,800 feet west and 1,000 feet south of the northeast corner of section 2, T. 19 S., R. 12 E., MDB&M; Latitude 36 degrees, 18 minutes, 29 seconds north and Longitude 120 degrees, 38 minutes and 24 seconds west; USGS San Benito Mountain Quadrangle, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact of hard serpentinite rock is 10 to 20 inches. The moisture control section of 12 to 18 inches is moist from December 1 to May 15 and dry from June 1 to September 15 in most years. The soil temperature is above 47 degrees F from February 15 to December 15. The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 65 degrees F. Organic matter content is 1 to 3 percent in the A and upper Bt horizons.
The A horizon has color of 7.5YR 4/2, 4/4, 5/2; 10YR 4/2 or 5/2. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2 or 10YR 2/2. Texture is very gravelly sandy loam, very cobbly loam and gravelly loam. Clay content is 10 to 27 percent. Rock fragmentcontent is 15 to 60 percent. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has color of 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4, 5/2, 6/2; 10YR 4/3 or 4/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2, 3/4, 5/2; 10YR 3/2 or 4/2. Dry and moist chromas above 3 and moist values above 3 are below 9 inches. Texture is extremely gravelly clay loam, very gravelly loam or very gravelly clay loam. Clay content is 25 to 35 percent. Rock fragment content is 15 to 75 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hentine soils are on mountains. Sslope is 30 to 70 percent. Elevation is 1,120 to 4,970 feet. The soils have formed in material weathered from serpentinite rocks of the Franciscan formation. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 20 inches. The mean January temperature is 46 degrees F; the mean July temperature is 81 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 56 to 63 degrees F. The frost-free season is 150 to 240 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Franciscan, Lilten, Atravesada and Henneke soils. Franciscan soils, on mountains, have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches and have mixed mineralogy. Lilten soils, on mountains, have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches, do not have an argillic horizon and have mixed mineralogy. Atravesada soils, on mountains, have a paralithic contact at a depth of 10 to 20 inches have a loamy particle-size control section and a thermic soil temperature regime. Henneke soils, on mountains, have a clayey-skeletal particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high or very high runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and for recreation and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is dense stands of chamise with some manzanita, ceanothus and scattered foothill pine, and blue oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are in the Diablo Range in the California Coast Ranges. They are moderately extensive. MLRA 15.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stanislaus County, Western Part, California, 1998. Name is coined.
REMARKS:
These soils were formerly mapped as Henneke in the unpublished report, Soil Survey of Western Fresno County Area, California. The Hentine soils are being differentiated by having a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section. Organic matter estimate based on nearby test using Walkley-Black Digestion method.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon S92CA-099-003 (county modal).