LOCATION HYTE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Mollic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Hyte gravelly sandy loam on a 35 percent southwest slope at 3,760 feet elevation under cheatgrass, whitethorn, buckbrush, blue oak, scrub oak, buckwheat, and digger pine.Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described (September 17, 1992) the soil was dry throughout.
A1--0 to 1 inches (0 to 3 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrubt wavy boundary.
A2--1 to 5 inches (3 to 13 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores and few very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bt1--5 to 9 inches (13 to 23 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; common thin and moderately thick clay films on ped faces and in pores; 16 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--9 to 14 inches (23 to 36 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; common thin and moderately thick clay films on ped faces and in pores; 16 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
Cr--14 to 30 inches (36 to 76 cm); partly decomposed granitic bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California. Approximately 1.75 miles southeast of Havilah; 800 feet south, 200 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 14, T. 28 S., R. 32 E., M.D.B.M.; USGS Piute Peak topographic quadrangle; latitude 35 degrees 29 minutes 55 seconds north and longitude 118 degrees 30 minutes zero seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil is usally dry from late May through November. It is usually moist in all parts for at least 90 consecutive days from December to May.
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 64 degrees F.(15 to 18 cm)
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent stones and boulders, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 15 to 30 percent gravel.
Depth to bedrock: 8 to 20 inches (20 to 51 cm)
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 dry, 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, moist or dry
Texture: gravelly sandy loam or gravelly coarse sandy loam
Clay: 7 to 15 percent
Organic matter: 1 to 2 percent
B horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3, 4 or 6 dry, 2, 3, 4 or 6 moist
Texture: gravelly coarse sandy loam or
gravelly sandy loam
Clay: 10 to 18 percent
Some pedons have an O horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hyte soils are on hills and mountains with slopes of 5 to 60 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from granite, granodiorite, diorite or gabbro. Elevations are 2,700 to 5,500 feet (823 to 1676 meters). The average annual precipitation is 8 to 18 inches (20 to 46 cm). The mean January temperature is 44 degrees F.( 7 degrees C), mean July temperature is 81 degrees F. (27 degrees C.), and the mean annual temperature is 56 to 62 degrees F. (13 to 17 degrees C.) The frost free season is 175 to 220 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Erskine(T) and Sorrell(T) soils. Erskine soils have a mesic temperature regime. Sorrell soils are moderately deep and have a mesic temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and homesite development. The vegetation is mainly wild oats, California buckwheat, buckbrush, California scrub oak, narrowleaf goldenbush and other shrubs and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The southern Sierra Nevada mountains in California. The soils are of small extent in MLRA 18 and 29.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kern County, California 2005. Kern County, Northeastern Part and Southeastern Part of Tulare County Soil Survey Area. The series is coined from Haight Canyon.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: the zone from 0 to 5 inches (A)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 5 to 14 inches (Bt).