LOCATION KALAE HI

Established Series
Rev. RCH/SN/JVP/MRK
03/2017

KALAE SERIES

The Kalae series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in residuum from basic igneous rock. Kalae soils are on mountain hillslopes and have slopes of 2 to 40 percent. The mean annual rainfall is about 1016 millimeters (40 inches), and the mean annual temperature is about 21 degrees C. (70 degrees F.)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, parasesquic, isothermic Ustic Palehumults

TYPICAL PEDON: Kalae silty clay - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures.")

Ap1-- 0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 inches); dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) silty clay, weak red (2.5YR 4/2) dry; moderate very fine strong very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide 3 percent concentration; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 23 cm (7 to 9 inches) thick).

Ap2--23 to 38 cm (9 to 15 inches); dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) silty clay, weak red (2.5YR 4/2) dry; strong very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many strong coarse cloddy masses, few fine roots; many very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores; firm; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide 3 percent concentration; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 inches) thick).

Bt1 --38 to 66 cm (15 to 26 inches); dark red (2.5YR 3/6) silty clay; red (2.5YR 4/6) dry; strong very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; thin continuous pressure faces on ped surfaces; many strong coarse cloddy masses that break down after prolonged rubbing; upper part of this horizon has pockets that are slightly smeary, very friable, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide 3 percent concentration; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual wavy boundary. (18 to 38 cm (7 to 15 inches) thick).

Bt2 -- 66 to 104 cm (26 to 41 inches); red (2.5YR 4/6) moist silty clay; strong very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many thin continuous pressure faces on ped surfaces; many hard cloddy masses that break down after prolonged rubbing; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide 3 percent concentration; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary. (33 to 41 cm (13 to 16 inches) thick).

2Bt3 -- 104 to 135 cm (41 to 53 inches); dark red (2.5YR 3/6) silt loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) when crushed dry; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; few patchy clay films on ped surfaces; strongly acid (pH 5.1); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 30 cm (5 to 12 inches) thick).

2Bt4 --135 to 157 cm (53 to 62 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silt loam, moderate fine and medium subangular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very fine and common fine tubular pores; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) patchy clay films on ped faces; strongly acid (pH 5.1); gradual irregular boundary. (3 to 30 cm (1 to 12 inches) thick).

2BC -- 157 to 170 cm (62 to 67 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine tubular pores; about 30 percent of this horizon is made up of strongly weathered rock; strongly acid (pH 5.1).

TYPE LOCATION: Island of Molokai, Maui County, Hawaii. Kaunakakai Quadrangle; latitude 21 degrees 10 minutes 11 second N. and longitude 157 degrees 2 minutes 29 seconds W. (WGS84).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is about 18 to 26 degrees C, the mean summer soil temperature is about 20 to 26 degrees C. and the mean winter soil temperature is about 18 to 22 degrees C. The difference between the mean summer and winter temperatures range from 2 to 3 degrees C. The particle-size control section averages 40 to 60 percent clay. All horizons are very strongly acid or extremely acid. The umbric epipedon is 15 to 38 centimeters (6 to 15 inches) thick. Depth to bedrock is more than 183 centimeters (6 feet). The upper part of the B horizon is mixed with the A in most cultivated areas.

Range of Individual Horizons:
The Ap horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, and chroma of 4 or 5 moist and 2 through 4 when dry.

The Bt horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 or 4 when moist or dry and chroma of 3 to 6 when moist or dry.

The BC horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3 or 4 when moist or dry and chroma of 3 to 6 when moist or dry.

The C horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 7.5 YR or 5YR, value of 3 or 4 when moist or dry and chroma of 3 to 6 when moist or dry.

COMPETING SERIES: These are Puu Opae and Makawao series. Makawao soils have thin continuous clay films and are slightly acid in the argillic horizon. Puu Opae soils have an umbric epipedon and an argillic horizon that has a weak and moderate structure in the upper part and moderately thick clay films in the lower part.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kalae soils are on low and mid elevation mountain hillslopes from 197 to 746 meters (646 to 2448 feet). Slopes range from 2 to 40 percent. These soils formed in residuum from basic igneous rock. The annual rainfall is 730 to 1398 mm (29 to 55 inches). Most of the rainfall occurs from November to April. The mean annual temperature is 18 to 26 degrees C (64 to 78 degrees F.) The frost-free period is 365 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Halawa soils and the Hoolehua, Lahaina, and Naiwa soils. Hoolehua and Lahaina soils lack a kandic horizon. Naiwa soils have a fine-silty control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff, depending on slope and erosion; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Kalae soils are used for pineapple and pasture. Native vegetation is guava, hilograss, yellow foxtail, kikuyugrass, and bracken fern.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Islands of Molokai and Lanai. MLRA 165-Subhumid Intermediate Mountain slopes and MLRA 158- Semiarid and Subhumid Low Mountain Slopes. Small extent, about 2,698 acres in size

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Island of Molokai, Maui County, Hawaii, 1971.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 38 cm inches (Ap horizons)
Kandic horizon - the zone from 38 to 105 cm (Bt horizons)
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy, Second Edition, 1999; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Characterization data is available from the KSSL for the following Pedons:
S1963HI00951
S1963HI00952

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.