LOCATION KALO CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, frigid Ultic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kalo stony sandy loam - on an 8 percent east facing slope under ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, incense cedar and manzanita at 4,620 feet elevation. (When described on September 7, 1983, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
0--2 to 0 inches; new and partially decomposed needles, bark, grass blades, and other organic debris.
A--0 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) stony sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 7 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on peds; 10 percent stones, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--11 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on peds; 10 percent stones, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5) gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
Bt3--19 to 27 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; few moderately thick clay films on peds; 10 percent stones, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
R--27 inches; hard extrusive igneous rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Siskiyou County, California; about 8.5 miles north west of Macdoel, 100 feet east of dirt road; about 2,100 feet north and 1,680 feet east of the south west corner of sec. 17, T. 47 N., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to hard extrusive igneous rock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 44 degrees to 47 degrees F. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is above 41 degrees F from about April 15 to November 10 (205 days) and is above 47 degrees F from about May 15 to October 20 (155 days). The soil between depths of 10 to 22 inches is dry from about July 15 to October 20 (95 days). The mollic epipedon is 10 to 15 inches thick. The base saturation (by sum of cations) ranges from 60 to 75 percent. Reaction of the solum is moderately or slightly acid. Content of organic matter ranges from 1 to 3 percent in the surface 11 inches.
The A horizon has dry color of 7.5YR 4/2, 4/4, 5/2, 5YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2 or 5/3 and moist color of 7.5YR 3/2; 5YR 3/2 or 3/3. It has 10 to 20 percent clay and 15 to 45 percent rock fragments. Stones and cobbles range from 10 to 35 percent. Gravel ranges from 5 to 10 percent.
The Bt horizon has dry color of 7.5YR 5/2, 5/4, 5YR 5/3, 5/4, 5/6, 6/2, 6/3 or 6/4 and moist color of 7.5YR 3/2, 3/4, 5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3. The Bt horizon is very cobbly loam or very cobbly clay loam and average 20 to 32 percent clay with 5 to 12 percent more clay content than the A horizon and 35 to 55 percent rock fragments. Stones range from 5 to 10 percent. Cobbles range from 20 to 30 percent. Gravels range from 10 to 15 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Apmat, Durst, Fraval, Henhoit, Jumbo, Klicker, Klickson, Little Wood, Mulshoe, Sapkin and Sattley. Apmat, Henhoit, Klickson and Little Wood soils lack bedrock within 40 inches. In addition Apmat soils have less than 18 percent clay in the control section. Durst soils have a mean annual soil temperature that ranges from 40 degrees to 43 degrees F and are dry for 65 to 85 days. Fraval soils have a paralithic contact within 40 inches. Jumbo and Sattley soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock. Klicker soils have over 40 percent silt in all horizons and are dry for 60 to 80 days. Mulshoe soils have 35 to 60 percent rock fragments and 10YR hues in the A horizon. Sapkin soils are dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days after the summer solstics.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kalo soils are on mountains. Slopes are 5 to 50 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from extrusive igneous rock. Elevation is 4,400 to 6,500 feet. The climate is continental with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 30 inches. Snowfall is 20 to 40 inches. The mean January temperature is about 26 degrees F, mean July temperature is about 62 degrees F, and mean annual temperature is about 44 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Esro, Mojo (T), Orset, Pinehurst and Snell soils. Esro, Orset and Pinehurst soils are deeper than 40 inches. Mojo soils are not skeletal. Snell soils have clayey particle-size control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Kalo soils are used for woodland production and limited livestock grazing. Vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, incense cedar, antelope bitterbrush, squawcarpet and manzanita.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral California. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Siskiyou County, California; Butte Valley-Tule Lake Soil Survey, 1985. The name is coined.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to depth of 11 inches (A, Bt1 horizons).
Loamy-skeletal family - The particle-size control section is (5 to 25 inches) weight average clay content is 29 percent. Weighted average rock fragment content is 40 percent.
The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET
Additional Information: NSSL Data S84CA093-005