LOCATION KARAMIN WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Karamin ashy fine sandy loam - forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--.0 to 0.5 inches; slightly decomposed twigs, needles, and leaves.
A--0.5 to 2 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) ashy fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; considerable charcoal; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--2 to 13 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) ashy fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; very weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
BC--13 to 18 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy fine sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; very weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many fine and common medium pores; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
C--18 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; moderately acid (pH 5.7).
TYPE LOCATION: Ferry County; Washington; Republic Ranger District, Colville National Forest, along Swan Lake forest road; SE1/4 sec. 20, T.36N., R.32E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: usually moist, but are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days following summer solstice; xeric soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F.
Rock fragments: average 0 to 10 percent in the particle-size control section
Depth to sandy material (BC or C horizon): 12 to 23 inches.
Vitrandic properties: The upper 12 to 23 inches of the solum has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.20 to 1.50 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples.
A horizon
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Reaction: neutral to strongly acid
Some pedons have a thin layer of Mt. St. Helens 'T' (Approximately 1890) or 'W' (Approximately 1550) volcanic ash:
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Bw horizon
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: ashy fine sandy loam or ashy sandy loam
Gravel: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately acid
BC horizon (when present) and C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: fine sand, sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
Gravel: 0 to 10 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Orwig, and Packerjohn series. Orwig soils are similar and need review for adequate separation, they have developed in mixed volcanic ash over outwash derived from granitic material and the sands are angular and granitic. Packerjohn soils have 10 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and have an umbric epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Karamin soils are on terraces and terrace escarpments, and on toeslopes and footsloes of mountains. Slope ranges from 0 to 65 percent. The soils formed in mixed loess and volcanic ash over glacial outwash. Elevations are 2,700 to 4,500 feet. The climate is characterized by with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 18 to 30 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gahee, Goddard, Kiehl, Manley, Merkel, Scrabblers, Stapaloop, and Torboy soils. Gahee and Manley soils have have a mantle of volcanic ash over 14 inches thick and are cryic. Goddard and Kiehl soils have a mantle of volcanic ash 7 to 14 inches thick and are sandy-skeletal. Merkel soils are loamy-skeletal and moderately deep to a densic contact. Scrabblers soils have a mantle of volcanic ash 7 to 14 inches thick. Stapaloop soils are coarse-loamy. Torboy soils are very similar but have a base saturation of over 60 percent in some part between 10 and 30 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, grazing, cropland, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, western larch, and lodgepole pine, with an understory of pachystima, longtube twinflower, pinegrass, Saskatoon serviceberry, huckleberry, and spirea.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington; MLRA 43A. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ferry County (North Ferry Area), Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 2 inches (Oi and A horizons)
Cambic horizon: 2 to 13 inches (Bw horizon)
The upper part of the particle-size control section averages more than 50 percent fine or coarser sand and therefore does not meet contrasting particle-size class criteria.
The series was originally classified as sandy, mixed, frigid Typic Xerochrepts.