LOCATION KINGSIRON CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, amorphic, frigid Typic Haploxerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Kingsiron extremely gravelly medial fine sandy loam on a south facing (180 degrees) slope of 55 percent, under a cover of incense cedar, white fir, sugar pine, and Jeffrey pine at an elevation of 5814 feet, (1772 m). When described on 7/11/2007, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inches (0 to 2 cm); slightly decomposed needles, bark, and twig litter; 10 percent angular cobbles and 5 percent angular stones; abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--1 to 3 inches (2 to 8 cm); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) extremely gravelly medial fine sandy loam, very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) moist; 4 percent clay; weak fine and medium granular structure parting to single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 10 percent angular fine gravel, 45 percent angular medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent angular cobbles, and 5 percent angular stones; neutral, pH 6.7 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 10.0; abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 9 inches (8 to 22 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) extremely gravelly medial fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; 5 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine to medium, and few coarse and very coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 5 percent angular fine gravel, 74 percent angular medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent angular cobbles, and 5 percent angular stones; neutral, pH 6.7 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 11.0; abrupt irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm) thick)
Bw1--9 to 28 inches (22 to 70 cm); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; 5 percent clay; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine to medium, and common coarse and very coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 14 percent angular fine gravel, 58 percent angular medium and coarse gravel, and 15 percent angular cobbles; neutral, pH 6.9 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 11.0; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--28 to 41 inches (70 to 105 cm); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; 6 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, many fine and medium, and common coarse and very coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 16 percent angular fine gravel, 57 percent angular medium and coarse gravel, and 15 percent angular cobbles; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 11.0; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw3--41 to 63 inches (105 to 160 cm); pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; 4 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium to very coarse roots; many very fine to medium interstitial pores; 16 percent angular fine gravel, 54 percent angular medium and coarse gravel, and 15 percent angular cobbles; slightly acid, pH 6.6 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 11.0. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 54 or more inches (133 cm) thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Plumas County, California, about 0.4 miles east of Drakesbad, approximately 1000 feet south and 650 feet east of the northwest corner of sec 23, T. 30 N., R. 5 E., 40 degrees, 26 minutes, 40 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees, 23 minutes, 45 seconds west longitude, NAD83; USGS Quad: Reading Peak, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to restrictive feature: Lithic contact greater than 60 inches (152 cm).
Mean annual soil temperature: 42 to 44 degrees F (6 to 7 degrees C).
Soil moisture control section is dry: July to October (about 90 days).
Particle-size control section (thickest part): 4 to 6 percent clay and 65 to 89 percent rock fragments.
Surface fragments: 3 to 20 percent gravel, 5 to 30 percent cobbles, 10 to 15 percent stones, and 0 to 10 percent boulders.
A horizon:
Color dry: 10YR 5/1, 5/2, 2.5Y 3/2, 4/2, 5/2
Color moist: 10YR 2/1, 3/2, 2.5Y 2/1, 3/1, 3/2
Texture: extremely gravelly medial fine sandy loam, medial loamy sand, very gravelly medial loamy sand, very gravelly medial fine sandy loam
Clay content: 2 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent fine gravel, 0 to 75 medium and coarse gravel, 0 to 80 percent total gravel, 5 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones, 5 to 89 percent total rock fragments
Organic matter: 9 to 17.5 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 2.10 to 2.75
P retention: 80 to 95
Glass content: 8 to 14 percent
NaF pH: 9.0 to 11.0
Soil reaction: slightly acid or neutral
Upper Bw horizon:
Color dry: 10YR 6/2, 7/2, 2.5Y 6/4
Color moist: 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 2.5Y 4/4
Texture: extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, extremely stony medial coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 18 percent fine gravel, 15 to 60 percent medium and coarse gravel, 20 to 75 percent total gravel, 15 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 20 percent stones, 0 to 20 percent boulders, 65 to 88 percent total rock fragments
Organic matter: 5 to 8 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 3.00 to 4.00
P retention: 90 to 100
Glass content: 9 to 13 percent
NaF pH: 10.2 to 11.0
Soil reaction: neutral
Lower Bw horizon:
Color dry: 10YR 7/2, 8/2, 8/3, 2.5Y 7/4
Color moist: 10YR 4/3, 5/3, 2.5Y 5/4
Texture: extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, extremely cobbly medial coarse sandy loam, extremely cobbly medial sandy loam, extremely stony medial sandy loam
Clay content: 4 to 14 percent
Rock fragments: 2 to 20 percent fine gravel, 15 to 55 percent medium and coarse gravel, 20 to 70 percent total gravel, 15 to 40 percent cobbles, 0 to 25 percent stones, 0 to 5 percent boulders, 65 to 85 percent total rock fragments
Organic matter: 1.0 to 4.5 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 4.0 to 5.5
P retention: 90 to 100
Glass content: 9 to 21 percent
NaF pH: 9.5 to 11.0
Soil reaction: slightly acid or neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Almanor and Whorled soils. The Almanor soils are deep to a lithic contact. The Whorled soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kingsiron soils are on the backslopes and base slopes of glacial-valley walls in the Southern Cascade mountains. Slopes range from 20 to 80 percent. These soils formed in ash mixed with colluvium over colluvium from volcanic rocks. Elevation is 5291 to 7406 feet (1613 to 2258 m). The mean annual precipitation is 43 to 91 inches (1092 to 2311 mm). The mean annual temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F (5 to 6 degrees C). Frost free season is 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dittmar, Scoured and Juniperlake soils. The Dittmar soils are shallow to bedrock and are on convex glacially scoured poitions on glacial-valley walls. The Scoured soils are moderately deep to bedrock, and are on glaciated uplands. The Juniperlake soils are deep to dense till, and are on moraines.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; saturated hydraulic conductivity is high to very high in the A horizon, and high in the Bw horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for wildlife habitat, recreation, ecosystem management and watershed. Vegetation is white fir, Jeffrey pine and incense cedar.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The soils are inextensive and are mapped in MLRA: 22B Southern Cascade Mountains
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Plumas County California. Source of name coined from Kings Creek and Flatiron Ridge in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 1 to 9 inches, (2 to 22 cm)
Cambic horizon: 9 to 63 inches, (22 to 160 cm)
Andic soil properties: 1 to 63 inches, (2 to 160 cm)
Particle-size control section: 1 to 40 inches, (2 to 102 cm)
Soil moisture control section: greater than 63 inches, (160 cm)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Classification and properties inferred from lab data from lab pedon number 07N0136 NSSL, Lincoln, NE. NASIS User ID in Davis, MLRA office: 789247