LOCATION KIPPERS AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Aquic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Kippers sandy clay loam-woodland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed mixed conifer litter.
A--1 to 5 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy clay loam; very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to strong thin and moderately thick platy; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; noneffervescent; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick)
Bt--5 to 10 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine and many medium and coarse and few very coarse roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common vertical cracks spaced approximately 3 inches apart; many distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; continuous pressure faces; 5 percent gravel; common fine faint reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) redox features; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.
Btss1--10 to 26 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure; very hard, very firm; very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and common fine and medium and many coarse and very coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; common slickensides; few distinct clay films lining pores; continuous pressure faces; common vertical cracks spaced 2.5 to 3.5 inches apart; 5 percent gravel; many fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redox features; few fine light gray (10YR 7/2) depletion zones; noneffervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary.
Btss2--26 to 35 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay; brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common slickensides; common prominent clay films on faces of ped ; 5 percent gravel; many coarse prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) mottles; few fine pale red (2.5YR 7/2) depletions zones; noneffervescent; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Bt horizons is 25 to 57 inches thick)
C/Bt--35 to 46 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) sandy loam; yellowish red (5YR 5/8) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine irregular pores; common fine faint red (2.5YR 5/6) mottles; common pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) depletion zones along root channels; extremely acid (pH 4.2) (C); reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay; weak red (2.5YR 4/2) moist; strong very fine and fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; common pressure faces; common fine distinct red (2.5YR 4/6) mottles; extremely acid (pH 4.4); 5 percent gravel; noneffervescent; (Bt); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
R--46 inches; weathered sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Coconino County, Arizona; on the Kaibab Plateau, Grand Canyon National Park, 36 degrees 13 minutes 25 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 57 minutes 54 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: soil moisture control section, in normal years is dry in all parts for less than 45 consecutive days in the 4 months following the summer solstice. Udic ustic moisture regime
Mean annual soil temperature - 38 to 47 degrees F
Depth to bedrock - 40 to 60 inches
Depth to argillic - 5 to 14 inches
Depth to redoximorphic features - 12 to 29 inches
Particle-size control section (weighted average) - Clay content: 40 to 55 percent
A horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2.5 to 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
When colors are dark enough, the A horizon does not meet thickness criteria for a mollic epipedon.
Bt horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry or moist
Chroma: 4 to 8, dry or moist
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid
Redoximorphic features: few to many, fine to coarse, faint to prominent mottles; few to many, fine to coarse, faint to distinct depletion zones with a chroma of 2 or less.
Other features: Some argillic horizons may lack slickensides.
Some pedons have E horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: residuum, fine-grained sandstone, limestone, and chert
Landform: summits and sideslopes of hills and ridges on plateaus
Slopes: 2 to 40 percent
Elevation: 7900 to 9750 feet
Mean annual temperature: 36 to 45 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 25 to 33 inches
Precipitation pattern: Wettest months: December through April
Driest months: May, June, October, and November
Frost-free period: 70 to 105 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kanabownits and Kaiparowits soils. Kanabownits soils are skeletal and do not have an argillic horizon. Kaiparowits soils do not have an aquic moisture regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained, medium to very high runoff, very slow permeability, saturated with water between 12 and 40 inches (Btss horizons) for 20 or more consecutive days or 30 or more cumulative days in March and April due to snow melt.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for recreation, timber production and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation includes White fir, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, Quaking aspen, and Ponderosa pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kaibab Plateau above 8000 feet in north central Arizona; MLRA 35. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil survey of Grand Canyon Area, Arizona, Parts of Coconino and Mohave Counties, 2001
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: the zone from 5 to 25 inches (top 20 inches of argillic horizon)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 1 to 5 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon: The zone from 5 to 35 inches (Bt, Btss1, and Btss2 horizons)
Aquic features: The zone between 12 and 30 inches (Btss horizons) that in normal years is saturated with water for 20 consecutive days, or 30 or more cumulative days in March and April following the start of snowmelt.
Redoximorphic features: Consists of mottles, iron oxide concretions, and depletion zones with a chroma of 2 or less.