LOCATION KUNCEIDER               OR

Established Series
Rev. GDM-TDT-JVC-JBF
07/2011

KUNCEIDER SERIES

The Kunceider series consists of shallow, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in volcanic ash and pumice over residuum derived from basalt. Kunceider soils are on lava plains and lava plateaus. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Kunceider cobbly ashy loamy sand--on a nearly level site at an elevation of 1,350 meters--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on June 13, 1994, the soil was dry throughout.)

A1--0 to 13 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly ashy loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and many fine roots, few medium and common fine interstitial pores; 50 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) medium to very coarse sand-size pumiceous ash grains; 15 percent cobbles and 15 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.

A2--13 to 23 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly ashy loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and common fine roots, few medium and common fine tubular pores; 40 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) medium to very coarse sand-size pumiceous ash grains; 40 percent cobbles and 10 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 18 to 30 cm)

2Bw--23 to 36 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, few fine, and few medium roots; few fine and few medium tubular pores; 30 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) medium to very coarse sand-size pumiceous ash grains; 40 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)

2R--36 cm; fractured basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Oregon; north of Fort Rock Valley and west of The Devils Garden lava field; approximately 2,190 feet north and 670 feet west of the southeast corner of section 6, T. 25 S., R. 15 E.; USGS Cougar Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 43 degrees, 26 minutes, 3.3 seconds N and longitude 120 degrees, 57 minutes, 27.4econds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 25 to 50 cm to a lithic contact.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 60 percent in coarse silt through very coarse sand fractions. Other features: The medium to very coarse sand-size pumiceous ash content is 30 to 50 percent by volume; Gravel on the surface and in the upper part is fine (2.0 to 5.0 mm diameter).

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: averages 35 to 60 percent. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt;

A1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 or 3 percent.

A2 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent cobbles and 10 to 20 percent gravel.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.

2Bw horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly ashy sandy loam, very cobbly ashy sandy loam, very cobbly ashy loamy sand, very gravelly ashy sandy loam or extremely gravelly ashy loamy sand.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 40 percent cobbles and 10 to 50 percent gravel.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline
Other features: Some pedons have cambic horizons when horizon thickness is 15 cm or more and fine-earth texture is sandy loam.

COMPETING SERIES: These are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kunceider soils are on lava plains and lava plateaus. These soils formed in volcanic ash and pumice over residuum derived from basalt. The volcanic ash source is ancestral Mt. Mazama (Crater Lake caldera). Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,310 to 1.604 meters. The climate is semiarid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 40 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonnick, Fort Rock, Henkle, Wanoga, and Wegert soils. Bonnick soils are ashy, very deep, and occur on adjacent nearly level lake terraces. Fort Rock soils are ashy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, very deep, and occur on adjacent nearly level lake terraces. Henkle soils are ashy-skeletal with andic soil properties, shallow to lithic contacts, have a xeric moisture regime, and occur on adjacent forested lava plains. Wanoga soils are ashy with andic soil properties, moderately deep to paralithic contacts, have a xeric moisture regime, and occur on adjacent forested lava plains. Wegert soils are ashy and moderately deep to lithic contacts.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very high surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Kunceider soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, needleandthread, Ross' sedge, Indian ricegrass, Idaho fescue, and antelope bitterbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 23.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County (Northern Part), Oregon, 2006. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 36 cm to underlying hard bedrock (2R layer).
Particle-size control section and ashy-skeletal substitute class with glassy mineralogy - The zone from the soil surface to 36 cm (A1, A2, and 2Bw horizons).

Classification was updated to 11th edition on 07/2011 changed Lithic Haploxerolls to Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.