LOCATION KIKONI HI

Established Series
Rev. HHS/RCH/MRK
05/2012

KIKONI SERIES

The Kikoni series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in basic volcanic ash overlying `a`a lava. Kikoni soils are on ash fields and have slopes of 0 to 12 percent. The mean annual rainfall is about 1020 millimeters (40 inches) and mean annual temperature is about 19 degrees C. (65 degrees F.)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, amorphic, isothermic Humic Haplustands

TYPICAL PEDON: Kikoni medial very fine sandy loam - pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures.")

A--0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2) medial very fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) dry; strong fine and medium granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 18 centimeters {5 to 7 inches} thick)

Bw1--15 to 28 centimeters (6 to 11 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) medial very fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; pockets of white colored material which may be remnants of old land snails; neutral (pH 7.3); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 15 centimeters {4 to 6 inches} thick)

Bw2--28 to 38 centimeters (11 to 15 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) medial very fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common pockets of strong fine subangular blocky structure; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 23 centimeters {6 to 9 inches} thick)

Bw3--38 to 64 centimeters (15 to 25 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) medial very fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; massive, with pockets of strong fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual smooth boundary. (13 to 20 centimeters {5 to 8 inches} thick)

2Bw--64 to 127 centimeters (25 to 50 inches); dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) gravelly medial silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) dry; strong very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common pockets of dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) which is similar to above horizon; 17 gravel-size basalt fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (51 to 76 centimeters {20 to 30 inches} thick)

3C--127 to 152 centimeters (5O to 60 inches); cobbles with soil material from above filling the interstices. 75 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones from `a`a lava.

TYPE LOCATION: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii; Kukuihaele Quadrangle - 20 degrees 0 minutes 44 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees 36 minutes 8 seconds west longitude; about 3 miles southeast of the Extension Service office in Kamuela and about 5 yards south of the Mana Road on Parker Ranch.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to unconforming bedrock is greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches).

The solum has hue of 10YR through 5YR.

The B horizon
Value and chroma of 2 through 4 moist.
Texture ranges from medial very fine sandy loam to medial silt loam. Consistence of the lower 2Bw horizon is weakly smeary toward the wetter limits of the series.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Kamakoa, Kamaoa, Kapapala, Kula, Kiolakaa, and Waimea series. Kamakoa soils are alluvial soils. Kamaoa soils lack a buried B horizon with strong structure. Kapapala are on Mauna Loa Volcano. Kula soils have weak structure in the A horizon and moderate structure in the upper part of the B horizon. Kiolakaa soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Waimea soils have weak structure in the A horizon and lack a buried B horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kikoni soils are on intermediate leeward ash fields on Mauna Kea and Kohala mountain slopes. Slope is 0 to 12 percent. Elevation ranges from 792 to 1,097 meters (2,600 to 3,600 feet). The soils formed in basic volcanic ash. Annual rainfall is 635 to 1,270 millimeters (25 to 50 inches). Mean annual temperature is 19 degrees C. (66 degrees F.); average January temperature is 12 degrees c. (54 degrees F.) and that of July is 17 degrees C. (62 degrees F.)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hanipoe, Maile, and the competing Waimea soils. Hanipoe soils have a weak granular A horizon and weak subangular blocky structure in the B horizon. Maile soils are hydrous silty clay loam in the control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for pasture with a few acres in truck crops. Natural vegetation is mainly bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), rattailgrass (Sporobolus capensis), kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestinum) and hilograss (Paspalum conjugatum).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This series occurs on the northwestern section of the island of Hawaii. MLRA 160. It is about 11,000 acres in extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii, 1971.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features (11th edition, Keys to Soil Taxonomy) recognized in this pedon are:
Andic soil properties - from the soil surface to 127 centimeters (50 inches).
Mollic epipedon - from the soil surface to 15 centimeters (6 inches).
Soil moisture-usually moist, but dry in some or all parts for short intermittent periods totaling 90 days or more (Ustic moisture regime).

OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 5/78.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.