LOCATION LADYBIRD CA

Established Series
Rev: JHP/JPS/ET
10/2016

LADYBIRD SERIES

The Ladybird series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum from schist, sandstone, and mudstone. Ladybird soils are on mountains and have slopes of 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 2030 millimeters (80 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isomesic Typic Haplohumults

TYPICAL PEDON: Ladybird gravelly loam - on a concave south facing slope of 58 percent under coast redwood, Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, tanoak and swordfern at 158.5 meters (520 feet) elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described February 20, 1991, the soil was moist throughout).

Oi--0 to 3 centimeter; (0 to 1 inch); fresh and slightly decomposed fern fronds, leaves and twigs; very strongly acid (pH 4.5). (1 to 15 centimeters thick)

A1--3 to 13 centimeters (1 to 5 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine and moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, and common fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular, common medium tubular, and few coarse tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); gradual smooth boundary.

A2--13 to 24 centimeters (5 to 9 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine, common fine and medium, and few coarse tubular pores; 33 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A1 and A2 horizons is 10 to 60 centimeters)

BAt--24 to 61 centimeters (9 to 24 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine, fine and medium, and few coarse tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 25 centimeters thick)

Bt1--61 to 78 centimeters (24 to 31 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium tubular pores; few faint clay films in pores and on ped faces; 20 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt2--78 to 99 centimeters (31 to 39 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine, and few medium tubular pores; few faint clay films in pores and on ped faces; 17 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--99 to 130 centimeters (39 to 51 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) gravelly clay loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine, and few fine and medium tubular pores; few faint clay films in pores and on ped faces; 24 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 45 to 78 centimeters)

BCt1--130 to 155 centimeters (51 to 61 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) gravelly loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films in pores and coating gravel; 30 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); gradual smooth boundary.

BCt2--155 to 193 centimeters (61 to 76 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) very gravelly loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; very few faint clay films in pores and coating gravel; 34 percent gravel and 7 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.9). (Combined thickness of the BCt horizons is 10 to 101 centimeters)

TYPE LOCATION: Redwood National Park, Humboldt County, California; located near Orick, 1067 meters east-northeast of junction between Bald Hills Road and U.S. Highway 101; southwest quarter, southwest quarter, section 26, T. 11 N., R. 1 E., WGS84 Decimal degrees 41.3037833 latitude and -124.0344250 longitude; HBLM, USGS Orick Quadrangle; UTM Zone 10 413403mE 4572997mN; NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: The soil is continuously moist in all parts in the soil moisture control section in most years. The soils have an udic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 55 degrees F). The difference between mean summer and mean winter temperature is 2 to 4 degrees C.

Organic matter: There is 15 to 25 kg organic carbon per square meter to a depth of one meter.

The umbric epipedon is 25 to 75 centimeters thick.

Reaction is moderately acid to very strongly acid throughout. Base saturation is 15 to 35 percent at the critical depth for Ultisols.

Particle-Size Control Section (weighted average):

Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent angular gravel.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent clay.

O horizon

Hue: 10YR.
Value: 2 through 6 dry and moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4 dry and moist.

In lieu of texture: slightly decomposed organic material.
Wood fragments: 0 to 35 percent.
Reaction: moderately to very strongly acid.

A horizon

Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Texture of fine earth: loam or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent angular gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
Clay content: 18 to 28 percent clay.

Bt horizon

Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6 dry, 2 through 6 moist.

Texture of fine earth: loam or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent angular gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent clay.

C horizon

Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry, 3 through 6 moist.

Texture of fine earth: loam or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 5 to 55 percent angular gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
Clay content: 18 to 40 percent clay.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Espa, Ossagon and Stonehill series. Espa soils do not contain rock fragments. Ossagon soils have rounded fragments throughout. Stonehill soils are 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) deep to a lithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ladybird soils are on mountain slopes and ridgetops. Slope gradients are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 5 to 586 meters (20 to 1920 feet). These soils formed in colluvium and residuum from schist, sandstone, and mudstone. The climate is humid with cool, foggy summers and cool, rainy winters. Mean annual precipitation is 1650 to 2290 millimeters (65 to 90 inches). Mean January temperature is about 9 degrees C; mean July temperature is about 14 degrees C; and the mean annual temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 55 degrees F). Frost-free season is about 250 to 300 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Atwell, Devilscreek, and Stonehill soils. Atwell and Devilscreek soils have an ochric epipedon and redoximorphic features in the subsoil. Atwell soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section and Devilscreek soils lack an argillic horizon. The Atwell and Devilscreek soils are in wet hillslope hollows below the Ladybird soils. The Stonehill soils are on convex slopes or on spur ridges above the Ladybird soils.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high to very high runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil has been used for commercial timber production, recreation, wildlife and watershed. Natural vegetation includes redwood, Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, western hemlock, tanoak, salmonberry, sword fern and oxalis.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: California Coastal Redwood Belt; MLRA 4B. The series is not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Redwood National Park portion, Humboldt and Del Norte Area Soil Survey, California, 1991. The source of the name is from the Ladybird Johnson Grove, Redwood National Park, California.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

1. Umbric epipedon - the zone from 3 to 61 centimeters (A1, A2 & BA horizons)
2. Argillic horizon - the zone from 24 to 193 centimeters (BAt, Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, BCt1 & BCt2 horizons)
3. Ultisol feature - base saturation of 21 percent, by sum of cations, in the (BCt1 & BCt2 horizons)
4. Humult feature - organic carbon is 2.84 percent or more from 3 to 78 centimeters (A1, A2, BA, & Bt1 horizons)
5. Particle-size control section - the zone from 24 to 74 centimeters, averages 32 percent clay, by weight, and 34 percent rock fragments, by volume. CEC/clay ratio averages 0.79.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil sample 89-RNP-20 was collected at the type location and analyzed at the Oregon State University soil testing laboratory.
NASIS User Pedon ID: 88CA605REDW006.

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.