LOCATION LANGILLE CA

Established Series
JBB/CES/JTW
09/2021

LANGILLE SERIES

The Langille series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium and till over residuum weathered from granite. The Langille soils are on structural benches of mountain slopes, cirques, and glacial-valley walls of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 2 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1000 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 2 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic Vitrixerandic Dystrocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Langille extremely channery loamy sand on a south-facing (200 degree), 4 percent slope under threadleaf sedge and lodgepole pine at an elevation of 3334 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on August 9, 2013 the soil was dry to 11 cm.)

A1--0 to 11 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely channery loamy sand, black (10YR 2/1) moist; 3 percent clay; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout; 5 percent subangular indurated granite gravel, 55 percent subangular indurated granite channers, 2 percent subangular indurated granite flagstones; NaF pH 10.0; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary.

A2--11 to 19 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/3) very channery loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist 5 percent clay; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout; 15 percent subangular indurated granite gravel, 20 percent subangular indurated granite channers, 2 percent subangular indurated granite flagstones; NaF pH 10.5; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons is 6 to 30 cm)

Bw--19 to 30 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 5 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; 10 percent subangular indurated granite channers, 30 percent subangular indurated granite gravel; NaF pH 10.0; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

BC--30 to 62 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very flaggy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; 7 percent clay; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; 2 percent subangular indurated granite channers, 20 percent subangular indurated granite gravel, 15 percent subangular indurated granite flagstones; NaF pH 10.0; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 32 cm thick)

R--62 to 200 cm; Indurated granite bedrock, fractured at intervals of 10 to less than 45 cm.

TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California, near Woods Lake in Kings Canyon National Park; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Aberdeen, California; WGS84 36.890662 latitude and -118.373133 longitude; UTM zone 11 4083623 meters N 377646 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 0 to 6 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is more than 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about August to October (about 80 days).

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 18 cm
Cambic horizon thickness: 15 to 70 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 cm

Base saturation: Less than 50 percent (by ammonium acetate).

Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.4 to 2.0 percent (by weight) in one or more horizons with a total thickness of 18 cm or more within 75 cm of the mineral soil surface.

Volcanic glass: 5 to 30 percent in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction in an 18 cm thick layer within a depth of 75cm from the mineral soil surface

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent, with 0 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 35 percent stones, 0 to 15 percent channers, and 0 to 15 percent flagstones.
Clay content: 3 to 10 percent
NaF pH: 9.0 to 11.0

A horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Texture: coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand
Clay content: 2 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 80 percent
0 to 25 percent gravel
0 to 25 percent cobbles
0 to 25 percent stones
0 to 40 percent channers
0 to 30 percent flagstones
Reaction: very strongly to slightly acid

Bw horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 75 percent
0 to 45 percent gravel
0 to 45 percent cobbles
0 to 35 percent stones
0 to 15 percent channers
0 to 10 percent flagstones
Reaction: very strongly to slightly acid

C or BC horizons (where present)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 1 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent
0 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 25 percent cobbles
0 to 35 percent stones
0 to 15 percent channers
0 to 10 percent flagstones
Reaction: very strongly to moderately acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Stehekin (MLRA 3) soils. The Stehekin soils formed in mixed ash, till, and colluvium, do not have a lithic contact within 100 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Langille soils are on structural benches of mountain slopes, cirques, and glacial-valley walls. Slopes range from 2 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and till over residuum weathered from granite, granodiorite, and less commonly metamorphic rocks. Elevation is 2340 to 4040 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 505 to 1480 mm and the mean annual air temperature is -2 to 5 degrees C. The frost free season is 40 to 95 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Benchlake, Canisrocks, and Isosceles soils. The Benchlake (sandy-skeletal) and Isosceles (loamy) soils are formed in similar landscape positions and have a lithic contact within 50 cm. The Canisrocks soils are formed in colluvium on mountain slopes and do not have a lithic contact within 150 cm of the mineral soil surface.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock is low to high.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is threadleaf sedge, Parry's rush, tundra aster, bottlebrush squirreltail, Davidson's and Rydberg's penstemons, Alkali bluegrass, and lodgepole pine. Scattered whitebark pine may be present in some areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. These soils are of moderate extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Fresno County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from Langille Peak in Kings Canyon National Park.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 36 to 62 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 18 cm
Cambic Horizon 19 to 62 cm
Lithic Contact 62 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 2013CA7927504

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.