LOCATION LOSLOBOS CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Calcic Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Loslobos sandy loam, on a north facing slope of 56 percent under annual grasses and forbs at an elevation of 1,000 feet. (When described on June 27, 1990, the soil was dry from 0 to 2 inches, moist from 2 to 10 inches, and dry from 10 to 60 inches; Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
The surface has many small mounds created by ground squirrel and other small animal activity.
A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles; many animal burrows averaging 18 inches apart and 1 to 3 inches in diameter; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--2 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles; many animal burrows and krotovinas averaging 18 inches apart and 1 to 3 inches in diameter; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary.
A3--14 to 25 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine, common fine, and few medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles; many animal burrows and krotovinas averaging 18 inches apart and 1 to 3 inches in diameter; violently effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt irregular boundary. (The A horizon is 17 to 25 inches thick.)
Bk--25 to 41 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; krotovinas are brown sandy loam (10YR 5/3), dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and few fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles; many animal burrows and krotovinas averaging 18 inches apart and 1 to 3 inches in diameter; violently effervescent, carbonates are disseminated and segregated as common fine soft filaments except in krotovinas; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (The Bk horizon is 16 to 47 inches thick.)
C--41 to 54 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and few fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles; violently effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (The C horizon is 0 to 13 inches thick.)
Ck--54 to 60 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine and medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 1 percent cobbles; violently effervescent, carbonates are disseminated and segregated as few fine soft filaments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; on Wheeler Ridge about 24 miles southeast of the town of Taft; 100 feet downslope of "v" intersection of dirt roads; 2,050 feet east and 600 feet south of the northwest corner of Sec. 30, T. 11 N., R. 20. W, SBB&M; 35 degrees, 1 minute, 6 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees, 3 minutes, 27 seconds west longitude; Coal Oil Canyon quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - Average annual: 60 to 64 degrees F. and the soil temperature is rarely below 47 degrees F.
Soil moisture - dry throughout from late June to early December in most years; moist in some or all parts during the rest of the year.
Particle size control section:
Clay content: averages 12 to 18 percent
A horizons
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam or loam with 45 to 70 percent sand
and 14 to 20 percent clay
Carbonates: very slightly to strongly effervescent
carbonates are disseminated; less than 5 percent calcium
carbonate equivalent
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent
cobbles
Organic matter: 1 to 2 percent
Reaction: mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: sandy loam, loam, gravelly sandy loam or
gravelly loam, with 45 to 70 percent sand and 10 to 18
percent clay
Carbonates: strongly or violently effervescent
carbonates are disseminated and segregated as filaments;
1 to 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent
cobbles
Other: Stone lines occur in some pedons
C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: sandy loam, loam, gravelly sandy loam or
gravelly loam, with 45 to 70 percent sand and 10 to 18
percent clay
Carbonates: strongly or violently effervescent
carbonates are disseminated; 1 to 5 percent calcium
carbonate equivalent
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent
cobbles
Ck horizon ?
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Anacapa series. Anacapa soils have carbonates at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Loslobos soils are on northwest to northeast facing backslopes of hills and mountains. Slopes range from 40 to 100 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from mixed unconsolidated sediments. Elevations are 700 to 3,700 feet. The climate is semiarid with hot dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature is 60 to 64 degrees F. Mean July temperature is about 79 degrees F., and mean January temperature is about 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 200 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Emidio (T) and Pleito soils. Emidio soils are on nearly level hillslope benches and are fine-loamy. Pleito soils are on hillslope shoulders and summits and are fine-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid or very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing, oil fields, and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is dominantly ripgut brome, wild oats, soft chess, and red brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Transverse Range of Southern California. The series is not extensive. MLRA is 15.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California, 1993. The name is from nearby Los Lobos Creek.
REMARKS: Animal burrowing to a depth of up to 4 feet on the Loslobos soil, and on other geographically associated soils, as well as downslope movement of hillslope alluvium may have assisted in the formation of a pachic mollic epipedon in this area of limited precipitation.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
Mollic epipedon -- 0 to 25 inches (A1, A2, A3)
Particle size control section -- the zone from 10 to 40 inches
Bk horizon -- soft powdery lime is present as filaments