LOCATION LUNADA                  CA

Established Series
RLR/GML/RLR
02/2017

LUNADA SERIES

The Lunada series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium weathered from calcareous shale. Lunada soils are on steep side slopes and canyon slopes of hills and mountains. Slopes range from 10 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 380 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 17.2 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Calcixerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Lunada loam, in a thick stand of sagebrush on a steep canyon sideslope at an elevation of 214 meters. When described the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 3 centimeters; dark gray (10YR 4/1) slightly decomposed plant material; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 cm thick)

A--3 to 7 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; very friable, slightly hard, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; 5 percent channers; slightly effervescent; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 40 cm thick)

Bk1--7 to 44 centimeters; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) very channery loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and common medium roots; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay bridges between sand grains; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and common fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate masses; 45 percent channers; slightly effervescent; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--44 to 67 centimeters; very channery loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine irregular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate, common fine irregular white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate masses and common medium spherical, weakly cemented, white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate concretions; 55 percent channers; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary.

Bk3--67 to 83 centimeters; very channery loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and many medium irregular, white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate masses; 40 percent channers and 10 percent flagstones; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary.

Bk4--83 to 120 centimeters; extremely channery loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) moist; massive; friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and common medium irregular white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate masses; 75 percent channers; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bk horizons is 75 to 120 cm)

R--120 centimeters; indurated shale bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Los Angeles County, California; on a south facing canyon side slope in stand of thick sage brush east of Hesse Gap in Rolling Hills; latitude 33 degrees, 45 minutes, 56 seconds N. and longitude 118 degrees, 20 minutes, 22 seconds W. Datum: WGS84 - U.S.G.S Quad: Torrance.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: The soil becomes moist below a depth of about 30 cm sometime from October to December and remains moist in some part between depths of about 30 to 90 cm until April or May.
Mean annual soil temperature: 17 to 19 degrees C.

Depth to lithic bedrock: 100 to 150 cm.
Calcium carbonate equivalency: greater than 15 percent within 100 cm of the mineral surface.
Calcium carbonates: disseminated carbonates occur throughout profile, carbonate masses begin directly below the A horizon typically within 40 cm of the surface.
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent in the upper 20 cm and less than 1 percent in the subsoil.
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent channers and 0 to 20 percent flagstones.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent clay.

A horizon
Dry color: hue of 10YR, value: of 4 to 6, chroma: of 2 or 3
Moist color: hue of 10YR, value of 2 to 4, chroma of 1 to 3
Texture: loam, sandy loam or silt loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent

Bk horizon
Dry color: hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5, chroma of 3 to 6
Moist color: hue of 10YR, value of 4 to 6, chroma of 2 to 4
Texture: loam, sandy loam, or silt loam
Rock fragments: 25 to 75 percent, individual horizons can have 0 to 25 percent (channers, flagstones, gravels or cobbles)

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: hills and mountains
Landform: canyon walls, steep hillslopes, sideslopes
Slope: 10 to 75 percent
Parent material: colluvium over marine shale
Elevation: 0 to 450 meters
Mean annual precipitation: 280 to 480 mm
Mean January temperature: 14 degrees C
Mean July temperature: 21 degrees C
Mean annual temperature: 16 to 18.5 degrees C
Frost free season: 320 to 365 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These aree the Alo, Balcom, Ballast, Counterfeit, Dapplegray, Filiorum, Marina, Oceanaire, and Topdeck soils.
Alo soils: have less than 35 percent rock fragments and have a paralithic contact within 100 cm and are on similar landscape positions.
Balcom soils: have less than 35 percent rock fragments and have a paralithic contact within 100 cm on hills.
Ballast soils: have a mollic epipedon and a paralithic contact within 100 cm on similar landscape positions.
Counterfeit soils: have greater than 35 percent clay and are formed in human-transported materials on engineered hillslope terraces.
Dapplegray soils: have less than 35 percent rock fragment and are formed in human-transported materials on engineered hillslope terraces.
Filiorum soils: have greater than 35 percent clay and are found on marine terraces.
Marina soils: have sandy textures with lamellae and are on coastal sand dunes.
Oceanaire soils: have an argillic horizon and are on similar landscape positions.
Topdeck soils: have a lithic contact within 50 cm and are on similar landscape positions.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Lunada soils are used for rangeland and ecological preserves. Vegetation is sagebrush and annual grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are on coastal hills and mountains of southern California; MLRA 20. These soils are of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Los Angeles County, California, 2016

REMARKS:

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from a depth of 3 to 7 cm
Secondary calcium carbonates - the zone from a depth of 7 to 120 cm
Calcic horizon - the zone from a depth of 67 to 120 cm
Lithic contact - the zone beginning at 120 cm
Particle-size control section - the zone from a depth of 28 to 103 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:

NASIS Pedon User ID: 2015CA6961256
Classified using the Twelfth Edition Keys to Soil Taxonomy (2014)

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.