LOCATION MADBUTTES CA
Established Series
REV: BAL/JPS/ET
10/2016
MADBUTTES SERIES
The Madbuttes series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from schist. These soils are on mountains and have slopes of 9 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 2540 millimeters (100 inches) and the mean annual temperature is 7 degrees C (44 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, frigid Xeric Palehumults
TYPICAL PEDON: Madbuttes gravelly loam - under a stand of white fir, grand fir, Douglas-fir, and snowberry. When described on August 10, 2004, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
Oi--0 to 2 centimeters (0 to 1 inches); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) slightly decomposed plant material; abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--2 to 6 centimeters (1 to 2 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky parting to weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular, and many fine tubular pores; 18 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 11 centimeters (2 to 4 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
A3--11 to 29 centimeters (4 to 11 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine, fine, and medium tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 25 to 30 centimeters)
Bt1--29 to 63 centimeters (11 to 25 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure, and weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine through medium roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; common faint clay films on all faces of peds; 30 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--63 to 101 centimeters (25 to 40 inches); pale yellow (5Y 7/3) gravelly loam, olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure, and weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, and common coarse roots; many fine and common medium tubular pores; common faint clay films on all faces of peds; 30 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--101 to 138 centimeters (40 to 54 inches); pale yellow (5Y 8/2) gravelly loam, pale yellow (5Y 7/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many medium roots; common fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on all faces of peds; 25 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is 90 to 120 centimeters)
C--138 to 200 centimeters (54 to 78 inches); light gray (5Y 7/2) very gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0). (0 to 75 centimeters thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, California; Snow Gap Mountain; USGS Maple CreekQuadrangle; WGS84 Decimal degrees 40.7512222 latitude and -123.7591944 longitude; UTM Zone 10, 435906mE, 4511418mN, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry from July 1st to October 15th and moist in all parts from November 15 to June 1st. This soil has a xeric soil moisture regime.
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature is 5 to 7 degrees C (41 to 45 degrees F). The difference between the mean summer and mean winter temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. This soil has a frigid soil temperature regime.
Soil reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout the soil profile.
Base saturation: (by sum of cations) is less than 35 percent 125 centimeters below the top of the argillic horizon.
Organic carbon: is 12kg or more in the upper cubic meter of the mineral soil or the upper 15 cm of the argillic has 0.9 percent or more organic carbon.
Surface Fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Particle Size Control Section (weighted average):
Clay: 25 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent gravel
A Horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 4 or 5 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Texture of fine earth fraction: loam
Clay content: 12 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 25 percent gravel
Bt Horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist
Texture of fine earth fraction: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent gravel
C Horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture of fine earth fraction: loam or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent gravel
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils occur on mountain summits and upper mountain slopes with slopes of 9 to 50 percent. They are on convex slope positions at elevations of 992 to 1646 meters (3254 to 5400 feet). These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from schist. The climate is subhumid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 2032 to 2794 millimeters (80 to 110 inches). Mean January temperature is about 3 degrees C (37 degrees F); mean July temperature is about 15 degrees C (59 degrees F); and the mean annual temperature is 5 to 8 degrees C (41 to 47 degrees F). The frost free period is about 75 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the
Laketwin series. The Laketwin soils are on convex slope positions and are loamy-skeletal with greater than 35 percent rock fragments throughout the particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well-drained; high runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, wildlife habitat and watershed. Native vegetation is white fir, grand fir, incense cedar and Douglas-fir with an understory of snowberry, whitethorn ceanothus and bracken fern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Siskiyou-Trinity Area, MLRA 5. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt County, California, 2012. Proposed 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 29 centimeters (Oi, A1, A2 & A3 horizons)
2. Argillic horizon - the zone from 29 to 138 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2, & Bt3 horizons)
3. Particle-size control section - the zone from 29 to 79 centimeters, averages 28 percent clay, by weight, and 30 percent gravel, by volume.
4. Palehumult feature: clay decreases from 28 to 26 percent in the argillic, which is less than 20 percent or more (relative) from the maximum clay content.
Additional Data:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 04CA023605050
Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.