LOCATION MARTEE CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic, shallow Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Martee very bouldery loamy coarse sand, on a northeast facing slope of 48 percent under big sagebrush, pine bluegrass, scrub oak, pinyon and digger pines at 4,980 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on March 29, 1989, the soil was moist throughout.)
Oi--0.5 to 0 inches; litter of pine neddles, twigs, bark, leaves.
A1--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very bouldery loamy coarse sand, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent boulders, 10 percent cobbles, 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A2--5 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very bouldery coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine, and few coarse roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent boulders, 5 percent cobbles, 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
Cr--11 to 12 inches; decomposing granodiorite, easily dug with spade with roots restricted to fractures (1 to 3 inches thick).
R--12 inches; slightly weathered granodiorite
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California. About 1 1/2 mile northwest of the intersection of Kelso Valley Road and Jawbone Canyon Road; 2,100 feet north and 400 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 20, T. 29 S., R. 35 E., MDB&M, Claraville Quadrangle; lat. 35 degrees 23 minutes 52 seconds N and long. 118 degrees 15 minutes 01 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to hard rock: 10 to 20 inches and thichness of the soft bedrock is 1 to 3 inches
Soil Temperature - The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 56 degrees F. The soil temperature is greater than 41 degrees F. from about March 1 to December 1 (260 to 280 days) and is greater than 47 degrees F from about April 1 to November 15 (210 to 240 days).
Soil Moisture - The soils are dry from about July 1 to November 1 (110 to 130 days). The soil is moist in some or all parts for 90 or more days when the soil temperature is greater than 47 degrees F.
Base Saturation: More than 50 percent by ammouium acetate method. Less than 75 percent in some part by sum of cations method>
Particle Size Control section:
Percent clay: 4 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; 1, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: very bouldery loamy coarse sand, very bouldery
coarse sand or very stony loamy coarse sand
Organic Matter: 1 to 4 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 20 percent boulders and stones,
0 to 10 percent cobbles, 15 to 30
percent gravel. total 35 to 60
percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Kisky series from Idaho. Kisky soils do not have bouldery size coarse fragments and the precipitation ranges higher than 20 inches annually.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Martee soils are on mountain slopes of 30 to 60 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from granitic rock. Elevations are 4,500 to 7,700 feet. Rock outcrops are associated with this soil in most areas. The climate is characterized by warm dry summers and cool moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 10 to 20 inches, with some of it as snow at the higher elevations. The mean January temperature is about 38 to 45 degrees F., mean July temperature is about 66 to 72 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 56 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 80 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Edmundston, Sorrell (T), Tollhouse, and Tweedy soils. Edmundston soils are deep. Sorrell soils are moderately deep, and have a coarse-loamy argillic horizon. Tollhouse soils are shallow with less than 35 percent coarse fragments. Tweedy soils are moderately deep, and have a fine-loamy argillic horizon. Martee soils occur in bouldery areas near Rock outcrops, and other soils occur between Rock outcrops.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; rapid runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly pinyon pine, big sagebrush, scrub oak, digger pine, cheatgrass, pine bluegrass, and buckbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Sierra Nevada Range in California. The soils are of small extent. MLRA is 18.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California. 1993. The name is taken from the Martin mine.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 11 inches (A1, A2)
Paralithic contact at a depth of 11 to 12 inches with harder rock at 12 inches.
Lincoln NSSL sample number is 90P2150