LOCATION MENDEL CA

Established Series
CES/JBB
09/2021

MENDEL SERIES

The Mendel series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in alluvium or alluvium over till derived from granitic rocks. The Mendel soils are on flood plain steps of glacial-valley bottoms and cirque floors of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 920 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 3 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic Vitrandic Cryofluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Mendel very cobbly coarse sandy loam on a south facing (165 degree), 4 percent slope under a cover of timber oatgrass, dwarf bilberry, and scattered Sierra lodgepole pine at an elevation of 3221 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on August 3, 2015 the soil was moist to 66 cm, wet, non-satiated from 66-105 cm, and wet, satiated from 66-150 cm. A water table was observed at 95 cm.)

A--0 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 76 percent sand; 17 percent silt; 7 percent clay; weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine, and common fine and medium roots throughout; common very fine, fine, and medium interstitial pores; 20 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 20 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 5 percent subrounded indurated granite stones; NaF pH 8.9; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (9 to 20 cm thick) Lab sample # 16N00926

Bw1--13 to 35 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 81 percent sand; 13 percent silt; 6 percent clay; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; common very fine, fine, and medium tubular pores; 15 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 25 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 10 percent subrounded indurated granite stones; NaF pH 10.3; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear wavy boundary. Lab sample # 16N00927

Bw2--35 to 52 cm; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) very cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; 83 percent sand; 11 percent silt; 6 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; common very fine, fine, and medium tubular pores; 5 percent fine faint irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) moist, iron-manganese masses with diffuse boundaries in matrix; 20 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 25 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 10 percent subrounded indurated granite stones; NaF pH 10.6; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. Lab sample # 16N00928

Bw3--52 to 66 cm; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) very cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; 86 percent sand; 8 percent silt; 6 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine and medium, and few fine roots throughout; common very fine, fine, and medium tubular pores; 1 percent fine prominent irregular light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist, iron depletions with diffuse boundaries on surfaces along root channels, and 7 percent very coarse prominent irregular light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist, iron depletions and 30 percent coarse distinct irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist, iron-manganese masses with diffuse boundaries in matrix; 15 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 25 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 10 percent subrounded indurated granite stones; NaF pH 10.1; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Bw horizons is 0 to 75 cm) Lab sample # 16N00929

BC--66 to 105 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) very cobbly coarse sand, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; 88 percent sand; 7 percent silt; 6 percent clay; weak fine and weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine, and many medium interstitial pores; 1 percent medium faint irregular light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist, iron depletions, 3 percent medium distinct irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist, iron-manganese masses, and 7 percent very coarse prominent irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist, iron-manganese masses with diffuse boundaries in matrix; 30 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 20 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 5 percent subrounded indurated granite stones; NaF pH 9.9; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 50 cm thick) Lab sample # 16N00930

C1--105 to 135 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) very gravelly coarse sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; 92 percent sand; 6 percent silt; 3 percent clay; structureless single grain; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine, and many medium interstitial pores; 1 percent fine faint irregular grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist, iron depletions with diffuse boundaries on surfaces along root channels; 35 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 3 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 9.6; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual smooth boundary. Lab sample # 16N00931

C2--135 to 150 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very gravelly coarse sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; 92 percent sand; 8 percent silt; structureless single grain; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and many medium interstitial pores; 1 percent medium faint irregular grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist, iron depletions with diffuse boundaries in matrix; 35 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 5 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 9.5; slightly acid (pH 6.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California, Tyndall Creek; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Mount Brewer, California; WGS84 36.627902 latitude and -118.392553 longitude; UTM zone 11 4054498 meters N 375491 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters is 0 to 6 degrees C, and the mean summer soil temperature is 0 to 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic soil temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about September to October (about 50 days). The soils contain a seasonal water table as high as 50 cm during the winter, spring and early summer months, falling to below 100 cm during late summer and fall.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 18 cm
Depth to aquic conditions: 50 to 100 cm

Organic matter: 2 to 9 percent in the epipedon

Base saturation: 35 to 60 percent (by ammonium acetate)

Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.4 to 1.0 percent (by weight) to a depth of 100 cm

Depth to redoximorphic features: 25 to 100 cm

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, with 0 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 35 percent cobbles, and 0 to 15 percent stones
Clay content: 1 to 10 percent
NaF pH: 8.0 to 11.0

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry or moist
Texture: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam
Clay content: 3 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 50 percent
0 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 25 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: very strongly to moderately acid

Bw, BC, or Bwb horizons, where present
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 1 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent
0 to 60 percent gravel
0 to 25 percent cobbles
0 to 25 percent stones
Reaction: strongly to moderately acid
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron and iron-manganese masses in matrix and along linings of pores
Quantity: none to many
Size: fine, medium, and coarse
Reduced iron masses in matrix
Quantity: none to common
Size: fine to very coarse

C horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: coarse sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 75 percent
0 to 75 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron and iron-manganese masses in matrix and along linings of pores
Quantity: none to many
Size: fine to very coarse
Reduced iron masses in matrix
Quantity: none to few
Size: fine or medium

Upper C horizons(s) (fresh alluvium above 50 cm), where present
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: fine sand, loamy fine sand, loamy very fine sand, very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 1 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent
0 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: strongly to moderately acid

Ab horizon, where present
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y dry, 7.5YR, 10YR moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Texture: loamy very fine sand, silt loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent gravel
Reaction: very strongly to moderately acid
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron and iron-manganese masses in matrix and along linings of pores
Quantity: none to few
Size: fine
Reduced iron masses in matrix
Quantity: none to few
Size: fine

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Mendel soils are on flood plain steps of glacial-valley bottoms and cirque floors. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. These soils formed in alluvium or alluvium over till, derived from granite and granodiorite. Elevation is 2505 to 3885 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 560 to 1435 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 0 to 4 degrees C. The frost free season is 50 to 95 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ladderlake and Littlepete soils. Ladderlake soils are poorly or very poorly drained soils on flood-plain steps, with a histic epipedon and aquic conditions within 25 cm of the soil surface. Littlepete soils are poorly drained soils on floodplains with aquic conditions within 50 cm of the soil surface, and average less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained, high saturated hydraulic conductivity, occasional to frequent flooding for very brief to brief (4 hrs to 7 days) duration from May to July, none to rare ponding for brief (2 to 7 days) duration from May to July. Seasonal high water table at 50 to 100 cm.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is shorthair reedgrass, dwarf bilberry, tundra aster, bluejoint, Idaho bentgrass, timber oatgrass, purple mountainheath, sedges, Sierra willow, and scattered Sierra lodgepole pine.

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

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Tulare County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from Mount Mendel in Kings Canyon National Park.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 25 to 100 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 18 cm
Redox Concentrations 35 to 105 cm
Aquic Conditions 52 to 150 cm
Redox Depletions With Chroma 2 Or Less 105 to 150 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for this type location only:
Pedon Type: OSD pedon Lab Source ID: KSSL
Pedon Purpose: soil survey inventory Lab Pedon #: 16N0256
NASIS User Pedon ID: S2015CA107003
Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.