LOCATION MIASOTUS CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Typic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Miasotus sandy loam on a hill side under mixed chaparral and coastal live oaks at an elevation of 1120 feet (341 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oe--0 to 1 inch, (0 to 3 cm); moderately decomposed oak liter; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick, 0 to 5 cm. thick)
A1--1 to 3 inches, (3 to 8 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; 7 percent clay; weak fine granular and weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; 4 percent 5 to 75 millimeter and 8 percent 2 to 5 millimeter gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.2 by Phenol red; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick, 2 to 10 cm. thick)
Bt1--3 to 6 inches, (8 to 15 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) and reddish brown (5YR 4/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) and reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; 10 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; 35 percent continuous distinct clay films; 7 percent 2 to 5 millimeter and 8 percent 5 to 75 millimeter gravel; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by Phenol red; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick, 7 to 20 cm. thick)
Bt2--6 to 9 inches, (15 to 24 cm); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 33 percent clay moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots and very fine roots; 35 percent continuous distinct clay films on ped faces; 15 percent 2 to 5 millimeter and 35 percent 5 to 75 millimeter gravel; moderately acid, pH 6.1 by Phenol red; gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick, 5 to 15 cm. thick)
Bt3--9 to 15 inches, (24 to 38 cm); yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; 37 percent clay moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine through coarse roots; 35 percent continuous distinct clay films on ped faces; 15 percent 2 to 5 millimeter and 40 percent 5 to 75 millimeter gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Phenol red; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick, 13 to 25 cm. thick)
Cr--15 to 21 inches, (38 to 53 cm); highly fractured (fractures 2 to 8 cm apart), easily diggable schist.
R--21 inches, (53 cm); very rigid schist.
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara County, California, in the Channel Islands Soil Survey Area 34 degrees North latitude, 0 minutes, 11 seconds and 119 degrees, 45 minutes, 29 seconds West longitude, NAD83; U.S.G.S Quad: Santa Cruz Island.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 54 to 59 degrees F. (12 to 15 degrees C.) The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about mid-September to mid-November (about 90 days) and is usually moist the rest of the time.
Depth to bedrock is 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm.).
The particle size control section averages 18 to 35 percent clay and 35 to 65 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon dry color is 7.5YR and 5YR 5/3, 5/2, 4/3, or 4/4. Moist color is 7.5YR and 5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, or 4/4.
The Bt horizon dry color is 7.5YR, 5YR and 2.5YR 5/4, 5/6, 4/3, 4/4, or 4/6. Moist color is 7.5YR and 5YR 3/6, 3/4, 4/6, or 4/4
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils formed in schist on convex side slopes of hills on islands. Slopes range from 30 to 75 percent. Elevations are 700 to 1300 feet (213 to 396 meters). The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters with fog common all year. The mean annual precipitation is 13 to 24 inches (330 to 610 mm), the mean annual temperature is 56 to 61 degrees F. (13 to 16 degrees C.), and the frost free season is 320 to 365 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Frigate and Yardarm soils. Frigate soils have isomesic temperature regimes and are coarse-loamy. Yardarm soils on concave side slopes of the same landscape and have mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Wildlife habitat, recreation and building site development. Vegetation is mixed chaparral and coastal live oaks.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Santa Barbara County, California. The soil is not extensive. MLRA 20.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Los Angeles County, California, 2004.
REMARKS: The series name is coined. Mesic temperature regime is indicted by NRCS soil temperature sites nearby. NASIS Pedon ID is CA01688SC003. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon--The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 3 inches.
Argillic horizon--The zone from a depth of 6 inches to a depth of about 15 inches.
Paralithic material--The zone from a depth of 15 inches to about 19 inches.