LOCATION MONACHE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Cumulic Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Monache very fine sandy loam - on a south facing slope of 1 percent with Artemisia rothrocki and Artemisia tridentata at 7,900 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 7/30/74 the soil was dry).
A1--0 to 13 inches; grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky, and moderate fine and very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many medium fine, and very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular, and common fine and very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
A2--13 to 23 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium, fine, and very fine roots; very few very fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
B--23 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; few fine faint dark brown (10YR 4/3) mottles; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, fine, and very fine roots; very few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
C--36 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; common fine faint dark brown (10YR 4/3) mottles; weak coarse, medium, and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very few fine and very fine roots; very few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent fine and very fine pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California; Sequoia National Forest, Cannel Meadow Ranger District. Approximately 0.2 mile northeast of Troy campground, where Fish Creek disects Troy Meadow Meadow/in SW 1/4, NE 1/4 sec. 30, T. 21 S., R. 35 E., MDB&M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The soil between depths of about 8 and 29 inches usually becomes moist in all parts in November and remains moist until mid-July. It is dry in all parts the rest of the year. The watertable in the spring is usually below 5 feet, but may fluctuate to 3 or 4 feet. Faint mottles occur below 20 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 40 degrees to 43 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 65 degrees F. The soil temperature is greater than 41 degrees F. between mid-April and mid-October. The soil is slightly acid or neutral. Organic carbon content is assumed to be greater than 0.5 percent to a depth of 1.25 m from the soil surface. It is greater than 0.6 throughout the upper 50 cm.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, or 5/3, and moist color of 10YR 3/2 or 3/3. Texture is fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or loam. It has weak or moderate fine or medium subangular blocky to moderate fine or very fine granular structure.
The C horizon has dry color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, or 6/3, and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 4/2, 4/3, or 4/4. It is sandy loam or loam and may be gravelly with up to 35 percent fine and very fine gravel. It has weak coarse, medium, or fine subangular blocky structure, or is massive.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Monache soils are in upland valleys and meadows. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The soil formed in alluvium from granitic rocks. Elevations are 7,500 to 9,000 feet. The climate is subhumid with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 15 to 30 inches moist of which is snow. Mean annual temperature is 35 degrees to 45 degrees F and the frost-free season is about 75 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cagwin, Cannell, Sirretta, and Toem series. These soils occur on nearby mountain slopes and ridges. Toem soils are less than 20 inches to a paralithic contact. Cannell soils are well drained and are on mountain slopes. Sirretta soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for summer livestock grazing, recreation land, wildlife land, and watershed. Vegetation is sagebrush, perennial grasses, sedges, and lodgeple pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The southern mountain area of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range of California. The soils of this series are moderate extent; their total acreage is about 11,000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sequoia National Forest Area, Tulare County, California, 1981.
REMARKS: The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET