LOCATION MOUSER CA

Established Series
VB/BAL/SBS/WRR
04/2015

MOUSER SERIES

The Mouser series consists of deep and very deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum weathered from sandstone, mudstone and greenstone. The Mouser soils are on summits and side slopes of mountains and hills. Slopes range from 8 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 50 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 57 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Ultic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Mouser gravelly loam on a north facing (20 degree), 35 percent slope at an elevation of 2769 feet. When described on 10/17/2005 the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.

Oi--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm); slightly decomposed plant material; 20 percent subangular strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter mixed rock fragments; abrupt smooth boundary.

A1--2 to 3 inches, (5 to 8 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face gravelly loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) broken face moist; 22 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent subangular strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter mixed rock fragments; moderately acid, pH 5.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear wavy boundary.

A2--3 to 10 inches, (8 to 25 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face gravelly loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) broken face moist; 23 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent subangular strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter mixed rock fragments; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear wavy boundary.

A3--10 to 16 inches, (25 to 41 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face gravelly loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) broken face moist; 23 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots and common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent subangular strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter mixed rock fragments; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 30 to 70 centimeters thick)

Bt1--16 to 28 inches, (41 to 70 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face gravelly loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) broken face moist; 25 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, , slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common coarse roots and common very fine roots and few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent clay films on all faces of peds; 15 percent subangular strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter mixed rock fragments; moderately acid, pH 6.1 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--28 to 37 inches, (70 to 95 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/2) broken face gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) broken face moist; 25 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; very few fine and common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent clay films on all faces of peds; 25 percent subangular strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter mixed rock fragments; moderately acid, pH 5.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 55 to 125 centimeters thick)

BC1--37 to 51 inches, (95 to 130 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) broken face gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) broken face moist; 22 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; very few fine and common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent subangular strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter mixed rock fragments; moderately acid, pH 5.8 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary.

BC2--51 to 57 inches, (130 to 145 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) broken face very gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) broken face moist; 18 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent subangular strongly cemented 20 to 75 millimeter mixed rock fragments; moderately acid, pH 5.7 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the BC horizons is 0 to 50 centimeters thick)

Cr--57 to 58 inches, (145 to 148 cm); strongly cemented greenstone bedrock, highly fractured with fractures at 2-5 centimeters.

TYPE LOCATION: Santa Clara County, California, Monte Bello Open Space, Black Mountain north of towers, past WP03 gate on Black Mountain Trail east about 200 feet near large buckeye, 50 feet north of trail., Section 13, Township 7s, Range 3w, Northing 4130699, Easting 575501, UTM Zone 10, NAD83 - U.S.G.S Quad: Mindego Hill, California.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to paralithic contact: Greater than 100 centimeters to a paralithic contact.
Soil moisture: Usually moist in some part of the soil moisture control between the first of November and the end of May. The soils have a xeric moisture regime.

Control section:

Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent, mostly gravel and cobbles.
Pararock Fragments: 0 to 50 percent, mostly gravel and cobbles, occur mostly in BC or C horizons.
Clay content: averages 20 to 35 percent clay in the textural control section.
Depth to paralithic contact is 100 to more than 150 centimeters.
Organic matter ranges from 2 to 6 percent to 50 centimeters, decreasing with depth. The Bt horizon contains 0.5 to 2 percent organic matter, decreasing with depth. Base Saturation in the Bt and BCT horizons by NH4-OAC is less than 50 percent but above 35 percent.

A horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3, 4, 5 dry; 2.5, 3 moist
Chroma: 3 dry; 2, 3 moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 16 to 26 percent
Rock fragments: 15 percent
15 percent pebbles
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.1

Bt horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3, 4, 5 dry; 2.5, 3, 4 moist
Chroma: 3, 4 , 6 dry; 3, 4, 6 moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content: 19 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent, mostly gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.1

BCt horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4, 5 dry; 3, 4 moist
Chroma: 3, 6 dry; 3, 6 moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: loam, clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 14 to 35 percent, mostly gravel
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 6.8

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aptos, Buckeye, Campfour, Cartwright, Elmore, Hyprarie, Kiakus, Lauby, Newlig, Nisene, Paragon, Roseburg, Rudo, Swalecreek and Yaxing. Aptos, Kiakus and Paragon soils have a paralithic contact between 50 and 100 centimeters. Buckeye soils have a lithic contact at 50 to 100 centimeters. Campfour soils have 5YR and 2/5YR Bt horizons and MAAT of 45 to 51 degrees F. Cartwright soils developed in granitied colluvium and alluvium, and have MAAT of 45 to 50 degrees F. Elsmore, Hyprarie, Lauby, Newlig, Rudo, swalecreek and Yaxing have MAAT of less than 52 degrees F. Nisene soils have base saturation of more than 50 percent in all parts. Roseburg soils have MAAT of 50 to 55 degrees F. and occur on floodplains with slopes of 0 to 3 percent.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Mouser soils are on side slopes and summits of mountains and hills. Slopes range from 8 to 75 percent. These soils formed in residuum
weathered from sandstone, mudstone and greenstone. Elevation is 325 feet to 2975 feet. The climate is subhumid mesothermal with warm, dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 40 to 60 inches and the mean annual air temperature is 55 to 59 degrees F. The frost free season is 200 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Footpath, and Sanikara soils. The Footpath soil is moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Sanikara soils are shallow to a lithic contact.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately slow permeability, medium runoff.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for watershed, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is California live oak, bay laurel, buckeye, poison oak and annual grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Part of the Coastal Range of California, Major Land Resource Area 15 -- Central California Coast Range. The Mouser soils are of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Clara County, California, 2009.

REMARKS:

Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: (41 to 91 cm)

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Mollic Epipedon - The zone from 2 to 52 centimeters (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons)
2. Argillic Horizon ? The zone from 41 to 95 centimeters( Bt1, Bt2) horizons)

Soil Classified using Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 10th edition

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS Site and Pedon 05ca08564186: NSSL Lab Data Pedon N7N0677

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.