LOCATION OSPITAL CA

Established Series
AJP/TKK/JW
11/2018

OSPITAL SERIES

The Ospital series consists of very shallow, moderately well drained soils formed in localized alluvium and/or residuum derived from acidic tuff. The Ospital soils are in swales on erosion remnants with mound and swale microrelief. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 500 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 17 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, acid, thermic Lithic Xerorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Ospital sandy loam on a west-facing, 2 percent, concave slope, under annual grasses and forbs at an elevation of 64 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on February 13, 2013, the soil was moist throughout.)

A--0 to 4 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; very friable, soft, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; few fine prominent masses of oxidized iron; 2 percent subrounded indurated acidic tuff gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 15 cm thick)

Bw--4 to 15 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; very friable, soft, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common fine prominent masses of oxidized iron; 2 percent subrounded indurated acidic tuff gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

R--15 to 200 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) strongly cemented acidic tuff bedrock; common very fine and fine matted roots on the bedrock surface.

TYPE LOCATION: Calaveras County, California, about 6.5 miles west of the town of Jenny Lind, USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Valley Springs SW, California; WGS84 38.1002944 latitude and -120.9154500 longitude; UTM Zone 10 682778 meters E 4218997 meters N NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at the lithic contact is 15 to 17 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a thermic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May to October. The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 5 to 18 cm
Depth to redox concentrations: 0 to 25 cm.
Depth to lithic contact: 5 to 25 cm

Organic matter in the epipedon: 0.5 to 1.5 percent

Reaction: Extremely acid to moderately acid in the control section (3.5-6.0)

Base saturation: Less than 50 percent in the control section (by ammonium acetate)

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent, with 0 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Clay content: averages 5 to 20 percent clay

A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry, 2 to 6 moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent
0 to 20 percent gravel
0 to 10 percent cobbles

Bw horizon
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 6 moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent
0 to 20 percent gravel
0 to 10 percent cobbles

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ospital soils are in swales on erosion remnants with mound and swale microrelief. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. These soils formed in localized alluvium and/or residuum derived from acidic tuff mainly associated with the Valley Springs Formation. Elevation is 60 to 650 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 450 to 915 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 15 to 17 degrees C. The frost free season is 235 to 340 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Amador, Gillender, Jennylind, Laniger, Miltonhills, Pardee, Pentz, and Redding soils. Jennylind soils have a cambic horizon, a lithic contact between 25 and 50 cm, and are on mounds. Amador, Gillender, and Pentz form on hills and have a paralithic contact within 50 centimeters. Pentz has a mollic epipedon. Pardee soils are found on terrace remnants and eroded fan remnants and are loamy-skeletal. Redding soils are on fan remnants and have a duripan within 50 to 100 centimeters. Laniger soils are on hills, have andic soil properties, and a lithic contact within 50 to 100 centimeters. Miltonhills soils form on the backslopes of hills, have an umbric epipedon, and a paralithic contact between 50 and 100 cm.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained, moderately high to high saturated hydraulic conductivity throughout the profile. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock is very low to low. Frequently subject to brief ponding after heavy rainfall.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. Vegetation is annual grasses and forbs. Species includebromes, wild oat, Pacific fescue, white tip clover and longbeak storksbill.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Foothills of California; MLRA 18. The series is not extensive.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Calaveras County, California. The name refers to Ospital Rd near the location where this soil originated.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 15 cm (A and Bw horizon)
Redox Concentrations 0 to 15 cm (A and Bw horizon)
Lithic Contact 15 cm (R horizon)
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 0 to 15 cm.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID 2013CA6302009

No certified laboratory data exists for this soil.

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.