LOCATION PAAIKI HIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, ferrihydritic, isothermic Oxic Hapludands
TYPICAL PEDON: Paaiki heavy loam - woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures.")
A11--0 to 3 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) heavy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) rubbed, yellowish red (5YR 3/6) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, friable, sticky and plastic; many roots; many pores; moderate effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; medium acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
A12--3 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) rubbed, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) dry; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; many fine pores; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; some small pieces of black charcoal; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
A3--6 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) silty clay loam, same color rubbed, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common roots; many fine pores; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; medium acid (pH 5.6); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
B21--9 to 18 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) heavy silty clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few roots, many fine pores; no effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; strongly acid (pH 5.3); gradual smooth boundary. (9 to 12 inches thick)
B22--18 to 35 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) light silty clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few roots; many pores; yellowish red sugar-like coatings in some pores; very strongly acid (pH 5.0), gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
B23--35 to 40 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silty clay, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) dry; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few roots; many pores; yellowish red sugar-like coatings in most pores and on peds; about 25 percent weathered pebbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
IIC--40 to 50 inches; hard weathered rock with 5 percent soil material in cracks and pores that is reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silty clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; massive; friable, sticky, plastic.
TYPE LOCATION: Kauai County, Hawaii; 22 degrees 06' 28" north latitude and 159 degrees 41' 14" west longitude, Makuaike Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the hard basic rock ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR,value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 2 through 4. The B horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 through 4.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Oli and Pane series. Oli soils have textures no finer than silty clay loam in the B horizon and lack yellowish red sugar-like coatings in the lower part of the B2 horizon. Pane soils are loam or silt loam in the B horizon and are slightly acid or neutral throughout.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Paaiki soils are on dissected uplands at elevations of 2,900 to 3,500 feet. Dominant slopes are 10 to 35 percent. The soils formed in volcanic ash over residuum from basic igneous rock. Annual rainfall is from 40 to 60 inches. There is cloud cover over the area on many afternoons. Average January temperature is about 58 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 63 degrees F; mean annual temperature is about 60 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Oli soils and the Kokee and Mahana soils. Kokee soils have an argillic horizon and a mean annual soil temperature of 58 degrees F. Mahana soils have hue as red or redder than 2.5YR throughout the solum.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The Paaiki soils are used for woodland, recreation and watershed. Some areas have been planted to slash, loblolly and Monterey pine. Vegetation is mainly Formosa koa (Acacia confusa), koa (Acacia koa), pukiawe (Styphelia tameiameiae), Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata), ohia lehua (Metrosideros collina), aalii (Dodonaea eriocarpa), uki (Gahnia gahniformis), molassesgrass (Melinis minutiflora), uki uki (Dianella sp.), ricegrass (Paspalum orbiculare).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Island of Kauai, Hawaii. The series is inextensive, with a total of about 2,500 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kauai County, Hawaii, 1971.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 5/78.