LOCATION PAJUELA CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, thermic Xeric
Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Pajuela gravelly sandy loam, desert range. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 12 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 20 percent by volume 2mm to 5mm pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
A12--12 to 22 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable; common very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent by volume 2mm to 2.5cm pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
C--22 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very gravelly loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 75 percent by volume 2mm to 25cm coarse fragments; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; 2,000 feet east and 2,300 feet north of the SW corner of section 12. T.11N., R.14W., SBB&M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil between the depths of 14 and 40 inches is dry from March to December. The mean annual soil temperature is about 67 degrees F. The 10- to 40-inch textural control section contains 35 to 85 percent by volume rock fragments 2mm to 25cm; 0 to 15 percent of the rock fragments being 7cm to 25cm in diameter. Reaction is moderately alkaline to neutral throughout.
The A horizon is pale brown, light yellowish brown, brown, or yellowish brown (10YR 6/3, 6/4, 5/3, 5/4, 5/6). It is gravelly sandy loam, gravelly coarse sandy loam, gravelly loamy sand, and gravelly loamy coarse sand.
The C horizon is pale brown, light yellowish brown, brownish yellow, or yellow (10YR 6/3, 6/4, 6/6, 7/6). It is very gravelly loamy sand or very gravelly loamy coarse sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arizo, Cajon, Wasco, Whitewolf and Yana series. None of these soils except the Whitewolf soils are moist for as much as 90 consecutive days. Arizo and Yana soils are on gentle slopes and have summer rainfall. Cajon, Wasco and Whitewolf soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pajuela soils are on old stream terraces at the western edge of the Mojave Desert as it contacts and grades into the Tehachapi Mountains and Sierra Nevadas. They occupy intergrade areas between the aridic and xeric moisture regimes. Elevations are 3,200 to 4,500 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool mild winters and hot dry summers. Average annual precipitation is 6 to 9 inches. Average January temperature is 44 degrees F., the average July temperature is 83 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is about 65 degrees F. The frost-free season is 200 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Cajon and Whitewolf soils and the Cinco and Jawbone soils. Cinco and Jawbone soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments. Also, Jawbone soils are less than 20 inches dry to weathered rock. Whitewolf soils occupy the lower drainageways that have been cut into the terraces of Pajuela soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for watershed and wildlife, with limited desert range and recreation. Vegetation is annual and perennial grasses, rabbit brush, buckwheat, and scattered juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western edge of the high desert portion of the Mojave Desert. These soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kern County, California, Southeastern Part, 1976.
REMARKS: Calcareous dust from cement plant approximately 8 miles west of Mojave has affected the surface reaction of some areas of this soil.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 11/76.