LOCATION PARDALOE CA

Established Series
Rev. CAR-JWH-JJJ
11/2010

PARDALOE SERIES

The Pardaloe series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from sandstone, siltstone or shale. Pardaloe soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1520 mm (60 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haploxerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Pardaloe very gravelly loam - on a southwest facing concave slope of 72 percent under Douglas-fir, tanoak and California nutmeg at 320 meters (1,040 feet) elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described August 8, 1978, the soil was moist below a depth of 89 centimeters).

A--0 to 28 centimeters (0 to 11 inches); pink (7.5YR 7/4) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky and strong fine granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel (2 to 40 mm); slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 33 centimeters thick).

Bw--28 to 66 centimeters (11 to 26 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial and common medium and coarse interstitial pores; 70 percent gravel (2 to 40 mm); slightly acid (pH 6.4); wavy boundary. (25 to 51 centimeters thick).

Bt1--66 to 99 centimeters (26 to 39 inches); reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine and fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 60 percent gravel (2 to 40 mm); slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 38 centimeters thick).

Bt2--99 to 137 centimeters (39 to 54 inches); brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial and common medium interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 65 percent gravel (2 to 40 mm); slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (28 to 46 centimeters thick).

R--137 to 175 centimeters (54 to 69 inches); hard fractured sandstone; fractures are 1 to 18 centimeters apart and less than 1 millimeter wide; few very fine, fine and coarse roots along fractures; continuous distinct clay films on rock faces.

TYPE LOCATION: Mendocino County, California; 4 miles west on Mountain View Road from its intersection with Highway 128, up west facing slope about 100 yards to logging road; 1,800 feet south and 1,800 feet west of the northeast corner, section 8, T.13 N., R.14 W.; Boonville Quadrangle.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact and thickness of the solum is 100 to 150 centimeters. The mean annual soil temperature is 12 to 15 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is 6 degrees C or more. The soils have a mesic temperature regime. The soil between depths of 25 and 76 centimeters is moist in all parts from November 1 to May 15 and it is dry in all parts from July 1 to October 1 in most years. The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. Clay content throughout the profile ranges from 15 to 27 percent. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid. Base saturation (ammonium acetate) ranges from 40 to 90 percent.

The A horizon is 10YR 3/4, 4/4, 5/4; 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4, 7/4, 6/4, or 6/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3; 7.5YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2, 5/4, 4/4. Where mollic colors occur the layer is too thin to qualify as a mollic epipedon. Base saturation (sum) ranges from 40 to 80 percent. It is gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy loam, or very gravelly loam. Gravel content is 15 to 50 percent. Cobble content is 0 to 10 percent. Total coarse fragment content is 15 to 60 percent.

The B horizon is 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 6/6, 7/4; 7.5YR 7/6, 6/6, 6/4; 2.5Y 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/3, 5/6, 5/4, 4/4; 7.5YR 5/6, 5/4, 4/4; 2.5Y 4/4, 5/4. It is sandy loam, loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam and is very gravelly or extremely gravelly. Gravel content is 35 to 85 percent. Cobble content is 0 to 20 percent. Total coarse fragment content is 35 to 85 percent. In some pedons there is a slight increase in clay content over the A horizon but not enough to qualify for an argillic horizon. Base saturation (sum) ranges from 50 to 90 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brownbear (CA), Burwill (ID), Caris (CA), Cohila (T), Elsman (CA), Frazier (T), Indleton (CA), Itat (WA), Maki (WA), and Skyland (T CA) series. The Burwill series is deep to igneous bedrock and Itat soils are very deep and derived from igneous material. Brownbear, Caris, and Maki soils have a lithic contact at 50 to 100 centimeters. Cohila and Frazier soils lack a soil description. Elsman soils are very deep. Indleton soils are very deep and have mean annual soil temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees C. Skyland soils are derived from gneissic bedrock and have paralithic contact between 100 to 150 centimeters.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Pardaloe soils occur on hills and mountains. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. Elevations are 213 to 1219 meters. The soils are formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from sandstone, siltstone or shale. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 890 to 1780 mm. Mean January temperature is about 9 degrees C; mean July temperature is about 20 degrees C. The mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C. The frost-free period is 150 to 290 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Casabonne, Hollowtree, Holohan, Wohly and Woodin soils. Casabonne and Wohly soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Wohly soils are moderately deep to paralithic material and Woodin soils are 50 to 100 centimeters to a lithic contact. Holohan soils have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; surface runoff under bare soil conditions is high; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for limited timber production, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation consists of Douglas-fir, tanoak, California nutmeg, madrone, and live oak.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Siskiyou-Trinity Area, MLRA 5. The series is not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mendocino County, California, Eastern Part, 1985.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 28 centimeters (A).

Cambic horizon - the zone from about 28 to 137 centimeters (Bw, Bt1, Bt2 horizons)

Lithic contact - the boundary at about 137 centimeters.

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedons: S78CA-045-029 (partial pedon) and S83CA-105-012, S83CA-105-007 and S84CA-105-002 (range in characteristics)

Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th edition.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.