LOCATION PASSION CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, thermic Typic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Passion loamy sand on a south facing hill with 10 percent slope under a cover of chamise and annual grasses at an elevation of 1,670 feet (510 meters). When described on 01/19/2005 the soil was moist from 0 to 7 inches (0 to 19 cm). Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.
A1--0 to 3 inches (0 to 8 centimeters); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary.
A2--3 to 7 inches (8 to 18 centimeters); brown (10YR 5/3), gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3), moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 4 to 13 inches, 10 to 33 centimeters thick)
C--7 to 16 inches (18 to 41 centimeters); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches, 0 to 25 centimeters thick)
Cr--16 to 61 inches (41 to 155 centimeters); moderately cemented fanglomerate bedrock, fractured at intervals of <4 inches (10 centimeters).
TYPE LOCATION: San Benito County, California; about 2,600 feet (780 meters) east of the Chalone Creek Maintenance Station; 2,050 feet east and 1,200 feet north of the southwest corner of section 36, T 16S, R 7E; USGS North Chalone Peak, California topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees 30 minutes 0.60 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees 9 minutes 59.30 seconds west longitude; UTM 664214 meters E, 4040996 meters N, zone 10.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to paralithic contact: 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters).
Mean annual soil temperature: 60 to 63 degrees F (16 to 17 degrees C).
Soil moisture control section: dry in all parts from about May 15 to November 15 (180 days), and moist in all parts from about January 15 to April 15 (90 days).
Soil reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline throughout the profile.
Particle size control section: Clay: ranges 4 to 10 percent; Coarse fragments: ranges 40 to 55 percent mostly gravel.
A horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 though 4; dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Sandy loam, loamy sand
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent gravel
C horizon(s):
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Loamy sand, Loamy coarse sand, or sandy loam
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 55 percent gravel
May not be present in all pedons
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Shortcut series. The Shortcut series is in a 22 to 30 inch (558 to 762 millimeter) precipitation zone and has a 150 day dry period in the summer in MLRA 20.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Passion soils are on summits and shoulders of hills. Slopes range from 20 to 75 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from fanglomerate or sandstone derived from the Temblor Formation. Elevation ranges from 980 to 2,300 feet (300 to 700 meters). The climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 17 to 19 inches (432 to 483 millimeters). The mean annual temperature is about is 59 to 63 degrees F (15 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 190 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Longsfolly, Ordeal and Tuborcio soils. The Longsfolly soils are deep to paralithic bedrock on mostly north-facing backslopes of hills under wedgeleaf ceanothus and chamise. The Ordeal soils are moderately deep to paralithic bedrock on shoulders of hills under chamise. The Tuborcio soils have a fine textured argillic horizon and are on north-facing backslopes of hills under blue oak savannah.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium or high runoff; rapid permeability. These soils do not flood or pond.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for watershed, wildlife habitat and recreation. Vegetation is Chamise chaparral.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Benito County, California in MLRA 15 Central California Coast Range. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Benito County, California. Source of name is a rock formation in Pinnacles National Monument. This series was established based on limited acreage observed within the National Park Service Pinnacles National Monument boundary.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon: the zone from 0 to 7 inches (0 to 18 centimeters) (A1, A2 horizons)
Paralithic Contact: 16 inches (41 centimeters) (upper boundary of Cr horizon)