LOCATION PIGCHUTE CA

Established Series
CES/JBB
09/2021

PIGCHUTE SERIES

The Pigchute series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium, residuum, and till derived from granitic and metasedimentary rocks. The Pigchute soils are on mountain slopes, glacial-valley walls, and lateral moraines of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 15 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 865 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Dystroxerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Pigchute very gravelly sandy loam on an east facing (107 degree), 36 percent slope under a canopy of red fir and white fir at an elevation of 2393 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on August 24, 2017 the soil was dry to 59 cm and slightly moist to 163 cm.)

Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

Oe--3 to 8 cm; moderately decomposed plant material; common very fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 8.0; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 6 cm thick)

A--8 to 20 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; 12 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 35 percent subangular indurated metasedimentary gravel, 20 percent subangular indurated metasedimentary cobbles; NaF pH 10.0; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)

Bw1--20 to 59 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 14 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine, and common fine and medium roots throughout; many very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; 35 percent subangular indurated metasedimentary gravel, 20 percent subangular indurated metasedimentary cobbles; NaF pH 10.0; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary.

Bw2--59 to 118 cm; 20 percent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) and 80 percent pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) very gravelly very fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; 16 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine, and common medium and very coarse roots throughout; many very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; 30 percent subangular indurated metasedimentary gravel, 15 percent subangular indurated metasedimentary cobbles; NaF pH 9.0; strongly acid (pH 5.2).

Bw3--118 to 163 cm; 50 percent pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) and 50 percent olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) very fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; 17 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine irregular pores; 15 percent subangular indurated metasedimentary gravel; NaF pH 8.0; strongly acid (pH 5.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California, near the Big Baldy Trail, Kings Canyon National Park; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: General Grant Grove, California; WGS84 36.692794 latitude and -118.880102 longitude; UTM zone 11 4062441 meters N 332037 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 3 to 10 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a frigid temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about August to October (about 90 days).

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 18 cm
Cambic horizon thickness: 25 to 100 cm

Reaction: very strongly to slightly acid

Base saturation: less than 50 percent (by ammonium acetate)

Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.4 to 1.0 percent (by weight) to a depth of 100 cm.

Volcanic glass: 5 to 30 percent in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction in an 18 cm thick layer within a depth of 75 cm from the mineral soil surface

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent, with 25 to 40 percent gravel, 10 to 30 percent cobbles, and 0 to 50 percent stones
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
NaF pH: 8.0 to 11.0

A horizon(s)
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, silt loam, loam
Clay content: 3 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 65 percent
0 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 35 percent stones

Bw horizon(s)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, silt loam, loam
Clay content: 3 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 75 percent
15 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 35 percent stones

C horizon (where present)
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 8 dry, 2 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 2 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent
15 to 60 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 15percent stones

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Merkel and Roop soils. Merkel soils have a densic contact at 50 to 100 cm and have ashy surface horizons. Roop soils have hard andesite bedrock at 50 to 100 cm and have an umbric epipedon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Pigchute soils are on linear backslopes of mountain slopes, lateral moraines, and talus slopes and colluvial aprons of glacial-valley walls,. Slopes range from 15 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium, residuum, and till derived from granitic and metasedimentary rocks. Elevation is 1600 to 3245 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 450 to 1300 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 2 to 9 degrees C. The frost free season is 70 to 165 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lackey, Tuohy, and Windowpeak soils. The Lackey soils are on linear backslopes of mountain slopes, have an umbric epipedon, and are sandy-skeletal. The Tuohy soils are on linear to convex backslopes of structural benches and mountain slopes, and are shallow to hard bedrock. Windowpeak soils are on linear backslopes and footslopes of mountain slopes and moraines in glacial valleys, and have an umbric epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately high to high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is red fir, Sierra lodgepole pine, western white pine, greenleaf manzanita, and various perennial grasses and forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. These soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Tulare County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from a physiographic feature in Goddard Canyon, Kings Canyon National Park.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 33 to 108 cm.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 18 cm
Cambic Horizon 20 to 163cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for this type location only:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 2017CA7926003

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.