LOCATION PINUSCREEK ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Andic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Pinuscreek ashy silt loam - forested, on a 10 percent north-facing slope at an elevation of 5,775 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles and leaves and grass
A--1 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) ashy silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse platy structure parting to weak fine and very fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; few fine irregular pores; 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 13 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) ashy silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine, common medium and coarse roots; few fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
2Eb--13 to 23 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very stony loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; few fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 18 inches thick)
2EBb--23 to 31 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very stony loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2Btb1--31 to 40 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) very stony clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common moderately thick clay films in tubular pores, many thin clay films on ped faces and rock fragments; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 15 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (14 to 32 inches thick)
2Btb2--40 to 45 inches; red (2.5YR 4/6) very stony sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderate sticky and moderate plastic; common moderately thick clay skins in tubular pores, few thin clay films on ped faces and rock fragments; few fine and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 15 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
R--45 inches; andesitic basalt bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon
Section 6 (SW 1/4, SE 1/4, SE 1/4), T. 11 S., R. 36 E.
Latitude: 44 degrees, 38 minutes, 03 seconds North
Longitude: 118 degrees, 20 minutes, 04 seconds West
UTM coordinates: zone 11; 4,942,961 northing; 394,115 easting NAD27
USGS Quadrangle: Whitney
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: frigid regime
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 38 to 43 degrees F
Mean Summer Soil Temperature: 47 to 52 degrees F
Mean Winter Soil Temperature: 32 to 36 degrees F
Soil Moisture: xeric regime; dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer
Particle-size Control Section: upper 20 inches of argillic horizon
Clay content, average: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragment content, average: 35 to 60 percent
Diagnostic Horizons and Features:
andic soil properties: upper boundary at the mineral surface; 8 to 13 inches thick
Al+1/2Fe (ammonium oxalate): 1.0 to 2.4 percent
P retention: 60 to 90 percent
bulk density: 0.65 to 1.00 g/cc
0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 40 to 60 percent of fine earth
glass content in the 0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 55 to 85 percent
cambic horizon: 5 to 11 inches thick
eluvial layer: 9 to 18 inches thick
argillic horizon: 14 to 32 inches thick
lithic contact, depth from mineral soil surface: 40 to 60 inches
A horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 3/2, 3/3
color, dry: 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3
texture: ASHY-SIL, GR-ASHY-SIL, ST-ASHY-SIL
clay content: 5 to 6 percent
rock fragment content: 5 to 30 percent total
gravel: 0 to 15 percent
cobbles: 0 to 10 percent
stones: 0 to 10 percent
reaction: slightly acid; pH: 6.1 to 6.5
Bw horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/3, 5/4
color, dry: 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 7/4
texture: ASHY-SIL, ST-ASHY-SIL, GR-ASHY-SIL
clay content: 4 to 5 percent
rock fragment content: 5 to 30 percent total
gravel: 5 to 15 percent
cobbles: 0 to 15 percent
stones: 0 to 10 percent
reaction: slightly acid or neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
2Eb horizon; may include 2EBb in some pedons:
color, moist: 5YR 4/4; 10YR 4/3, 5/3, 6/3
color, dry: 5YR 5/4; 7.5YR 5/4; 10YR 6/3, 7/3, 8/3
texture: GR-SIL, GR-L, STV-L, STV-SIL
clay content: 10 to 16 percent
rock fragment content: 25 to 55 percent total
gravel: 15 to 25 percent
cobbles: 0 to 20 percent
stones: 0 to 20 percent
reaction: slightly acid; pH: 6.1 to 6.5
2Btb horizons:
color, moist: 10YR 4/4, 5/3, 5/4; 2.5Y 5/4, 3/6
color, dry: 5YR 5/4, 5/6; 7.5YR 5/4; 10YR 5/4, 6/3, 6/4; 2.5Y 6/2, 6/4
texture: GRV-SIL, GRV-L, STV-CL, STV-SCL
clay content: 18 to 30 percent
rock fragment content: 40 to 60 percent total
gravel: 20 to 45 percent
cobbles: 0 to 20 percent
stones: 0 to 15 percent
reaction: slightly acid or neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Baileycreek: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a paralithic contact (soft weathered basalt); dry 90 consecutive days in summer
Goshawk: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (andesite); dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Jorge: deep and very deep (40 to greater than 60 inches) to a paralithic contact (weathered vesicular andesitic agglomerate)
McDanielake: very deep (lacks a lithic contact within 60 inches); formed in colluvium from basalt or andesite with a mantle of volcanic ash; particle-size control section is 18 to 35 percent clay; dry 60 to 90 consecutive days in summer
Nebopeak: very deep (lacks a lithic contact within 60 inches); formed in a thin, undisturbed mantle of volcanic ash over till from basalt; rock fragments are subrounded to rounded in shape
Payraise: very deep (lacks a lithic contact within 60 inches); formed in a thin, undisturbed mantle of volcanic ash over colluvium from argillite or other metasedimentary or metavolcanic rocks
Ranes: very deep (lacks a lithic contact within 60 inches); formed in an 8 to 13 inch, volcanic ash mantle over alluvium from mafic igneous rocks; ash mantle is silt loam and has andic soil properties: Al+1/2Fe of 1.0 to 1.5 percent and glass content of 40 to 65 percent; particle-size control section is 8 to 17 percent clay; dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Satus: very deep (lacks a lithic contact within 60 inches); formed in residuum and colluvium from basalt with a thin mantle of volcanic ash; ash mantle is loam with andic soil properties: Al+1/2Fe of 1 to 2 percent and glass content of 15 to 30 percent; particle-size control section is 10 to 18 percent clay; dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Weste: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (basalt); dry 90 consecutive days in summer
Whitedeer: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to paralithic contact (weathered basalt)
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: backslopes to ridges of mountains
Slope gradient: 0 to 60 percent
Parent material: thin mantle of Mazama volcanic ash over colluvium and residuum
Lithology: andesitic basalt or andesite
Elevation: 5,400 to 6,200 feet
Climate: cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation: 20 to 35 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 36 to 39 degrees F
Frostfree period: 25 to 65 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bennettcreek: on lower backslopes and footslopes, moderately deep to bedrock with a mixed mantle of ash and colluvium over loamy-skeletal argillic horizon; under grand fir, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, birchleaf spiraea, and pinegrass
Crackercreek: on planar to concave, backslopes, deep to bedrock with a thick volcanic ash mantle over loamy-skeletal argillic horizon; under Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir and western larch with pine grass, elk sedge and common snowberry in the understory
Fivebit: on plateaus and backslopes, shallow to bedrock with a minor influence of volcanic ash in loamy-skeletal colluvium under Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine with common snowberry, birchleaf spiraea and elk sedge
Kamela: on ridge crests and shoulder slopes; moderately deep to basalt with a mixed mantle of ash and loess over loamy-skeletal colluvium; under grand fir, Douglas-fir, ponderosa, oceanspray, rocky mountain maple, ninebark, heartleaf arnica and princes pine.
Mountireland: on lower backslopes and footslopes; deep soil over weathered andesite with thick volcanic ash mantle over loamy argillic horizon; under subalpine fir, Engleman spruce, lodgepole pine, grouse whortleberry, big huckleberry, longtube twinflower, and pinegrass
Rebarrow: on well drained high terraces of mountain valley floors, with thick volcanic ash mantle, over loamy-skeletal argillic horizon; under moist grand fir forest
Thirstygulch: on convex sideslopes and shoulders near rock outcrop; shallow to bedrock with minor amount of volcanic ash mixed with loess and colluvium from basalt; under ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, common snowberry, and elk sedge
Troutmeadows: on benches, toeslopes and swales; moderately deep soil with thick volcanic ash mantle over loamy-skeletal colluvium; under subalpine fir, Engleman spruce, grouse huckleberry, and pinegrass.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well drained
Permeability: moderately slow
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: watershed, wildlife habitat, timber production, livestock grazing and recreation.
Potential native vegetation: grand fir, Douglas-fir, western larch, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, grouse whortleberry, common prince's pine, birchleaf spiraea, Scoular's willow, Canada buffaloberry, Oregon boxwood, white flowered hawkweed, woods strawberry, heartleaf arnica, sidebells pyrola, mountain sweet-cicely, pinegrass, northwest sedge and Ross sedge.
Plant Associations: ABGR/CARU (grand fir/pinegrass); may include: ABGR/VASC (grand fir/grouse whortleberry) or PICO (ABGR)/VASC (lodgepole pine (grand fir)/grouse whortleberry)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: MLRA E43c; Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon
Extent: small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon; 2008. Name is from a stream near Unity.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon (90-0317) are:
ochric epipedon: 1 to 5 inches; A horizon
cambic horizon: 5 to 13 inches; Bw horizon
eluvial layer: 13 to 31 inches; 2Eb; 2EBb horizons
argillic horizon: 31 to 45 inches; 2Btb1, 2Btb2 horizons
andic subgroup properties (ash mantle): 1 to 13 inches; A, Bw horizons
particle-size control section: 31 to 45 inches; 2Btb1, 2Btb2 horizons
ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory; pedon ID: 92OR063003 and 95OR001002