LOCATION POLEMONIUM CA

Established Series
JBB/CES/JTW
09/2021

POLEMONIUM SERIES

The Polemonium series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in slope alluvium and eolian materials over residuum weathered from granitic rocks. The Polemonium soils are on mesas and tops of mountains of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 5 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 820 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 0 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic Typic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Polemonium very gravelly coarse sand on a south-facing (177 degree), 20 percent slope under sparse alpine perennial grasses and forbs at an elevation of 3849 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on August 4, 2015 the soil was dry to 8 cm.)

C--0 to 8 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; 0 percent clay; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; common very fine, fine, and medium interstitial pores; 45 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite gravel, 3 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granite cobbles, 2 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granite stones; NaF pH 9.5; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 18 cm thick)

Ab--8 to 17 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 5 percent clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; many very fine and common fine vesicular and common very fine irregular pores; 30 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granite gravel, 5 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granite cobbles, 2 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granite stones; NaF pH 10.0; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

C'1--17 to 36 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and common fine interstitial pores; 30 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite gravel, 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite cobbles, 2 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite stones; NaF pH 10.0; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary.

C'2--36 to 62 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy fine sand, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; 3 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine and common fine irregular pores; 45 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite gravel, 10 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite cobbles, 10 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite stones; NaF pH 10.0; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of upper C horizons is 20 to 80 cm)

C'3--62 to 161 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) extremely gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 1 percent clay; structureless massive; hard, very firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite gravel, 10 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite cobbles, 20 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite stones, 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite boulders; NaF pH 9.5; slightly acid (pH 6.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California, on Diamond Mesa in Sequoia National Park; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Mount Williamson, California; WGS84 36.671451 latitude and -118.369813 longitude; UTM zone 11 4059300 meters N 377595 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is -1 to 3 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is more than 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic 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

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent, with 35 to 75 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones.
Clay content: 1 to 6 percent
NaF pH: 9.0 to 11.0

Surface C horizon (where present)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent
45 to 80 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: very strongly to slightly acid

A or Ab horizon (where present)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent
15 to 50 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
0 to 10 percent flagstones
Reaction: very strongly to slightly acid

Upper C horizons (C1, C2 or C'1, C'2)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent
35 to 75 percent gravel
0 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 10 percent stones
0 to 10 percent flagstones
Reaction: very strongly to slightly acid

Lower C horizons (C or C'3)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, sand, loamy sand
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent
15 to 70 percent gravel
0 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 25 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders
Reaction: very strongly to slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Canisrocks soils. The Canisrocks soils formed in colluvium on steep mountain slopes and contain greater than 35 percent cobbles, stones, and boulders in the particle size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Polemonium soils are on summits of mesas and mountains. Slopes range from 5 to 30 percent. These soils formed in slope alluvium and eolian materials over residuum weathered from granite and granodiorite. Elevation is 3215 to 4410 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 625 to 1440 mm and the mean annual air temperature is -2 to 2 degrees C. The frost free season is 40 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Forgotten soils. The Forgotten soils are on drainageways on mountain slopes and mesas and are moderately well drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, high to very high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is bottlebrush squirreltail, sky pilot, Pacific hulsea, Sierra mousetail, cushion buckwheat, and rosy buckwheat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. These soils are of limited extent.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Tulare County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from Polemonium Peak in Kings Canyon National Park.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 25 to 100 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 18 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 2015CA7921079

Partial laboratory characterization and data from User Pedon ID's S2015CA7921067 and S2015CA7921077.

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.