LOCATION PULEHU             HI
Established Series
Rev. SN
05/2001

PULEHU SERIES


The Pulehu series consists of well drained soils that formed from alluvium washed from basic igneous rock. Pulehu soils are on alluvial fans, and stream terraces and in basins and have slopes of 0 to 12 percent. The mean annual rainfall is about 25 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 74 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, isohyperthermic Cumulic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Pulehu clay loam - irrigated sugarcane. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures.")

Ap1--0 to 7 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine and fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores; few pebbles; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)

Ap2--7 to 21 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine and very fine interstitial pores, common fine tubular pores; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 14 inches thick)

IIC1--21 to 33 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)

IIIC2--33 to 37 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose; few fine roots; porous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

IVC3--33 to 47 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)

VC4--47 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Honolulu County, Hawaii; Kaena Quadrangle - 21 degrees 34' 38" north latitude and 158 degrees 09' 51" west longitude; Waialua Agricultural Company; from Thompson Corner, proceed northwest through Waialua on the Farrington Highway 3.2 miles to a sugar company road, south 600 feet to a road leading to pump No. 11 in field Gay 3, 200 feet east and 150 feet south of pump.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is about 74 degrees F. In most years, these soils are dry for more than 90 cumulative days in the moisture control section. Hue is 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, and 3 through 5 dry, and chroma of 1 through 3 throughout the soil. The strata of the C horizon range in thickness from less than 1 inch to more than 1 foot, and in texture from sand to silty clay loam. Some gravel is on the surface and throughout the soil.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Haleiwa, Kawaihapai, Kekaha, Koele, and Mala series. Haleiwa soils have a fine-textured control section. Kawaihapai soils effervesce with hydrogen peroxide throughout, and have a clayey over loamy control section. Kekaha soils have a very-fine textured control section and have 5YR or redder hue in the B horizon. Koele soils have strong structure in the A horizon, mean annual soil temperature of less than 71.6 degrees F., and a fine-silty control section. Mala soils have a fine-textured control section, and have 5YR or redder hue throughout the C horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pulehu soils are on alluvial fans and flood plains along drainageways at elevations ranging from sea level to 300 feet. Slope is 0 to 12 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from material weathered from basic igneous rock in the drier areas. Average annual rainfall is 10 to 35 inches. The average January temperature is about 72 degrees F., average July temperature is about 78 degrees F., and mean annual temperature is about 74 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ewa, Jaucas, Kealia, Lualualei, Waialua soils and the competing Mala soils. Ewa soils have a fine-textured control section. Jaucas soils are calcareous sand. Lualualei soils are clay throughout and have many slickensides. Waialua soils have a fine-textured control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff depending on slope; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Irrigated sugarcane, truck crops, irrigated and nonirrigated pasture, and wildlife. Natural vegetation is kiawe (Prosopis pallida), klu (Acacia farnesiana), uhaloa (Waltheria indica americana), swollen fingergrass (Chloris inflata), bristly foxtail (Setaria verticillata), lantana (Lantana camara), koa-haole (Leucaena glauca), and bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Island of Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Oahu, Hawaii. The soil is about 10,000 acres in extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Island of Maui, Maui County, Hawaii, 1949.

OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 5/78.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.