LOCATION RAINBEAR CA
Established Series
Rev. JWH/ET/KP
10/2016
RAINBEAR SERIES
The Rainbear series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum weathered from sandstone. Rainbear soils are 60 to 160 centimeters deep to paralithic bedrock C material with cracks closer than 10 centimeters apart. Rainbear soils are on mountains and ridges and have slopes of 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 2160 millimeters and the mean annual temperature is about 13 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over fragmental, isotic, thermic Typic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Rainbear loam on a south facing convex slope of 22 percent under grassland, at an elevation of 435 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on May 13, 2005, the soil was moist throughout.
A1--0 to 15 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout; 14 percent angular strongly cemented gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--15 to 35 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout; 14 percent angular strongly cemented gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear wavy boundary.(Combined thickness of the A horizons is 10 to 50 centimeters)
Bw--35 to 60 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) paragravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; moderately few very fine roots around rock fragments; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent moderately cemented angular sandstone paragravel and 10 percent moderately cemented angular sandstone paracobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 50 centimeters thick)
C--60 to 160 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) paragravel, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) moist;; 70 percent moderately cemented angular sandstone paragravel and 22 percent moderately cemented angular sandstone paracobbles, sandstone weathered in place with fractures mostly closer together than 10 cm; fine earth fraction between parafragments consists of fine sandy loam or loam; moderately acid (pH 5.7). (50 to 150 centimeters thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, California, about 1 mile southeast of Ettersburg, Section 8, T.4 S., R. 2 E. Humboldt Baseline and Meridian; USGS 7.5 minute Ettersburg Quadrangle, California; WGS84 Decimal degrees 40.1263889 latitude, -123.9775000 longitude; UTM Zone 10 0416717mE, 4442231mN, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts for 45 or more consecutive days in the 4 months following the summer solstice. The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters is 15 to 18 degrees C. The soil has a thermic soil temperature regime.
Depth to paralithic materials, moderately cemented bedrock with cracks closer than 10 centimeters apart: 50 to 100 centimeters
Base Saturation: less than 60 percent by ammonium acetate in all horizons between 25 and 75 centimeters.
Particle size control section (weighted average
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent strongly cemented sandstone gravel
Pararock fragments: 20 to 50 percent moderately cemented sandstone paragravel
Clay content: 12 to 17 percent
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10
Value: 5 to 7, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Pararock fragments: 0 to 10 percent paragravel
Clay content: 15 to 20 percent
Reaction: moderately to very strongly acid
Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10
Value: 5 through 7, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6
Texture of fine earth: loam or sandy loam
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent
Pararock fragments: 10 to 35 percent paragravel
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent
Reaction: moderately or strongly acid
C horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 6 or 7, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6
Pararock fragments: 90 to 95 percent, moderately cemented angular sandstone paragravel and paracobbles
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately or strongly acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rainbear soils are on linear to convex positions on summits, shoulders, and backslopes on ridges and mountain slopes. Slopes range from 15 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 300 to 450 meters. These soils formed in residuum weathered from sandstone. The climate is subhumid with warm, dry summers with a marine layer influence and cool, wet winters. Mean annual precipitation is 1525 to 3050 millimeters. Mean January temperature is about 8 degrees C, mean July temperature is about 22 degrees C, and the mean annual temperature is 12 to 14 degrees C. Frost free period is about 260 to 280 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the
Windynip (CA) soil. Windynip soils soils have an umbric epipedon and lack paralithic materials within 200 centimeters. Windynip is on linear to slightly concave or convex positions.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderate or high runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, watershed, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is wild oats, rattlesnake grass, bristly dogstail grass and medusahead.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal Redwood Belt; MLRA 4B. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt County, South Part, California, 2010. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are
1. Ochric epipedon - the surface layer from 0 to 35 centimeters (A1 and A2 horizons)
2. Cambic horizon - the zone from 35 to 60 centimeters (Bw horizon)
3. Isotic feature: 15 bar water/clay is 0.6 or more and the NaF pH is greater than 9.4 in all parts of the particle size control section.
4. Clay content for particle size family determination was calculated due to poor dispersion.
5. Paralithic materials: The zone from 60 to 160 centimeters (C horizon)
6. Particle size control section: the zone from 25 to 100 centimeters (A2, Bw, and C horizons) averages 21 percent clay in the upper 35 centimeters by weight, and 24 percent rock fragments, by volume; and in the lower 40 centimeters 15 percent clay by weight, and 93 percent rock fragments, by volume.
ADDITIONAL DATA: MASIS User Pedon ID: 05CA601445
NSSL Pedon No. 05N0656
Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th edition
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.