LOCATION RANKOR CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Rankor sandy loam, on a northern facing mountain slope of 64 percent under big sage, buckbrush, live oak, digger pine and annual and perennial grasses at 3,200 feet elevation.
A1-- 0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 14 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
BAt-- 5 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard; friable, sticky and plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 14 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1-- 11 to 21 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few coarse, medium, fine and very fine roots; common medium, fine and very fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films bridging mineral grains; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2-- 21 to 33 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; common thin and moderately thick clay films bridging mineral grains; 12 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (9 to 20 inches thick)
BCt--33 to 58 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 13 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (19 to 25 inches thick)
Cr-- 58 to 63 inches; highly weathered intermeddled mica schist and granodiorite.
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; in Walker Basin area; about 1,500 feet south and 700 feet west of the northeastern corner of Sec. 31, T.29., R.32E., MDB&M, Oiler Peak Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to paralithic contact is 40 to 60 inches.
Soil Temperature - The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to
58 degrees F. The soil temperature is
greater than 41 degrees F. from about
March 1 to December 1 (260 to 280 days)
days) and is greater than 47 degrees F
from about March 1 to December 1 (250 to
290 days).
Soil Moisture - The soils are dry from about June 30 to
November 15 (140 to 160 days). The soil is
moist in some or all parts for 90 or more
consecutive days when the soil temperature is
greater than 47 degrees F.
Texture control section: 0 to 15 percent rock fragments
composed dominantly of fine
granitic gravel. Clay content is 20
to 35 percent.
A horizon -Value: 3,4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry and moist.
Textures: sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam
Coarse fragments: 0 to 35 percent mostly gravel
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt horizon- Value:4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3, 4 or 6 dry and moist.
Textures: mainly sandy clay loam some pedons
are sandy loam in the lower part.
Organic matter: 1 to 3 in the upper part and
0.1 to 1 in the lower part
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adieux, Banning, Coolbrith, Dotta, Drews, Gorman, Harriman, Haysum, Henhill, Lonkey, Robinette, Supan and Wapinitia series. Adieux and Lonkey soils are less than 40 inches deep, have less than 30 percent slopes, and are formed from extrusive igneous material. Coolbrith, Dotta, Gorman, Haysum and Henhill soils are formed from alluvium and are more than 60 inches deep. In addition, Banning, Coolbrith and Henhill soils are somewhat poorly drained. Harriman soils are formed from sedimentary rock. Supan soils are volcanic in origin and have a mean annual precipitation of more than 30 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rankor soils are on mountain slopes of 5 to 75 percent. These soils formed in material weathered from granitic rocks and schist. Elevations are 3,000 to 6,000 feet. The average annual precipitation is 10 to 20 inches. The mean January temperature is about 46 degrees F.; the mean July temperature is about 78 degrees F.; the mean annual air temperature is 50 to 56 degrees F. The frost-free season is 110 to 175 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arujo, Tollhouse, Tunis, Tweedy and Walong soils. Arujo, Tunis and Walong soils are on southern aspects and have thermic temperature regimes. Tunis and Tollhouse soils have a paralithic contact within 20 inches of the surface. Tweedy and Walong soils have a paralithic contact within 40 inches of the surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid to very rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The natural vegetation is mostly big sagebrush, buckbrush, California scrub oak, digger pine, pine bluegrass and ripgut brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Sierra Nevada Range in California. The series is of small extent in MLRA 18.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California; Kern County, Northeastern Part and Southeastern Part of Tulare County Soil Survey Area. The name is adapted from the name of a prominent peak.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 21 inches (A1, BAt and Bt1)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 5 to 58 inches (BAt, Bt1, Bt2, (BCt)