LOCATION REDWOODHOUSE CA

Established Series
REV: JTB/SAA/ET
05/2016

REDWOODHOUSE SERIES

The Redwoodhouse series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum from sandstone and mudstone. Redwoodhouse soils are on mountains and slopes range from 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1525 millimeters and the mean annual air temperature is about 11 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isomesic Typic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Redwoodhouse on a southwest facing slope of 15 percent under a canopy of redwood, Douglas-fir, and tanoak. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated). When described on September 9, 2005, the soil was dry to about 100 centimeters.

Oi--0 to 1 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1), slightly decomposed plant material, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; about 80 percent fiber, 60 percent rubbed; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 centimeters thick)

A--1 to 18 centimeters; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; strong very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent paragravel, 25 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 45 centimeters thick)

ABt--18 to 30 centimeters; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; strong fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; 25 percent paragravel, 25 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear smooth boundary.

Bt1--30 to 50 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; strong fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; few prominent clay films on all faces of peds; 25 percent paragravel, 25 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--50 to 90 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; strong very fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and common very coarse roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; few prominent clay films on all faces of peds; 20 percent paragravel, 25 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.3); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt3--90 to 115 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) paragravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; 10 percent coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; strong fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, many medium and coarse, and common very coarse roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 28 percent paragravel, 7 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt4--115 to 160 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) paragravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; 10 percent coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; strong fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, common fine, many medium, common coarse and very coarse roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 28 percent paragravel, 7 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt5--160 to 200 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) paragravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; 10 percent coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, and common medium, coarse, and very coarse roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films on rock fragments on all faces of peds; 26 percent paragravel, 14 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1). (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 100 to 175 centimeters)

TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, California, Located approximately 4 kilometers east of the town of Redcrest; USGS Meyer's Flat Quadrangle, WGS84 Decimal degrees 40.3163889 latitude and -123.8319444 longitude; UTM zone 10 429311mE, 4463196mN; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section (7 to 21 centimeters) is not dry in any part for as long as 90 cumulative days in normal years. The soils have a udic soil moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters is 10 to 13 degrees C. The difference between mean summer and mean winter temperature is less than 6 degrees C. The soils have an isomesic temperature regime.

Surface Fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel and paragravel
Particle size control section (weighted average):
Pararock fragments: 0 to 50 percent paragravel
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles
Clay content: 24 to 35 percent

O horizon Value: 2 or 3, 2 to 4 dry
Chroma: 1 or 2, moist or dry
Pararock fragments: 0 to 15 percent moderately cemented mudstone paragravel
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent strongly cemented sandstone and mudstone gravel
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 2 to 4, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma: 2 to 3, moist or dry
Texture of fine earth: loam, silt loam
Pararock fragments: 0 to 35 percent moderately cemented mudstone paragravel
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent strongly cemented sandstone and mudstone gravel
Clay content: 12 to 27 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

Upper Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR and 2.5Y, moist or dry
Value: 4 or 5, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 2 to 6 moist or dry
Texture of fine earth: loam, silty clay loam, and clay loam
Pararock fragments: 0 to 50 percent moderately cemented mudstone paragravel mudstone
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent strongly cemented mudstone and sandstone gravel
Clay content: 24 to 35 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid

Lower Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR and 2.5Y, moist or dry
Value: 4 or 5, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 2 to 6 moist or dry
Texture of fine earth: silty clay loam, and clay loam
Pararock fragments: 15 to 75 percent moderately cemented mudstone paragravel
Rock fragments: 0 to 50 percent strongly cemented mudstone and sandstone gravel, 0 to 15 percent strongly cemented sandstone cobbles.
Clay content: 27 to 38 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid

Redoximorphic Features: fine and medium iron-manganese masses in the matrix
Quantity: none to common
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6, moist
Chroma: 6 to 8, moist

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Redwoodhouse soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are 60 to 1150 meters. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum from interbedded sandstone and mudstone. The climate is humid with cool, foggy summers and cool, wet winters. Mean annual precipitation is 1140 to 2160 millimeters. Mean January temperature is about 9 degrees C, mean July temperature is about 14 degrees C, and the mean annual temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C. Frost free season is about 240 to 300 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mailridge, Mountbaldy, Redcrest, and Yagercreek soils. Mailridge and Yagercreek soils have greater than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Mountbaldy soils are 50 to 100 centimeters to a lithic contact. Redcrest soils have less than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the particle size control section. Mailridge and Mountbaldy soils are on convex ridge and bench shoulder positions. Yagercreek soils are on linear to convex positions dominated by strongly cemented sandstone. Redcrest soils occur on areas of weakly cemented siltstone and fine grained sandstone.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, high runoff, and moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Natural vegetation includes redwood, Douglasfir, tanoak, California hazel, California huckleberry, salal, and western swordfern..

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: California Coastal Redwood Belt; MLRA 4B. The series is moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Humboldt County, California. The name is from Redwoodhouse Road.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 30 centimeters (Oi, A and ABt horizons).
2. Argillic horizon - the zone from 30 to 200 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2, Bt horizons).
3. Particle-size control section - the zone from 30 to 80 centimeters

ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory Pedon No. 06NO221.

NASIS User Pedon ID 03CA601131.

Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th edition.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.