LOCATION RESNER WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, glassy over isotic Xeric Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Resner ashy loam, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
O--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed mat of leaves, twigs, and needles.
A--1 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--2 to 21 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium granular and subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt irregular boundary. (2 to 25 inches thick)
2C--21 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few iron bands 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick in upper part of horizon; 45 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.9).
TYPE LOCATION: Ferry County, Washington; at gravel pit on Albion Hill Road north from Sherman pass Highway; NW1/4 SE1/4 sec. 8, T.36N., R. 35E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 38 to 43 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Thickness of the volcanic ash mantle and depth to the lithologic discontinuity ranges from 14 to 27 inches. The upper part of the 0 to 40 inch particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.65 to 0.85 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of more than 2.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 12 percent for air dried samples, and 0 to 20 percent rock fragments. The lower part of the particle-size control section has 35 to 70 percent rock fragments. Reaction is strongly acid to neutral. Some pedons have a thin layer of Mt. St. Helens 'T' or 'W' ash immediately below the O horizon.
The A horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is ashy loam or ashy silt loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 to 6 dry or moist. It is ashy loam, ashy silt loam or ashy fine sandy loam and is 0 to 20 percent gravel.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture ranges from loamy fine sand to coarse sand, and may be very gravelly, extremely gravelly, very cobbly, or extremely cobbly. It is 20 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Scar series. Scar soils have an albic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Resner soils are on mountain slopes and undulating glacial outwash terraces and kame terrace escarpments. Slopes are 0 to 65 percent. These soils formed in volcanic ash over glacial outwash and ablation till dominated by granitic rocks. Elevations are 3,500 to 6,000 feet. Resner soils are in a climate of cool, dry summers and cold, wet winters. The average annual precipitation is 20 to 35 inches. The mean January temperature is about 20 degrees F, the mean July temperature is about 69 degrees F, and the mean annual air temperature is 37 to 41 degrees F. The frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nevine, Scar, Sitdown, Stepstone, and the similar Manley and Togo soils. Nevine and Stepstone soils are frigid and are on moraines and mountains. Scar soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the particle-size control section and are on mountains. Sitdown soils have a mantle of volcanic ash less than 14 inches thick and are on backslopes and footslopes of mountains, outwash terraces and terrace escarpments. Manley and Togo soils are ashy over loamy-skeletal. Manley soils are on the upper slopes of foothills and mountains. Togo soils are on backslopes, footslopes, and ridges of mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability in the solum and rapid to very rapid permeability in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, grazing, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western larch, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine with an understory of black mountain huckleberry, longtube twinflower, pachystima, Rocky Mountain maple, Utah honeysuckle, dwarf rose, false-Solomons-seal, Columbia brome, pinegrass, and queencup beadlily.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. MLRA 43A. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ferry County (North Ferry Area), Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from 0 to 7 inches (O, A, and part of the Bw) and a cambic horizon from 2 to 21 inches (Bw) formed in volcanic ash. The lower part of the particle-size control section has 45 percent rock fragments. Laboratory data from similar soils indicates that the volcanic ash mantle meets andic soil properties. The description reflects a change in classification from ashy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed Xeric Vitricryands to ashy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, glassy over isotic Xeric Vitricryands.