LOCATION ROUNDMEADOW ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Andic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Roundmeadow ashy silt loam--forested, on a 40 percent northfacing slope at an elevation of 5,010 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. Soil textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1.5 inches; slightly decomposed needles, twigs, and leaves
Oe--1.5 to 2 inches; moderately decomposed organic matter
A--2 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) ashy silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; common fine roots; few fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) ashy silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
2Eb--14 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and coarse, and many medium roots; common fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Bwb--23 to 32 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (9 to 16 inches thick)
2Cr--32 to 37 inches; grus; clear wavy boundary (0 to 6 inches thick)
2R--37 inches; granitic bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon
Section 17 (NE , SE , SE ), T. 10 S., R. 37 E.
Latitude: 44 degrees, 42 minutes, 16 seconds; North
Longitude: 118 degrees, 11 minutes, 36 minutes; West
UTM Zone 11; 4,950,600 northing; 405,450 easting; NAD 27
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: frigid regime
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 41 to 45 degrees F
Mean Summer Soil Temperature: 48 to 54 degrees F
Mean Winter Soil Temperature: 33 to 37 degrees F
Soil Moisture: xeric regime, dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer
Particle-size control section: 10 inches below mineral soil surface to paralithic or lithic contact
clay content, average: 2 to 12 percent
rock fragment content, average: 10 to 35 percent
Diagnostic Horizons and Features:
andic subgroup properties: upper boundary at the mineral surface; 7 to 14 inches thick
Al+1/2Fe (ammonium oxalate): 1.0 to 2.8 percent
bulk density: 0.65 to 0.85 g/cc
P retention: 55 to 85 percent
0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 40 to 60 percent
glass content in the 0.02-2.0mm fraction: 65 to 90 percent
cambic horizon: 6 to 9 inches thick
eluvial horizon, buried: 6 to 10 inches thick
cambic horizon, buried: 9 to 16 inches thick
lithic contact, depth below mineral soil surface: 20 to 40 inches
A horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 3/3, 4/3
color, dry: 10YR 5/3, 6/3
texture: ASHY-SIL, ASHY-VFSL
clay content: 3 to 7 percent
rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent gravel
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
Bw horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 3/4, 4/3
color, dry: 10YR 6/3, 6/4
texture: ASHY-SIL, ASHY-VFSL
clay content: 3 to 6 percent
rock fragment content: 0 to 10 percent gravel
reaction: slightly acid; pH: 6.1 to 6.5
2Eb horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 5/3, 5/4
color, dry: 10YR 6/3, 7/4
texture: SL, GR-SL, GR-L
clay content: 2 to 12 percent
rock fragment content: 5 to 20 percent gravel
reaction: slightly acid; pH: 6.1 to 6.5
2Bwb horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 5/3, 5/2
color, dry: 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 7/3
texture: GR-SL, GRV-SL, GRV-L
clay content: 2 to 14 percent
rock fragment content: 15 to 45 percent
gravel: 15 to 45 percent
cobbles: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid; pH: 6.1 to 6.5
COMPETING SERIES:
Aits: very deep; formed in volcanic ash and loess mantle over till of mixed rocks
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: mountain backslopes
Slope gradient: 15 to 60 percent
Parent material: volcanic ash over colluvium and residuum
Lithology: granite
Elevation: 4,000 to 5,400 feet
Climate: cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation: 20 to 35 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 39 to 43 degrees F
Frostfree period: 35 to 80 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Coyotebluff: on steep backslopes; deep, mollic epipedon, loamy-skeletal, and mixed ash mantle under grand fir, Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain maple, mallow ninebark, pinegrass and elk sedge
Endcreek: on gently sloping benches and toeslopes; moderately deep, thick ash mantle over buried loamy-skeletal colluvium; under grand fir, Douglas-fir, grouse whortleberry and pinegrass
Fourthcreek: on planar to convex shoulder slopes and ridges; moderately deep; thick volcanic ash mantle, cambic horizon and ashy over loamy particle-size control section; under grand fir, western larch, Douglas-fir, grouse whortleberry, birchleaf spiraea and pinegrass
Gorhamgulch: on concave mid to lower backslopes; very deep; thick volcanic ash mantle, cambic horizon and ashy over loamy particle-size control section; under grand fir, western larch, Douglas-fir, big huckleberry, longtube twinflower, prince's pine, sidebells pyrola, and pinegrass
Powderriver: on convex upper backslopes and shoulders; shallow, skeletal soil under open canopy of Douglas-fir or grand fir with pinegrass, Rocky Mountain maple, and elk sedge
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately rapid permeability
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: watershed, wildlife habitat, timber production, and recreation
Native vegetation: grand fir, western larch, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, big huckleberry, ceanothus, birchleaf spiraea, elk sedge, and pinegrass.
Plant association: PICO(ABGR)/VAME (lodgepole pine (grand fir)/big huckleberry); may include: ABGR/VAME (grand fir/big huckleberry) or ABGR/CARU (grand fir/pinegrass)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: MLRA: 43c; Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon
Extent: small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon 2008. Name is from a flat in the Elkhorn Mountains
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon: 2 to 3 inches; A horizon
cambic horizon, upper: 3 to 14 inches; Bw horizon
eluvial horizon, buried: 14 to 23 inches; 2Eb horizon
cambic horizon, buried: 23 to 32 inches; 2Bwb horizon
andic subgroup properties (ash layer): 2 to 14 inches; A, Bw horizons
particle-size control section: 12 to 32 inches; Bw, 2Eb, 2Bwb horizons
lithic contact: 37 inches; top of 2R horizon
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon ID: 95-OR-001-001