LOCATION SEASIDE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, semiactive, acid, thermic Lithic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Seaside loamy sand on a southwest facing slope of 12 percent under manzanita, Mendocino cypress, California huckleberry and Bishop pine at 960 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on June 12, 1984 the soil was moist throughout.)
Oi--1/2 inch to 0; litter of manzanita leaves and twigs over an organic mat of lichens and moss.
A--0 to 1 inch; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent hard subrounded sandstone pebbles (2-75mm) and 5 percent hard subrounded sandstone cobbles (75-100mm); extremely acid (pH 4.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bw--1 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine and fine interstitial pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); abrupt irregular boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
R--7 inches; hard, fractured, coarse grained sandstone; fracture pattern is highly variable; few very fine, fine and medium roots along fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Mendocino County, California; about 750 feet south and 1380 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 7, T.11N., R.15W., MDBM, Gualala quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic contact and thickness of the solum is 5 to 10 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 59 to 61 degrees F. The soil is moist in all parts from November 1 to May 1 and is dry in all parts from June 1 to October 15 in most years. Coarse fragment content ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Soil reaction is extremely or very strongly acid (pH 4.3 to 5.0).
The A horizon is 2.5Y 6/2, 7/2, or 10YR 7/3. Moist color is 5Y 8/1; 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2; 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/3 or 7/2. Clay content is 4 to 10 percent.
The B horizon is 10YR 5/4, 6/3, 6/4, 7/3, 7/4 or 7/6. Moist color is 10YR 4/4, 5/3, 5/4, 5/6, 6/3, 6/4, 6/6 or 7/2. It is sandy loam with 7 to 12 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Seaside soils are on coastal hills and mountains. Slopes are 5 to 30 percent. Elevations are 100 to 1100 feet. The soils formed in material weathered from sandstone. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 55 inches. Mean January temperature is about 50 degrees F.; mean July temperature is about 58 degrees F. and mean annual temperature is about 55 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 250 to 330 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fishrock, Havensneck, and Iversen soils, also on coastal hills and mountains. Fishrock soils are 10 to 20 inches deep and clayey. Havensneck soils are moderately deep. Iversen soils are moderately deep and clayey.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; surface runoff under bare soil conditions is medium or rapid; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for homesite development and as wildlife habitat and watershed. The vegetation is mainly manzanita, stunted Mendocino cypress and Bishop pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern coastal California. The series is not extensive. MLRA 4.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mendocino County, California, Western Part, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are:
Ochric epipedon -- the zone from 0 to 7 inches (A, Bw)
Lithic contact -- the boundary at 7 inches (R)