LOCATION SHORTHIKE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Shorthike very gravelly loamy coarse sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones, and 10 percent boulders.
A1--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--2 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--10 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bw2--19 to 30 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bw3--30 to 43 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 75 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C--43 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine through coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; 65 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest north of Green Creek and about 1.4 miles northeast of the Green Creek Campground; approximately 1,190 feet south and 1,000 feet west of the northeast corner of section 18, T. 3 N., R. 25 E.; USGS Dunderberg Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 07 minutes 10.1 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 15 minutes 13.5 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in the moisture control section during fall, winter, and spring; dry from July through early October; Xeric moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 30 inches; includes the Bw1 and Bw2 horizons.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 15 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 80 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles. Lithology of fragments are mixed igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granodiorite, andesite, schist, and gneiss; Sand content: 40 to 50 percent medium sand through very coarse sand.
A horizons - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bw1 and Bw2 horizons - Texture: Extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam or extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bw3 horizon - Texture: Extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam or extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
C horizon (when present) - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam or extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baldridge, Beehunt (T), Burgi, Chambeam, Climine, Ginser, Glean, Lambring, Rondowa, Sinker, Smidale, St. Anthony, Webfoot, Westbutte, and Willynat series.
Baldridge soils are dominated by loam texture and have less than 40 percent medium through very coarse sand in the particle-size control section. Beehunt soils have 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Burgi soils have 18 to 27 percent clay and 35 to 50 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Chambeam and Glean soils are deep to lithic contacts. Climine soils are influenced by volcanic ash in the mollic epipedon and have an aridic moisture regime. Sinker and Westbutte soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Ginser soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Lambring soils have 15 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have an aridic moisture regime. Rondowa soils are influenced by volcanic ash in the mollic epipedon. Smidale soils have mollic epipedons greater than 50 inches thick, have 20 to 27 percent clay, and are dominated by channers in the particle-size control section. St. Anthony soils have 15 to 23 percent clay in the upper part of the particle-size control section and have lithologic discontinuities to loose gravel and coarse sand at depths of 20 to 36 inches from the soil surface. Webfoot soils have redox concentrations and endosaturation within 24 inches of the soil surface. Willynat soils have an aridic moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shorthike soils are on moraines. They typically occur on backslope positions. They formed in till derived from mixed igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granodiorite, andesite, schist, and gneiss. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 6,500 to 8,300 feet. The climate is subhumid-continental with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 24 inches, the mean annual temperature is 40 to 44 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 40 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aspetill and Murain soils. Aspetill soils have argillic horizons and a cryic temperature regime. Murain soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability (high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Shorthike soils are used for rangeland, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, snowberry, currant, Anderson's peachbrush, Indian ricegrass, and basin wildrye.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive with about 1,640 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 22A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mono County (Toiyabe National Forest Area), California, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 inches (A1, A2, Bw1, and Bw2 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 30 to 43 inches (Bw3 horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons and part of the Bw3 horizon).