LOCATION SNOWBRIER OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Humic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Snowbrier gravelly loam, forested. (Colors are
for moist soils unless otherwise noted.)
O--1 inch to 0; partially decomposed needles, leaves, and
twigs.
A1--0 to 5 inches; very dark brown, (10YR 2/2) gravelly loam,
brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, and common
fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores;
15 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary.
(3 to 8 inches thick)
A2--5 to 12 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2)
gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and
nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots;
many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 22 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very
gravelly loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; moderate very
fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable,
slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and
medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel
and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 17 inches thick)
Bw2--22 to 39 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) very cobbly loam, olive
(5Y 5/3) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure;
slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 17 inches thick)
R--39 inches; fractured shist.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Oregon; approximately 700 feet
north and 1,250 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 6, T.
33 S., R. 2 W., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are
dry in the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days
in the four months that follow the summer solstice. The mean
annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. Depth to a lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section averages 15 to 25 percent clay, 25 to 40 percent gravel, and 10
to 35 percent cobbles. It is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The umbric epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 2 or 3
moist, 3 through 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and 2 or 3
dry. It has 15 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 3 or 4
moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 2 through 4
dry. It has 25 to 40 percent gravel and 10 to 35 percent
cobbles. It is very gravelly loam, very cobbly loam, or
extremely cobbly loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bindle,
Freezeout,
Goodwin,
Nanny and
Undusk series. Bindle soils are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days. Freezeout soils have 10 to 18 percent clay in
the particle-size control section. Goodwin, Nanny and Undusk
soils are deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Snowbrier soils are on ridges and hillslopes
at elevations of 3,600 to 4,700 feet. These soils formed in colluvium derived from shist. The mean annual precipitation is
40 to 60 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees
F. The frost-free period is less than 100 days. Slopes range
from 25 to 50 percent.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Kanid,
Goolaway,
and
Musty series. All these soils are mesic. In addition,
Goolaway soils are fine-loamy and Kanid has an ochric epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate to rapid
runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production. Native vegetation includes an overstory of Douglas fir, white
fir, and western hemlock. Understory includes western fescue,
salal, twinflower, toothed pyrola, deltoid anemone, western
princes pine, cascade Oregongrape, and big huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Oregon. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County Area, Oregon, 1988.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features:
- Umbric epipedon - 0 to 12 inches; based on lab. data from Musty series.
- Cambic horizon - 12 to 39 inches.