LOCATION TUOLUMNE CA
Established Series
Rev. BRY/KDA/KP/JBB
09/2021
TUOLUMNE SERIES
The Tuolumne series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in colluvium, alluvium, and/or till from granitic rocks. Tuolumne soils are on alluvial fans, mountain slopes, aprons on mountainsides, talus slopes, colluvial aprons, moraines, stream terraces, ancient landslides, avalanche chutes, bedrock benches, bedrock joints, and ephemeral streams. Slope is 15 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1,040 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 8 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic, mesic Vitrandic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Tuolumne cobbly loamy coarse sand, on a north facing, 70 percent slope under a cover of interior live oak at an elevation of 1433 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on August 4, 1999 the soil was moist throughout.)
A--0 to 6 cm; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) cobbly loamy coarse sand, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; common very coarse, coarse, medium, and fine, and many very fine roots; 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid stones, 10 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid cobbles, and 17 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 23 cm thick) Lab sample # 99P01595
AC-- 6 to 25 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; many very coarse, coarse, and very fine, and common medium and fine roots; 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid stones, 7 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid cobbles, and 30 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 95 cm thick) Lab sample # 99P01596
C1--25 to 90 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) very bouldery loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; many very coarse, coarse, and very fine, and common fine and medium roots; 15 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granitoid boulders, 7 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid stones, 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid cobbles, and 30 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 65 cm thick) Lab sample # 99P01597
C2--90 to 152 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; soft, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; common coarse, medium, fine, and very fine roots; 5 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granitoid boulders, 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid stones, 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid cobbles, and 17 percent subangular very strongly cemented granitoid gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0). Lab sample # 99P01598
TYPE LOCATION: Tuolumne County, California; about 3,960 feet (1,207.0 meters) south-southeast of O'Shaughnessy Dam; approximately 2,590 feet (789.4 meters) east and 1,040 feet (317.0 meters) north of the southwest corner of section 16, T. 1 N., R. 20 E., Mount Diablo Base and Meridian; Latitude 37 degrees, 56 minutes, 27.7 seconds north and Longitude 119 degrees, 46 minutes, 56.5 seconds west; USGS Lake Eleanor, California Quadrangle, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 8 to 12 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a mesic temperature regime.
Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about August to October (about 100 days).
Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 18 cm
Base saturation: less than 50 percent (by ammonium acetate)
Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.2 to 1.0 percent (by weight) to a depth of 75 cm
Volcanic glass: 5 to 30 percent in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction in an 18 cm thick layer within a depth of 75 cm from the mineral soil surface
Surface rock fragments: 0 to 80 percent
Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent, with 0 to 35 percent gravel, and 0 to 15 percent cobbles.
Clay content: 0.5 to 6 percent
Sand content: 65 to 95 percent
NaF pH: 8.5 to 10.5
A horizon
Hue: 10YR (dry and moist)
Value: 3 to 6 (dry) and 1 to 4 (moist)
Chroma: 1 to 4 (dry) and 1 to 3 (moist)
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, coarse sandy loam, or sandy loam
Clay content: 0.5 to 6 percent
Rock fragment content: 7 to 60 percent
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 10 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly alkaline
Other characteristics: some pedons have an Ab horizon
AC horizon (where present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y (dry and moist)
Value: 6 or 7 (dry) and 4 or 5 (moist)
Chroma: 3 or 4 (dry) and 2 or 3 (moist)
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 2 to 4 percent
Rock fragment content: 32 to 60 percent
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent
Reaction: slightly acid or neutral
Bw horizon (where present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y (dry and moist)
Value: 6 or 7 (dry) and 3 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 3 or 4 (dry) and 2 to 4 (moist)
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sand, loamy coarse sand, or loamy sand
Clay content: 0.5 to 5 percent
Rock fragment content: 22 to 80 percent
Organic matter content: 1 to 8 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid
C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y (dry and moist)
Value: 5 to 7 (dry) and 4 to 6 (moist)
Chroma: 2 to 6 (dry) and 2 to 4 (moist)
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, or loamy sand
Clay content: 0.1 to 5 percent
Rock fragment content: 25 to 90 percent
Organic matter content: 0.2 to 3 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tuolumne soils are on alluvial fans, mountain slopes, aprons on mountainsides, talus slopes, colluvial aprons, moraines, ancient landslides, avalanche chutes, bedrock benches, bedrock joints, stream terraces, and ephemeral streams. Slope is 2 to 70 percent. Elevation is 654 to 1,989 meters. These soils formed in colluvium, alluvium or till derived from granitoid rock. The climate is Mediterranean with moist and cold winters and warm and dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 838 to 1,245 mm. Mean annual temperature is 5.0 to 11.7 degrees C. The frost-free period is 100 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Half Dome soils. Half Dome soils have a loamy-skeletal particle-size class and an umbric and/or cambic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium or high runoff; saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to very high.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. The vegetation is black oak, live oak, white fir, Ponderosa pine, and mixed coniferous forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. The soils of this series are of limited extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yosemite National Park, California, 2007. Proposed in 2006.
REMARKS: Isotic mineralogy class based on lab data. Tuolumne soils have an ochric epipedon and do not have a cambic horizon.
The vegetation according to Preliminary Description of Terrestrial Natural Community of California, Robert F. Holland and Fish and Game, State of California, 1986" is Black Oak Woodland (71120), Interior Live Oak Woodland (71150), White Fir Mixed Coniferous Forest (84232), Sierra Mixed Coniferous Forest (84230), Westside Ponderosa Pine Forest (84210), Ponderosa Pine Mixed Coniferous Forest (84231), and Mixed, North Slope Forest (81500)
Some pedons have one or more O horizons.
Series updated in 2021 to include ranges of Tuolumne soils described in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Climate ranges and vegetation were not updated at this time.
Series previously classified as Sandy-skeletal, isotic, mesic Dystric Xerorthents. Updated in 2021.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for this type location only:
Pedon Type: OSD pedon Lab Source ID: KSSL
Pedon Purpose: Laboratory Sampling Site Lab Pedon #: 99P0314
NASIS User Pedon ID: 99CA109006
Additional supporting data available for pedon numbers 00P0789 (Pedon ID: 00CA043003), 00P0786 (Pedon ID: 00CA109007, and 02N0615 (Pedon ID: 00CA043004).
Soil Classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.