LOCATION TUSCCOLL CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Andic Palexeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Tusccoll gravelly loam, on a northeast facing 45 percent slope under a cover of Douglas-fir, California black oak, redbud, dogwood and Pacific poison oak at an elevation of 1940 feet, (591 m). When described on 6/24/98 the soil was very slightly moist to 23 inches, (58 cm); slightly moist from 23 to 49 inches, (58 to 124 cm) and moist below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inches, (0 to 3 cm); slightly decomposed plant material; clear smooth boundary.
Oe--1 to 2 inches, (3 to 5 cm); moderately decomposed plant material; clear smooth boundary.
A--2 to 6 inches, (5 to 15 cm); light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist gravelly loam; 25 percent clay; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots and common medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular and irregular and few coarse tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 10.0; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches, (5 to 10 cm) thick)
Bt1--6 to 14 inches, (15 to 36 cm); light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; 26 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots, few coarse roots and common very fine roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular and irregular pores and few coarse tubular pores; 40 percent discontinuous faint clay films; 25 gravel; neutral, pH 6.7 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 10.5; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--14 to 23 inches, (36 to 58 cm); light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; 27 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and coarse roots and many medium roots; common very fine, fine and medium irregular and tubular pores and few coarse tubular pores; 40 percent discontinuous faint clay films; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 10.5; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--23 to 33 inches, (58 to 84 cm); reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) gravelly clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 29 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine, fine, and medium tubular and irregular pores; 50 percent discontinuous faint clay films; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 10.0; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt4--33 to 41 inches, (84 to 104 cm); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 31 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots and common medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores and few medium tubular pores; 50 percent discontinuous faint clay films; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 10.0; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt5--41 to 49 inches, (104 to 124 cm); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 33 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine, fine and coarse roots and common medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores and few medium tubular pores; 70 percent continuous distinct clay films; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 9.9; clear smooth boundary.
Bt6--49 to 70 inches, (124 to 179 cm); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 38 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores and few medium tubular pores; 80 percent continuous distinct clay films; 10 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by Hellige-Truog; NaF pH 9.7. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 52 to 77 inches, (132 to 196 cm) or more thick).
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California, about 0.75 miles west of Forest Ranch Cemetery, approximately 700 feet south and 600 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 31, Township 24 N., Range 3 E., 39 degrees, 54 minutes, 2 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 40 minutes, 31 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S Quad: Cohasset, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches, (152 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to 59 degrees F, (11 to 15 degrees C). The particle-size control section averages 22 to 35 percent clay and 5 to 35 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. NaF pH ranges from 9.5 to 11.0 to a depth of 10 to 20 inches, (25 to 51 cm). Rock fragments on the surface range from 5 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, 0 to 20 percent stones and 0 to 5 percent boulders.
The A horizon dry color is 7.5YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/3, 6/4, 7/4 or 5YR 6/4. Moist color is 5YR 3/3, 4/3 or 7.5YR 4/3. Texture is gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam or cobbly loam. Clay content ranges from 17 to 25 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobbles. NaF pH ranges from 9.5 to 11.0. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 5/3, 5/4, 5/6, 6/4, 6/6, 7/4, 5YR 5/4, 5/6, 6/4 or 6/6. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/3, 4/3, 4/4, 5/4, 4/6, 6/6, 5YR 3/3, 4/3, 4/4 or 4/6. Texture is loam, gravelly loam, cobbly loam, very cobbly loam, clay loam, gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, cobbly clay loam, very cobbly clay loam, gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 39 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 40 percent cobbles, and 0 to 15 percent stones. NaF pH ranges from 9.8 to 11.0 in upper part. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tusccoll soils are on backslopes in canyons in Cascade mountains. Slopes range from 30 to 70 percent. These soils formed in colluvium weathered from volcanic rocks. Elevation is 1600 to 3400 feet, (488 to 1036 m). Mean annual precipitation is 55 to 72 inches, (1397 to 1829 mm). The mean annual temperature is 53 to 56 degrees F, (12 to 13 degrees C). Frost free season is 160 to 215 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Schott and Paradiso soils. Schott soils are on ridge tops and side slopes, are deep and are loamy-skeletal. Paradiso soils are on ridge tops and are fine.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate to moderately rapid saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A horizon and moderate to moderate slow in the Bt horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, watershed and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, California black oak, ponderosa pine, canyon live oak, whiteleaf manzanita, incense cedar, dogwood, California laurel, bigleaf maple, California torreya, deerbrush, Pacific poison oak, redbud, whitethorn ceanothus, brackenfern, Sierra gooseberry and broadleaf starflower. White fir and tanoak at higher elevations and toyon at lower elevations.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occur in the M261DI (Shingletown-Paradise) subsection of the M261D (Southern Cascade) section. MLRA 22B Southern Cascade Mountains. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 2 to 6 in, (5 to 15 cm) (A)
Argillic horizon - zone from 33 to 70 in, (84 to 179 cm) (Bt4, Bt5, Bt6)
Andic materials - zone from 2 to 14 inches, (5 to 36 cm) (A, Bt1)
Particle-size control section - zone from 33 to 53 in, (84 to 135 cm)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 9 to 23 inches, (23 to 58 cm) is dry in all parts from about June to October (about 135 days).
Assumed bulk density is 1 g/cc or less and Al plus 1/2 Fe percent (by ammonium oxalate) totaling more than 1.0 in the upper 14 inches, (36 cm) based on geographically associated soils.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Used data from Paradiso profile S96CA-007-001, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.