LOCATION URGESTEIN WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic Eutric Fulvicryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Urgestein extremely gravelly medial sandy loam-meadow, on a 72 percent south-southwesterly aspect at an elevation of 3,400 feet. (When described on September 28, 1994, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed grass fragments and leaves. (0.5 to 2 inches thick)
A1--1 to 6 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) dry; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, and medium and common coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 55 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 21 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; weak very fine and fine granular and weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 55 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 12 to 25 inches.)
Bw--21 to 32 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine and fine granular and weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine, medium, and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
R--32 inches; hard metavolcanic rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Clallam County, Washington, about 2/3 miles west-northwest of Mt. Muller, about 1,715 feet north and 660 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 16, T. 30 N., R. 10 W. (Latitude 48 degrees, 05 minutes, 31 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 59 minutes, 27 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. Mean winter soil temperature is 37 to 41 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are dry 0 to 30 consecutive days in the soil moisture control section; udic moisture regime. Depth to bedrock and thickness of the umbric epipedon is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the bedrock contact has andic soil properties and 50 to 90 percent rock fragments by volume. The andic soil material has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.50 to 0.80 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 3 percent, phosphate retention of 85 to 100 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 20 to 35 percent for air dried samples. It has 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 1.5 to 3.0 percent. It is moderately acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 2 or 3 moist and 3 through 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 3 or 4 dry. It has 7 to 20 percent organic matter with a weighted average of less than 10 percent below 20 inches and over 10 throughout the upper 12 inches.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist. It is extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, very gravelly sandy medial loam, or very gravelly medial loam. It has 2 to 7 percent organic matter.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The Brokenfinger, Lilliwaup, Newanna and Sevencedars series have a similar classification. All of these soils have over 2 cmol/kg of KCL extractable aluminum. In addition, Lilliwaup and Sevencedars soils are very deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Urgestein soils are on continental glaciated mountain slopes. Slopes are 40 to 80 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum from marine basalt and associated volcanic rocks. Elevations are 2,850 to 3,600 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 95 to 105 inches. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 120 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buckman, Fahnestock, and Sniderpeak soils. Buckman soils are on mountain slopes and are very shallow. Fahnestock soils are on glaciated mountain slopes and are deep. Sniderpeak soils are on glaciated mountain slopes and have a weighted average of less than 10 percent organic matter throughout the upper 12 inches of the solum.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Native vegetation is grasses, yarrow, sweet scented bedstraw, pearly everlasting, thistle, Oregon-grape, and western swordfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Olympic Mountains in Clallam County, Washington; MLRA 3. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clallam County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
An umbric epipedon - from 1 to 32 inches with the depth, thickness, and organic carbon requirements of a melanic epipedon (A1, A2, and Bw subhorizons)
Andic soil properties - from 1 to 32 inches (A1, A2, and Bw subhorizons)
Lithic contact - 32 inches
PSCS - from 1 to 32 inches (A1, A2, and Bw subhorizons)
Classification revised 01/04 from Typic Fulvicryands to Eutric Pachic Fulvicryands based on the 9th edition of Keys to Taxonomy.
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.