LOCATION WONDER ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Andic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Wonder stony ashy silt loam -- forested, on a 15 percent eastfacing slope at an elevation of 5,200 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles and twigs
A--1 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly ashy silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine, common medium and few coarse roots; few fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 13 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly ashy silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2EBb--13 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, many medium and few coarse roots; many fine and few medium irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.1); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 17 inches thick)
2Bwb--24 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, non sticky and non plastic; common fine, many medium and few coarse roots; few fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 17 inches thick)
2BCb--33 to 37 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; common fine irregular pores; 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt irregular boundary (0 to 11 inches thick)
2R--37 inches; hard basalt
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Oregon
Section 13 (NE 1/4, SW 1/4, SW 1/4), T. 12 S., R. 35 1/2 E.
Latitude: 44 degrees, 31 minutes, 17 seconds north
Longitude: 118 degrees, 22 minutes, 07 seconds west
UTM coordinates: zone 11; northing: 4,930,479; easting: 391,235; NAD27
USGS Quadrangle: Pogue Point
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: frigid regime
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 38 to 45 degrees F
Mean Summer Soil Temperature: 45 to 54 degrees F
Mean Winter Soil Temperature: 32 to 37 degrees F
Soil Moisture: xeric regime; dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer
Particle-size Control Section: 10 inches below mineral soil surface to a lithic contact
clay content, average: 9 to 15 percent
rock fragment content, average: 35 to 70 percent
Diagnostic Horizons and Features:
andic subgroup properties: upper boundary at the mineral surface; 9 to 13 inches thick
Al+1/2Fe (ammonium oxalate): 1.0 to 2.4 percent
bulk density: 0.65 to 1.00 g/cc
P retention: 60 to 80 percent
0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 40 to 60 percent of fine earth
glass content in the 0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 45 to 85 percent
cambic horizon: 6 to 12 inches thick
lithic contact, depth from mineral surface: 20 to 40 inches
A horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 3/2, 3/3
color, dry: 10YR 4/3, 5/3, 5/4
texture: GR-ASHY-SIL, ST-ASHY-SIL
clay content: 5 to 10 percent
rock fragment content: 15 to 30 percent
gravel: 5 to 20 percent
cobbles: 0 to 10 percent
stones: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
Bw Horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 3/4, 3/6, 4/3, 4/4, 5/4
color, dry: 10YR 5/4, 6/4, 7/4; 7.5YR 5/4
texture: ST-ASHY-SIL, GR-ASHY-SIL
clay content: 4 to 10 percent
rock fragment content: 20 to 30 percent
gravel: 5 to 25 percent
cobbles: 0 to 10 percent
stones: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
2EBb horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 3/4, 4/3, 5/3, 5/4
color, dry: 10YR 5/4, 6/3, 7/3, 7/4; 7.5YR 6/4
texture: GRV-SL, CBV-L, GRV-L
clay content: 8 to 15 percent
rock fragment content: 40 to 65 percent
gravel: 25 to 45 percent
cobbles: 0 to 25 percent
stones: 0 to 15 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
2Bwb horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/3
color, dry: 10YR 4/4, 5/4, 6/3, 6/4, 7/3; 7.5YR 6/4
texture: GRV-SL, GRV-L
clay content: 8 to 17 percent
rock fragment content: 40 to 55 percent
gravel: 25 to 50 percent
cobbles: 0 to 15 percent
stones: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
2BCb horizon; 2C horizon in some pedons:
color, moist: 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/3
color, dry: 10YR 5/4, 6/3, 6/4, 7/3
texture: GRV-SL, GRX-L
clay content: 11 to 17 percent
rock fragment content: 40 to 75 percent
gravel: 25 to 60 percent
cobbles: 0 to 10 percent
stones: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Avonville - very deep; formed in glacial outwash; umbric epipedon
Bigcow - deep and very deep (40 to 80 inches) to a lithic contact (basalt or andesitic basalt)
Hondu - very deep; formed in argillite colluvium with thin mantle of volcanic ash; clay content in particle-size control section averages 3 to 9 percent
Inkler - very deep; dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Juandefuca - very deep; ash mantle has greater than 12 percent (air dried) water content at 1500 kPa (i.e. medial) and volcanic glass content less than 30 percent
McCree - deep (40 to 60 inches) to a lithic contact (rhyolite); ash mantle has 5 to 20 percent volcanic glass content; dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Newhorn - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to densic contact (till); dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Oxerine - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to lithic contact (gneiss); dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Piutespring - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to lithic contact (granitic rock); ash mantle has 5 to 12 percent (air dried) water content at 1500 kPa; clay content in particle-size control section averages 2 to 9 percent; rock fragments are subrounded
Redriver - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to lithic contact (basalt); dry 75 to 90 consecutive days in summer
Tunnelcreek - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a paralithic contact (metavolcanic); ash mantle has greater than 12 percent (air dried) water content at 1500 kPa (i.e. medial)
Veridge - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to lithic contact (sandstone); ochric epipedon; thin volcanic ash mantle has 30 to 60 percent volcanic glass content; less than 10 percent clay in particle-size control section; dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Wilma soils - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (granite); 2C or 2BC horizons with hue of 2.5Y; dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: ridges and shoulder slopes of mountains
Slope gradient: 0 to 90 percent
Parent material: volcanic ash over colluvium
Lithology: andesitic basalt
Elevation: 4,000 to 6,200 feet
Climate: cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation: 20 to 35 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 36 to 43 degrees F
Frost-free period: 25 to 80 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Anatone: on plateaus, ridgetops and south or west facing slopes; shallow soil without an argillic horizon; skeletal particle-size control section; minor ash influence under sagebrush, Idaho fescue or bluebunch wheatgrass
Bennettcreek: on lower backslopes and footslopes, moderately deep to bedrock with a mixed mantle of ash and colluvium over loamy-skeletal argillic horizon; under grand fir, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, birchleaf spiraea, and pinegrass
Bigcow: on planer to concave backslopes with deep colluvium, a thin volcanic ash mantle and loamy-skeletal particle-size control section under lodgepole pine or grand fir forest;
Harl: on plateau sideslopes; very deep; thick skeletal ash mantle over skeletal buried eluvial and cambic horizons; under grand fir, western larch, longtube twinflower, prince's pine, and big huckleberry
Larabee: on hill backslopes and shoulders, and canyons of dissected basalt plateaus; has mollic epipedon and argillic horizon, under Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, mallow ninebark, common snowberry and elk sedge
McWillis: on planar to concave, lower backslopes; deep to bedrock; thick volcanic ash mantle and argillic horizon; under grand fir or Douglas-fir and birchleaf spiraea
Olot: on plateaus and side slopes of mountains, moderately deep with a thick volcanic ash mantle over loamy-skeletal subsoil under Douglas-fir forest
Rebarrow: on well drained high terraces of mountain valley floors, with thick volcanic ash mantle, over loamy-skeletal argillic horizon; under moist grand fir forest
Tamara: on well drained high terraces with thick volcanic ash mantle, argillic horizon, ashy over loamy particle-size control section, and udic moisture regime under moist grand fir forest
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well
Permeability: moderate
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: watershed, wildlife habitat, timber production, livestock grazing and recreation
Native vegetation: grand fir, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, western larch, ceanothus, Scouler's willow, creeping Oregon grape, birchleaf spiraea, bearberry, heartleaf arnica, common yarrow, white flowered hawkweed, blueleaf strawberry, elk sedge and pinegrass.
Plant Association: ABGR/CARU (grand fir/pinegrass); may include PSME/CARU (Douglas-fir/pinegrass), PSME/SPBE (Douglas-fir/birchleaf spiraea) and PSME/CAGE (Douglas-fir/elk sedge)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: MLRA 43c, Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon
Extent: small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon 2008. The name is from a drainage near the town of Unity.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon: 1 to 3 inches; A horizon
cambic horizon, upper: 3 to 13 inches; Bw horizon
eluvial horizon, buried: 13 to 24 inches; 2EBb horizon
cambic horizon, buried: 24 to 33 inches; 2Bwb horizon
andic subgroup properties (ash mantle): 1 to 13 inches; A, Bw horizons
particle-size control section: 11 to 37 inches; Bw, 2EBb, 2Bwb, 2BCb horizons
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon ID: 95OR001004