LOCATION BEEZEE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Beezee cobbly loam - forested on a 35 percent southeast-facing side slope at an elevation of 1,240 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/3) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
AB--10 to 18 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--18 to 33 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 30 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (14 to 18 inches thick)
Bt2--33 to 60 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 20 percent basalt parafragments; slightly acid (pH 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Klickitat County, Washington; 5 miles northeast of Husum about 100 feet north and 300 feet east of the southwest corner of section 2, T. 4 N., R. 11 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 60 to 75 consecutive days following solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 53 degrees F. Rock fragments in the particle-size control section range from 20 to 60 percent, with a weighted average greater than 35 percent. Basalt parafragments range from 20 to 40 percent in the particle-size control section. The mollic epipedon is 15 to 20 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The AB horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, and value of 3 to 5 moist. Texture is cobbly loam or very cobbly loam. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR and value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist. Texture is very cobbly loam or very cobbly clay loam in the upper part and cobbly loam or cobbly clay loam in the lower part. Reactiion is moderately acid or slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Balake,
Bluesprin,
Fordice,
Hunsinger,
Jebe,
Jellico,
Keuterville,
Legall,
Nashmead,
Riverpoint ,
Sauter,
Shanks (T),
Sienna .series.
Balake soils mollic epipedon 10 to 15 inches thick
Bluesprin soils 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (basalt); lacks parafragments in pscs
Fordice soils - lack loess influence; rock fragments throughout are subrounded or rounded and of alluvial origin; strongly acid in the A horizon
Hunsinger soils 40 to 60 inches to paralithic contact (basalt); dry for greater than 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Jebe soils dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Jellico soils 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (basalt); dry for greater than 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Keuterville soils dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Legall soils - dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Nashmead soils 40 to 60 inches to lithic contact (sandstone); dry for more than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice; mean annual soil temperature of 54 to 59 degrees F.
Riverpoint soils mollic epipedon 10 to 15 inches thick; mean annual soil temperature 47 to 50 degrees F.; 15 to 40 inches to discontinuity
Sauter soils mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F.; lacks parafragments in pscs
Shanks soils 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (granodiorite)
Sienna soils 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (basalt); dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice
The
Bluenose and Gaval series have a similar classification.
Bluenose soils active mineralogy; dry for greater than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Gaval soils isotic mineralogy; 20 to 40 inches to paralithic contact (andesite); dry greater than 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Beezee soils are on canyon side slopes at elevations of 900 to 3,000 feet. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. The formed in colluvium derived from basalt mixed with loess. Summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and moist. The average January temperature is 30 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 67 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 25 to 45 inches. The frost-free season is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Panak, Para, and Oreoke soils and the competing Leidl soils. Panak, and Para soils are fine-loamy. Oreoke soils have a mollic epipedon more than 20 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for woodland, grazable woodland, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Native vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and Oregon white oak with an understory of common snowberry, deerbrush ceanothus, western hazel, creambush oceanspray, and elk sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Klickitat County, Washington; MLRA 6. The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Klickitat County, Washington, 2003. Name is derived from the town of BZ Corner.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the mineral surface to 18 inches
Argillic horizon - the zone from 18 to 60 inches.
Particle-size control section - the zone from 18 to 38 inches.