LOCATION BERSON WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Andic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Berson gravelly ashy loam, forested - on an 8 percent southeast-facing slope at an elevation of 3,420 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles and twigs.
A1--1 to 5 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gravelly ashy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary.
A2--5 to 11 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) gravelly ashy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined A horizon thickness is 7 to 14 inches thick.)
AB--11 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and few medium roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
BA--19 to 33 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)
Bt--33 to 44 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely stony loam; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 20 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary.
BCt--44 to 58 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely stony loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few discontinuous clay films on vertical faces of peds; 20 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 15 percent stones from igneous rocks; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary.
Cr--58 inches; weathered basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Klickitat County, Washington; about 11 miles northeast of Goldendale; 1,500 feet north and 1,600 feet east of the southwest corner of section 31 T. 6 N., R. 18 E. Latitude 45 degrees, 57 minutes, 26 seconds N. and Longitude 120 degrees, 36 minutes 30 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture control section is usually moist but is dry in all parts for 60 to 75 consecutive days. The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 percent F. Volcanic ash influence is 7 to 14 inches thick and has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.80 to 0.90 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 1.0 to 2.0 percent, phosphate retention of 50 to 75 percent, and 15 bar water retention of 8 to 12 percent. The particle-size control section ranges from 15 to 75 percent rock fragments in individual layers and averages more than 35 percent. Clay content is 15 to 20 percent. Rock fragments below 40 inches range from 50 to 70 percent. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 18 inches thick. Reaction is slightly acid or moderately acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist. Texture is gravelly ashy fine sandy loam, gravelly ash ashy loam, or gravelly ashy loam. Some pedons have 2 to 5 percent surface stones.
The AB and BA horizons have hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. Texture is very gravelly loam or very cobbly loam.
The Bt and BCt horizons have hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 4 to 6 dry and moist. Texture is extremely cobbly fine sandy loam, extremely stony loam, very cobbly loam or very stony loam.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Berson soils are on benches, sideslopes, foot slopes and backslopes of mountains at elevations of 1900to 4,800 feet. They formed mainly in residuum and colluvium from Yakima basalt with an influence of loess and volcanic ash in the surface. Summers are cool and dry and winters are cold and moist with snow cover from December through April. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 35 inches. The average January temperature is 22 percent F. and the average July temperature is 59 percent F. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 80 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bocker and Itat series. Bocker soils are less than 10 inches deep to a lithic contact. Itat soils are mesic.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is ponderosa pine and some Douglas-fir, and Oregon white oak, with an understory of snowbrush ceanothus, pinegrass, elk sedge, common snowberry, princess pine, oceanspray and lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Klickitat and Yakima Counties, Washington; MLRA 6. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Klickitat County, Washington, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 1 to 19 inches (A1, A2 and AB horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 33 to 58 inches (Bt and BCt horizons)
Paralithic contact - weathered bedrock at 58 inches.
Andic soil properties - from 1 to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Ultic feature (sum) - less than 75 percent between 11 and 31 inches.
Classification revision 1/98 - classification based on addition of CEC activity classes to Soil Taxonomy, seventh edition.
Depth to diagnostic horizons and features is measured from the top of the first mineral layer.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data is available, NSSL pedon number 87P055.