LOCATION KANER WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal over loamy-skeletal, amorphic over isotic Humic Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Kaner very gravelly ashy loam --under a coniferous forest on a 55 percent northeast facing slope at an elevation of 5,820 feet. The soil was dry when described. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; forest litter; abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 1 inch thick)
A1--1 to 4 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; NaF pH 9.2; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--4 to 12 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic, weakly smeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; NaF pH 10.6; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
AB--12 to 23 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic, weakly smeary; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; NaF pH 11.6; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 19 inches thick)
Bw--23 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic, weakly smeary; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 70 percent gravel; NaF pH 12.0; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
2BC--36 to 60 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) extremely gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic, weakly smeary; few fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 70 percent gravel; NaF pH 12.0; strongly acid (pH 5.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 1 mile northwest of Quartz Mountain; 900 feet east and 30 feet north of the southwest corner section 34, T. 19 N., R. 14 E.; USGS Quartz Mountain quad, Latitude 47 degrees, 05 minutes, 01 seconds N. and Longitude 121 degrees, 05 minutes, 12 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The umbric epipedon ranges from 20 to 35 inches in thickness. The average annual soil temperature ranges from 39 to 44 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts for 30 to 45 consecutive days following summer solstice in the moisture control section. The upper 25 to 36 inches has 30 to 70 percent volcanic glass, 0.7 to 2.0 acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron, 40 to 80 percent phosphate retention, 5 to 12 percent 15-bar moisture content, and 0.85 to 1.10 g/cc estimated moist bulk density. The particle-size control section averages 40 to 70 percent rock fragments.
The A1 horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 dry. Texture is very gravelly ashy loam or gravelly ashy sandy loam. Reaction is moderately or strongly acid.
The A2 horizon, when present, has value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. Texture is very gravelly ashy loam, very gravelly ashy sandy loam or gravelly ashy sandy loam. Reaction is moderately or strongly acid
The AB horizon has value of 3 or 4 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist. Reaction is moderately to strongly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist. Texture is extremely gravelly ashy loam or very gravelly ashy loam. Reaction is strongly to slightly acid.
The 2BC or C horizon has value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 4 or 6 dry, 2 or 4 moist. Texture is very gravelly loam or extremely gravelly loam. Reaction is strongly to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Soils in a similar family classification include the Kabser and Stilgar series. Kabser soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Stilgar soils have an umbric epipedon less than 20 inches thick, are dominated by rock fragments of andesite or basalt origin, and have 2BC horizons with 10YR hue.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kaner soils are on mountain side slopes and ridges. Slopes are 5 to 75 percent. They formed in residuum and colluviuum from coarse-grained gneiss, intrusive grano-diorites and quartz diorites with an admixture of volcanic ash. Elevations are 4,400 to 6,500 feet. The soils are in a continental climate with cool moist summers and cold wet winters. The mean annual precipitation is 65 to 80 inches. The average January temperature is about 22 degrees F and the average July temperature is about 60 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 37 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 35 to 75 days. The growing season at 28 degrees F is 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Kabser and Stilgar soils and the Currier and Terence soils. These soils are all on similar landscape positions. Currier soils do not have an umbric epipedon. Terence soils are dominated by rock fragments of basalt or andesite origin.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is medium to rapid. Permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat and watershed. Vegetation is subalpine fir, mountain hemlock, white bark pine, Pacific silver fir and Engelmann spruce with an understory of rusty menziesia, and huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in west central Kittitas County, Washington; MLRA 3. This series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wenatchee National Forest, Kittitas County, Washington, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - from 1 to 36 inches (A1, A2, AB, and Bw horizons)
Andic soil properties - from 1 to 36 inches
Humic subgroup feature - umbric epipedon
Particle-size control section - from 1 to 41 inches (A1, A2, AB, Bw and upper 2BC horizons) with 1 to 36 inches meeting ashy-skeletal and 36 to 41 inches meeting loamy-skeletal. All depths to diagnostic horizons and features found in the range of characteristics are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
Since the approval of the ashy-skeletal over loamy-skeletal contrasting class, the thickness range of the ash mantle 20 to 40 or more inches must be redefined so as to not include two family classes (ashy-skeletal and ashy-skeletal over loamy-skeletal. Those soils outside the current range will be considered as a taxadjunct to the series or proposed as a new series.