LOCATION MONVERO CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, thermic Typic Xeropsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Monvero sand - on a south southwest facing slope of 26 percent, under red brome, desert needlegrass, Indian ricegrass, Cooper goldenbush, ephedra, California buckwheat and other grasses, forbs and shrubs. The elevation is 2,820 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on June 13, 1984 the soil was slightly moist below 15 inches.)
Al--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A2--4 to 15 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; 1 percent 2 to 10 mm calcareous gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 13 inches thick)
Cl--15 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; 1 percent 2 to 10 mm calcareous gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
C2--23 to 31 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent, carbonates disseminated; 1 percent 2 to 10 mm calcareous gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)
2C3--31 to 42 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy coarsesand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent, carbonates disseminated; 1 percent calcareous gravel, and 5 percent angular calcareous sandstone cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0). (5 to 12 inches thick)
2C4--42 to 60 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent, carbonates disseminated; 2 percent calcareous gravel, 10 percent angular calcareous sandstone cobbles and 2 percent angular calcareous stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California; approximately 5,900 feet northeast of Ciervo Mountain, 75 feet east of BLM vegetation enclosure; approximately 1,800 feet east and 1,250 feet south of the northwest corner of section 4, T. 17 S., R. 13 E., MDB&M; Latitude 36 degrees, 29 minutes, 02 seconds north and Longitude 120 degrees, 33 minutes, 51 seconds west; USGS Ciervo Mountain Topographic Quadrangle, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The moisture control section of 14 to 40 inches is moist from February 15 to April 15 and dry from June 1 to October 15 in most years. The soil temperature is above 47 degrees F. from January 15 to December 15. The mean annual soil temperature is 63 to 68 degrees F. Calcium carbonate equivalent is less than 5 percent increase over any underlying horizon. There is some dune micro relief under the shrubs. Organic matter content is less than 1 percent.
The A horizon has color of 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/3 or 2.5Y 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 4/2 or 2.5Y 4/2. Moist color values less than 4 are usually above 6 inches in depth. Clay content is 4 to 7 percent. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 0 to 2 percent. The lower part is slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent. Gravel content is 0 to 3 percent.
The upper part of the C horizon has color of 10YR 4/4, 5/2, 5/3, 6/2 or 6/4 or 2.5Y 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/4, 4/2, 4/3, 5/4 or 2.5Y 4/4. Clay content is 4 to 7 percent. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 to 3 percent. It is slightly effervescent to violently effervescent. Gravel content is 0 to 3 percent.
The lower part of the C horizon has color of 10YR 4/2, 4/4, 4/6, 5/2, 6/1, 6/2; 2.5Y 7/2; 5Y 7/2 or 7/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 4/2, 5/4; 2.5Y 4/4 or 5Y 4/4. Clay content is 2 to 7 percent. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 2 to 5 percent. Reaction isslightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Gravel content is 0 to 5 percent. Cobble content is 0 to 7 percent. Stone content is 0 to 3 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arnold, Briones, Calhi, Corralitos, Delhi, Monoridge and Tujunga soils. Arnold soils (MLRA 15, 20), on hills and uplands have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches and do not have carbonates. Briones soils (MLRA 15), on uplands, have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches, slightly acid to strongly acid reaction and do not have carbonates. Calhi soils (MLRA 17), on short rolling dune-like slopes, are saline-sodic and have moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline reaction. Corralitos soils (MLRA 14, 19), on alluvial fans and terraces, have slopes of 0 to 15 percent, have strongly acid to neutral reaction and do not have carbonates. Delhi soils (MLRA 17, 19), on flood plains, alluvial fans and terraces, have slope of 0 to 15 percent, have slightly acid to slightly alkaline reaction and do not have carbonates. Monoridge soils (MLRA 15), on escarpments on mountains, have slope of 30 to 65 percent and have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Tujunga soils (MLRA 14, 17, 18, 19, 29, 30), on alluvial fans and flood plains, have slope of 0 to 9 percent, have slightly acid to slightly alkaline reaction and do not have carbonates.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Monvero soils are on dune fields on mountains. Slope is 15 to 30 percent. Elevation is 1,000 to 3,390 feet. These soils formed in eolian deposits derived from calcareous sandstone of the Vaqueros formation. The climate is semiarid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 13 inches. Mean January temperature is 46 degrees F; mean July temperature is 81 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 59 to 62 degrees F. The frost-free season is 210 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Monoridge soils and the Belgarra, Exclose and Grazer soils. Belgarra soils, on erosional fan remnants on mountains, have a fine particle-size control section. Exclose soils, on mountains, have a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Grazer soils, on mountains, have a fine particle-size control section and have a paralithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is red brome, desert needlegrass, Indian ricegrass, Cooper goldenbush, ephedra, California buckwheat and other grasses, forbs and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern edge of the Diablo Range, near Monocline Ridge in the California Coast Ranges. They are not extensive. MLRA 15.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fresno County, California, 2002. Name is coined.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly mapped as Duneland in the unpublished report, Soil Survey of Western Fresno, 1967. They are being differentiated by being classified and mapped.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL lab data pedon sample number S84CA019-012 (1229-1230) for the typical pedon.