LOCATION PIRD WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, amorphic Humic Xeric Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Pird gravelly ashy loam - forested on a 43 percent southeast-facing back slope at an elevation of 4,680 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles and twigs.
A1--1 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly ashy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--6 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly ashy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
AB--10 to 25 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly ashy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
Bw--25 to 42 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly ashy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (17 to 28 inches thick)
BC--42 to 61 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly ashy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Klickitat County, Washington; about 11 miles north of Goldendale; 2,500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 28, T. 6 N., R. 16 E. Latitude 45 degrees 58 minutes 34 seconds N. and Longitude 120 degrees 48 minutes 38 seconds W. NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 37 to 43 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following summer solstice. The 0 to 40 inch particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.65 to 0.90 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 30 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 2.0 to 3.0 percent, phosphate retention of 50 to 75 percent, and 15 bar water retention of 8 to 12 percent. Field estimated clay in the particle-size control section ranges from 7 to 20 percent. Rock fragments in the control section average from 35 to 50 percent, below 40 inches the rock fragments range from 40 to 60 percent gravel, 2 to 10 percent cobbles, and 1 to 5 percent stones.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry and moist. Reaction is moderately acid to slightly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry 2 to 4 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry and moist. Texture is very gravelly ashy sandy loam or very gravelly ashy loam. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The BC horizon has color like the Bw horizon. Texture is very gravelly ashy loam or extremely gravelly ashy loam. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are the no competing series. The
Naxing and
Saydab series are similar.
Naxing soils have mixed mineralogy and acid oxalate extractable Al + 1/2Fe of less than 2.0 percent with 20 to 30 percent volcanic glass
Saydab soils have redox concentrations at a depth of 10 inches or more.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pird soils are on mountains at elevations of 3,800 to 6,700 feet. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. They formed in volcanic ash and colluvium and residuum derived from basalt. The climate is characterized by cool, dry summers and cold, wet winters, with snow cover from November through May. The mean annual precipitation is 30 to 40 inches. The average January temperature is 19 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 56 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 35 to 42 degrees F. the frost-free season is 40 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Grandpon, Lakebedder (T), Milling and Satus soils. Grandpon and Satus soils are on mountains and are frigid. Lakebedder soils are ashy over loamy-skeletal, have mixed over isotic mineralogy and are on mountains. Milling soils are less than 20 inches to basalt bedrock and are on mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce and grand fir with an understory of elk sedge, huckleberry, strawberry, lupine, Hitchcocks smooth woodrush, northwestern sedge and rabbitbrush goldenweed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Klickitat and Yakima Counties, Washington. MLRA 6. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Klickitat County, Washington, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon: the zone from 1 to 25 inches (A1, A2, and AB horizons)
Cambic horizon: the zone from 25 to 42 inches
Andic soil properties: the zone from 1 to 61 inches
Particle-size control section: the zone from 1 to 41 inches
Depth to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral layer.
Amorphic mineralogy of Andic soil material based on lab data from the associated Grandpon series.