LOCATION ROVANA CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Rovana gravelly loamy coarse sand - on a 7 percent southeast slope at 5,650 feet elevation under big sage and desert bitterbrush vegetation. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described June 25, 1979 the soil was dry throughout.
The soil surface is partially covered with 30 percent of fine granitic gravel.
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
A2--3 to 12 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak, medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots and few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); diffuse smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
C--12 to 46 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; 30 percent pebbles and 1 percent cobbles; numerous very gravelly strata present, 1 to 3cm thick containing 35 to 60 percent fine granitic pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 38 inches thick)
Cq--46 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard to very hard and weakly silica-cemented in some parts, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Inyo County, California. About 6 miles west-southwest of the Manzanar Airport; 20 feet north of dirt road; 1.300 feet north and 3,100 feet west of the southeast corner of section 14, T.14 S., R.34 E., M.D.B.M. Lone Pine quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil between depths of 10 to 40 inches is usually dry from about May 15 to November 15, and is moist in some or all parts the rest of the time. The soil temperature is above 41 degrees F from about April 15 to December 20 and above 47 degrees F from about April 15 to November 30. The mean annual soil temperature is 55 to 59 degrees F. In some areas the soil contains up to 25 percent rhyolitic volcanic ash by weight. The soil is slightly acid or neutral.
The A horizon color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/2, 6/3 or 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2 or 4/3. Textures are loamy sand or gravelly loamy coarse sand. Rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 35 percent with 5 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, and 0 to 3 percent stones. The organic carbon content is 0.35 to 0.60 percent.
The C horizon color is 10YR 5/4 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3 or 5/2. Textures are stratified loamy coarse sand, gravelly coarse sand and gravelly loamy coarse sand, with some thin very gravelly lenses present. In some pedons the lower C horizon is very cobbly loamy coarse sand. Rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 50 percent (averaging 5 to 35 percent between 10 and 40 inches depth) with 5 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Emberton, Fadol, Feltham and Tindahay series. Emberton soils have a bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Fadol soils have weak silica cementation and 10 to 20 percent durnodes in the B horizon. Feltham and Tindahay soils are calcareous.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils occur on alluvial fans, fan terraces, and valley floors. They formed in alluvium from predominantly granitic rock sources. In some areas, a moderate amount of rhyolithic volcanic ash is present in the soil. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The elevation ranges from 4,500 to 6,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 12 inches. The mean January temperature is about 34 degrees F; the mean July temperature is about 72 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 47 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free season is 130 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brantel(T), Ulymeyer, and Bairs(T) soils. Brantel soils have ashy particle-size control sections and are on alluvial fans, fan terraces, hills and mountain uplands. Ulymeyer soils have sandy-skeletal particle-size control sections and are on alluvial fans and fan terraces. Bairs soils have loamy-skeletal argillic horizons and are on alluvial fans and fan terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow or medium runoff; rapid permeability. Floods rarely in the summer.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for grazing, wildlife habitat, and some recreation. The vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, Nevada ephedra, and desert needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central California. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES PROPOSED: Inyo County, California; Benton-Owens Valley Soil Survey, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon - 0 to 12 inches (A1, A2)
2. Textures coarser than loamy very fine sand throughout the profile. Very gravelly strata are present in the 10 to 40 inch control section.
3. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on xeric. M.A.P. is 8 to 12 inches.