Airship soil and landscape
Soil profile: A representative soil profile of the Airship series. A large volume of fragments is visible in all horizons. The rounded edges on the fragments indicate transport in water of some distance. Airship soils, although in areas where many of the ridges are sharp and narrow in shape with very steep side slopes, formed in alluvium on a very eroded older terrace. These soils are very deep but have a limited available water capacity and support mostly brush.
Landscape: An area of Airship soils at the type location, on a steep south slope near Coyote Ridge Trail in the Fremont Older Open Space. Black Mountain and the Permanente Mine are in the background. (Supplement to the Soil Survey of Santa Clara Area, California, Western Part; by William Reed, and Christopher “Kit” Paris, Natural Resources Conservation Service)
The Airstrip series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from sandstone and siltstone. Airstrip soils are on mountains and have slopes of 9 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 2290 millimeters (90 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Humixerepts
Note: Photo taken when the soil was dry.
Soil moisture: The soil is dry in all parts in the moisture control section from about July 10 to September 20, and is moist in all parts from about October 1 to June 1. The soils have xeric moisture regime.
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature is 10 to 15 degrees C (50 to 59 degrees F). The difference between mean summer and mean winter temperature is 6 to 10 degrees C. The soils have a mesic soil temperature regime.
Depth to a lithic contact: 50 to 100 centimeters.
The umbric epipedon is 50 to 75 centimeters thick.
Base saturation, by ammonium acetate, is less than 35 percent throughout.
Surface fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Particle-Size Control Section (weighted average):
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel and 0 to 25 percent cobbles.
Clay content: 12 to 26 percent clay.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil has been used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Natural vegetation consists of California oatgrass, dogtail grass, foxtail fescue, tall oatgrass, plantain, sheep sorrel, hairy cat's ear, and annual legumes. Invasion by Douglas-fir and other forest species occurs primarily in disturbed areas and along forest borders.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: California Coastal Redwood Belt; MLRA 4B. The series is not extensive.
For additional information about the survey area, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/california/san...
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/A/AIRSTRIP.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#airstrip
Airship soil and landscape
Soil profile: A representative soil profile of the Airship series. A large volume of fragments is visible in all horizons. The rounded edges on the fragments indicate transport in water of some distance. Airship soils, although in areas where many of the ridges are sharp and narrow in shape with very steep side slopes, formed in alluvium on a very eroded older terrace. These soils are very deep but have a limited available water capacity and support mostly brush.
Landscape: An area of Airship soils at the type location, on a steep south slope near Coyote Ridge Trail in the Fremont Older Open Space. Black Mountain and the Permanente Mine are in the background. (Supplement to the Soil Survey of Santa Clara Area, California, Western Part; by William Reed, and Christopher “Kit” Paris, Natural Resources Conservation Service)
The Airstrip series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from sandstone and siltstone. Airstrip soils are on mountains and have slopes of 9 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 2290 millimeters (90 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degrees F).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Humixerepts
Note: Photo taken when the soil was dry.
Soil moisture: The soil is dry in all parts in the moisture control section from about July 10 to September 20, and is moist in all parts from about October 1 to June 1. The soils have xeric moisture regime.
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature is 10 to 15 degrees C (50 to 59 degrees F). The difference between mean summer and mean winter temperature is 6 to 10 degrees C. The soils have a mesic soil temperature regime.
Depth to a lithic contact: 50 to 100 centimeters.
The umbric epipedon is 50 to 75 centimeters thick.
Base saturation, by ammonium acetate, is less than 35 percent throughout.
Surface fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Particle-Size Control Section (weighted average):
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent gravel and 0 to 25 percent cobbles.
Clay content: 12 to 26 percent clay.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil has been used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Natural vegetation consists of California oatgrass, dogtail grass, foxtail fescue, tall oatgrass, plantain, sheep sorrel, hairy cat's ear, and annual legumes. Invasion by Douglas-fir and other forest species occurs primarily in disturbed areas and along forest borders.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: California Coastal Redwood Belt; MLRA 4B. The series is not extensive.
For additional information about the survey area, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/california/san...
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/A/AIRSTRIP.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/see/#airstrip