A Gelisol Near White Mountain Reak, California

摘要

In California, soils have been mapped in 10 of the 12 soil orders; only Oxisols and Gelisols are unmapped in the state. Relict soils that meet the qualifications of Oxisols have been described (Singer and Nke-dikizza, 1980), but the presence of Gelisols has only been speculated (Graham and O'Geen, 2010). As part of a multistate Agricultural Experiment Station project to study soil-climate relationships in the western United States (W 1007-Benchmark soilscapes to predict effects of climate change in the western USA), we have been sampling an elevational transect up the west slope of the White Mountains in eastern California. Sample site elevations range from 1,576 to 4,282 m (5,170-14,050 ft.). On August 25, 2009, we described and sampled a soil at the highest elevation in this sequence (Fig. 1). Due to its high elevation, we recognized the potential for a Gelisol at this site. The results of our investigation are reported here.