Catelli series

The Catelli series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils on mountains. These soils formed in material weathered from sandstone or granitic rock. Slope ranges from 30 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 60 inches, and the mean annual air temperature is about 55 degrees F.

Catelli soils are similar to and are mapped in a complex with Ben Lomond and Sur soils. They are near Aptos, Ben Lomond, Felton, Lompico, Nisene, and Zayante soils. Ben Lomond soils have paralithic contact at a depth of more than 40 inches. Sur soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Aptos, Felton, Lompico, and Nisene soils have a fine-loamy control section. Zayante soils have a sandy control section.

Typical pedon of a Catelli sandy loam in an area of Ben Lomond-Catelli-Sur complex, 30 to 75 percent slopes, about 2,100 feet up Bloom Grade Road from Hilton Drive opposite junction with a side road and 15 feet back from road cut in the northwest corner of sec. 14, T. 9 S., R. 3 W. (projected):

0-3 inches to 0; litter of leaves, bark, and twigs in various stages of decomposition; medium acid; abrupt wavy boundary.

A1-0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots and few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

B21-7 to 13 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse and very coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few thin clay bridges on the faces of some peds; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.

B22-13 to 23 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots and few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; very few thin clay films as bridges on the faces of some peds; medium acid; clear wavy boundary.

C1-23 to 37 inches; very pate brown (10YR 7/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few pebbles; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.

C2-37 to 42 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) strongly weathered sandstone, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive and hard in places but crushes to s4ndy loam under hand pressure; roots in fractures that are more than 10 centimeters apart; strongly acid.

Depth to paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. Thickness of the mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches. The solum is 0 to 15 percent pebbles.

The A horizon has value of 4 or 5, and cbroma of 2 or 3. It ranges from medium acid to neutral.

The B horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, and cbroma of 2 or 4. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam. It is medium acid to slightly acid.

The C horizon, where present, has hue of 2.5Y, 7.5YR, or 10YR; value of 6 to 8; and chroma of 2 to 4. The Cr horizon is weathered sandstone or weathered granodiorite. This horizon is gravelly sandy loam or sandy loam. It is strongly acid to slightly acid.