Spring 1999 Field Excursion

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Pre-excursion group.

Back row:

B.J Okin, Stephanie Ewing, Tony Hartshorn, D.G. McGahan, Randy Southard

Front row:

Mara Johnson, Tamara Kraus, Rebecca Neumann

In route to the coast and our first night destination of Van Damme State Park between the towns Little River and Albion on California State Route 1 (SR1), we stopped at a location just north of SR37 between SR121 and Lakeville Road. The water level is artificially lowered via pumping groundwater to facilitate dry land crops such as wheat or barley.

Jarosite is a major component in this profile.

A nodule of jarosite.

Tony Hartshorn pauses to pose next to a trail marker.

Yellow Skunk Cabbage (ARACEAE Lysichitum americanum) bloom of a yellowish spathe around the pokerlike spike of tiny flowers in a bog accessed by a nature trail out of the Van Damme campground. DGM

This Western Trillium (LILLACEAE Trillium ovatum ovatum) was seen at many of our stops. Initial blooms are white which accounts for the alternate common name "White Trillium" and fades to this pink or purplish bloom with age. DGM

B.J. and Tamara chat with Rebecca as she augers deeper into the profile. The more familiar conifer and broadleaf tree growth occurred only on the topographic highs within this terrace of the pygmy forest. It is speculated that occurrence of these topographic highs are inheritance of some dune topography.

Tony Hartshorn takes a moment to record notes.

Field site in pygmy forest. All auger.

Typic Duraquod At the margin of pygmy.

0-5cm 10YR2/1 pH=4.1 fine sandy loam

5-9cm 10YR3/2 pH=3.7 fine sandy loam

9-14cm 10YR5/2 pH=3.9 dilatant/thixotropic

14-33cm 25% 2.5Y6/2 and cemented discontinous 75% 10YR5/8 with 10YR5/2 and 5YR4/6 mottles and 5% 7.5YR2/2 Dark Mn oxide coatings on fractures of cemented parts. pH=3.5 in non-cemented and pH=4.1 in cemented.

55-70cm (auger) mottled 2.5Y6/2, 7.5YR5/8, 2.5Y6/4 pH=4.3 loamy sand, many dark rock frags in sand fraction.

70-82cm 2.5Y5/2 pH=4.3 sand

82-94cm 10YR5/4 pH=4.3 sand

Aquic Haplohumult The forest here is non-pygmy.

Oi 40-0cm (up to 60cm thick under trees!)

E 0-3cm 10YR 6/2 pH=5.8 sandy loam

3-16cm 10YR6/4 w/10YR7/2 pH=5.9

16-36cm lots of mottles pH=6.5 sandy loam

36-67cm (auger started at 57cm) 10YR6/6 pH=6.2 sandy clay loam ~22% clay

67-87cm 10YR6/2 and 10YR6/8 50/50 pH=6.2 sandy loam

87-124cm 10YR6/2 + 5% 10YR6/8 pH=6.2 sandy loam ~3% clay

B.J. Okin looks over a organic rich horizon(s) overlying a spodic horizon exposed by a road cut on the 5th terrace in the pygmy forest.

Bedding of the eolian sand deposits clearly illustrates that the deposits are continental in nature as opposed to marine deposition.

The first terrace at Cape Mendocino along the Mattole road.

Donald Greg McGahan (DGM)

Pre-excursion group. Back row: B.J Okin, Stephanie Ewing, Tony Hartshorn, D.G. McGahan, Randy Southard Front row: Mara Johnson, Tamara Kraus, Rebecca Neumann	In route to the coast and our first night destination of Van Damme State Park between the towns Little River and Albion on California State Route 1 (SR1), we stopped at a location just north of SR37 between SR121 and Lakeville Road. The water level is artificially lowered via pumping groundwater to facilitate dry land crops such as wheat or barley.

Jarosite is a major component in this profile.	A nodule of jarosite.
Tony Hartshorn pauses to pose next to a trail marker.
Yellow Skunk Cabbage (ARACEAE Lysichitum americanum) bloom of a yellowish spathe around the pokerlike spike of tiny flowers in a bog accessed by a nature trail out of the Van Damme campground. DGM	This Western Trillium (LILLACEAE Trillium ovatum ovatum) was seen at many of our stops. Initial blooms are white which accounts for the alternate common name "White Trillium" and fades to this pink or purplish bloom with age. DGM
B.J. and Tamara chat with Rebecca as she augers deeper into the profile. The more familiar conifer and broadleaf tree growth occurred only on the topographic highs within this terrace of the pygmy forest. It is speculated that occurrence of these topographic highs are inheritance of some dune topography.	Tony Hartshorn takes a moment to record notes.
	Field site in pygmy forest. All auger.
Typic Duraquod	At the margin of pygmy. 0-5cm 10YR2/1 pH=4.1 fine sandy loam 5-9cm 10YR3/2 pH=3.7 fine sandy loam 9-14cm 10YR5/2 pH=3.9 dilatant/thixotropic 14-33cm 25% 2.5Y6/2 and cemented discontinous 75% 10YR5/8 with 10YR5/2 and 5YR4/6 mottles and 5% 7.5YR2/2 Dark Mn oxide coatings on fractures of cemented parts. pH=3.5 in non-cemented and pH=4.1 in cemented. 55-70cm (auger) mottled 2.5Y6/2, 7.5YR5/8, 2.5Y6/4 pH=4.3 loamy sand, many dark rock frags in sand fraction. 70-82cm 2.5Y5/2 pH=4.3 sand 82-94cm 10YR5/4 pH=4.3 sand
Aquic Haplohumult	The forest here is non-pygmy. Oi 40-0cm (up to 60cm thick under trees!) E 0-3cm 10YR 6/2 pH=5.8 sandy loam 3-16cm 10YR6/4 w/10YR7/2 pH=5.9 16-36cm lots of mottles pH=6.5 sandy loam 36-67cm (auger started at 57cm) 10YR6/6 pH=6.2 sandy clay loam ~22% clay 67-87cm 10YR6/2 and 10YR6/8 50/50 pH=6.2 sandy loam 87-124cm 10YR6/2 + 5% 10YR6/8 pH=6.2 sandy loam ~3% clay

B.J. Okin looks over a organic rich horizon(s) overlying a spodic horizon exposed by a road cut on the 5th terrace in the pygmy forest.	Bedding of the eolian sand deposits clearly illustrates that the deposits are continental in nature as opposed to marine deposition.

The first terrace at Cape Mendocino along the Mattole road.