Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F005XB106CA
White fir-Douglas-fir/oceanspray-California hazelnut,
mountain slopes,
diorite, sandy loam
Accessed: 08/16/2026
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Draft. A draft ecological site description is either incomplete or has not undergone quality control and quality assurance review.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree (1) Abies concolor
(2) Pseudotsuga menziesiiShrub (1) Holodiscus discolor
(2) Corylus cornuta var. californicaHerbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This ecological site is found in the southeastern corner of the Hoopa Tribal Nation. It occurs on gently sloping mountain summits and sideslopes of mountains and ridges comprised from diorite of the Iron Mountain Batholith.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Mountain
(2) Mountain slope
Flooding frequency None Ponding frequency None Elevation 4000 – 4700 ft Slope 10 – 25 % Aspect SE, S, SW Climatic features
The climate of this ecological site is subhumid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 80 to 110 inches and generally falls from October to May. Mean annual temperature ranges from 41 to 47 degrees F.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 200 days Freeze-free period (average) 200 days Precipitation total (average) 110 in BarLineFigure 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
There are influencing water features on this site.
Soil features
These well-drained, very deep soils developed from residuum derived from diorite of the Iron Mountain Batholith. They are strongly to moderately acidic at 40 inches and have an extremely paragravelly clay loam subsurface with rock fragments often exceeding 60%. Depth to weakly cemented, soft diorite is 110 to 150 inches.
These sites have been tentatively correlated to the following soil map units and components within CA605 Northern Humboldt and Del Norte Soil Survey Area:
Map Unit Component
801 TishtangTable 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Sandy loam
Family particle size (1) Loamy
Drainage class Well drained Permeability class Moderately slow Soil depth 110 – 150 in Surface fragment cover <=3" 0 – 10 % Surface fragment cover >3" 0 – 5 % Available water capacity
(0-40in)10.7 in Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)60 – 80 % Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)0 – 5 % Ecological dynamics
State and transition model
More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective textEcosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference State - Plant Community 1.1Community 1.1
Reference State - Plant Community 1.1...
Forest overstory.The mixed conifer zone supports a variety of overstory species, including white fir, Douglas-fir, incense cedar, tanoak, Pacific madrone, giant chinquapin, and sugar pine. White fir is the dominant overstory species on this site.
Forest understory. Shrubs dominate the understory of this ecological site, although the understory is not considerably dense. Tanoak, oceanspray, California wildrose, whitethorn ceanothus, and several species of currant are often found in the understory.
Additional community tables
Table 5. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Interpretations
Hydrological functions
The runoff class for these soils is medium.
The hydrological group for the soils of this ecological site are as follows:
Tishtang--B
Refer to the Soil Survey Manuscript for further information.Recreational uses
The relatively shallow slopes of this site can support a variety of recreational uses including hiking, camping, OHVs, mountain biking, and bird watching. This ecological site is also found on the Six Rivers National Forest adjacent to the Hoopa Tribal Nation.
Wood products
White fir wood is soft and not particularly strong so its uses have mainly been limited to paper production and wood pallete construction.
Douglas-fir is employed in residential structures and light commercial timber-frame construction. It is also used for solid-timber heavy-duty construction such as pilings, wharfs, bridge components and warehouse construction.
The manufacturing of tanoak wood products is limited. Upper-grades produce good quality veneers and plywood. Tanoak flooring, paneling and decking have also been produced. Lower-grades are used to make pallets, crossties, mine timbers, baseball bats and tool handles. The wood had also been chipped for pulp and for use in the cogeneration of electricity. It is also widely utilized as firewood.
Other products
Historically, tanoak acorns provided a dietary staple for native americans throughout the California Coast Ranges. Tannin from tanoak bark is used commercially to cure leather.
Berries from currants are edible and are made into jams and pies.
Wild mushrooms are often sought on this ecological site, especially chanterelles and morels, the later of which often emerge following fire.Other information
Site productivity interpretations are based on the following site index curves:
Species Curve Base age
White fir 30 50 years
Douglas-fir 790 100 yearsSupporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Humboldt County, CA UTM zone N UTM northing 4549597 UTM easting 452949 General legal description USGS quadrangle Tish Tang Point Rangeland health reference sheet
Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.
Author(s)/participant(s) Contact for lead author Date Approved by Approval date Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on Annual Production Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
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Presence of water flow patterns:
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Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
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Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
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Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
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Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
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Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
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Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
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Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
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Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
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Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
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Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):
Dominant:
Sub-dominant:
Other:
Additional:
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Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
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Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
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Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
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Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
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Perennial plant reproductive capability:
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