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This
subsection is a dissected plain and low, moderately steep to steep hills
around it. It is bounded by the Gabilan Range of the north, by the
San Andreas fault and the Cholame Hills on the northeast, and by the Santa
Lucia Range on the southwest. The climate is hot and subhumid.
MLRA 17g.
Lithology and Stratigraphy. This subsection is dominated by Plio-Pleistocene nonmarine sediments. There are much smaller areas of Miocene and Pliocene marine sediments and some Quaternary alluvium.
Geomorphology. This subsection is dominated by a dissected plain of Plio-Pleistocene nonmarine sediments. It is surrounded by low, moderately steep to steep hills in Miocene and Pliocene marine sediments. There are narrow strips of recent alluvium and stream terraces along the Salinas River and its tributaries. The elevation range is from about 600 along the Salinas River up to about 1200 feet on the hills. Mass wasting and fluvial erosion and deposition are the dominant geomorphic processes.
Soils. The soils are mostly Calcic Haploxerolls, Typic Argixerolls, and Calcixerollic Xerochrepts. Typic Haploxerolls, Typic Xeropsamments, and Pachic Argixerolls predominate on hills above the Plio-Pleistocene plain. Soils on the stream terraces are Typic and Mollic Haploxeralfs and Typic Palexeralfs, and those on floodplains are Typic Xerofluvents and Cumulic Haploxerolls. Calcium carbonates accumulate in the subsoils. Soil temperature regimes are thermic, and soil moisture regimes are xeric.
Vegetation. The predominant natural plant communities are Blue oak series and Needlegrass grasslands. There is some Chamise series on shallow soils and Valley oak series on deep soils.
Surface Water. Runoff is rapid and all but the larger streams are dry through most of the summer. Natural lakes are absent.
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