LOCATION FLOKE                   OR

Established Series
Rev. JSC/AON/AJM/JBF
01/2012

FLOKE SERIES

The Floke series consists of shallow to duripan, well drained soils that formed in residuum and alluvium derived from basalt and tuff. Floke soils are on tablelands with slopes of 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the annual temperature is 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, frigid, shallow Abruptic Xeric Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Floke very stony loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 20 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--8 to 20 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very stony loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; 20 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 25 cm thick)

2Bt--20 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong fine prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on peds and in pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

2Bk--30 to 38 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)

3Bkqm--38 to 51 cm; indurated duripan. (10 to 38 cm thick)

4R--51 cm; basalt

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Oregon; NW1/4 NW1/4 SE1/4 of section 36, T. 36 S., R. 26 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in winter and spring; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to an indurated duripan: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 76 cm.
Other features: Absolute increase in clay of 15 to 30 percent between the A and 2Bt horizons.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 40 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 5 to 15 percent gravel.

A horizon
Value: 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist.
reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Organic matter: 1 to 2 percent.

2Bt horizon
Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist and dry.
Structure: Fine or medium moderate or strong prismatic
Organic matter: 1 to 2 percent.

2Bk horizon
Value: 3 or 4 moist, 5 to 7 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry.
Texture: clay loam or silty clay loam, with 30 to 40 percent clay.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 5 to 15 percent gravel.
Carbonates: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent. Carbonates are segregated in filaments and disseminated.

3Bkqm
Composition: cemented fragments of basalt and tuff ranging in size from stones to gravel.
Laminar cap: is 1 mm to more than 1 cm thick.
Cemneted pan: indurated and ranges from 10 to 38 cm thick over basalt or tuff.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Sawabe series.

Sawabe soils have an E horizon 13 to 20 cm thick, have a weighted average clay content of the argillic horizon of 60 percent; the classification is tentative pending SAR analysis.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Floke soils are on tablelands at elevations of 1,525 to 1,830 meters. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. These soils formed in residuum derived from volcanic tuff and basalt. The climate is characterized by cold moist winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C, and the mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm. The frost-free period is 50 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Anawalt and Ratto soils. Anawalt soils are shallow to bedrock. Ratto soils have a particle-size control section that averages less than 45 percent clay and lack an abrupt increase in clay content at the A/2Bt boundary.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; permeability is slow.

USE AND VEGETATION: Floke soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is low sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass and Thurber needlegrass. Areas with an A horizon less than 13 cm thick have low sagebrush and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Tableland areas of Southeastern Oregon; MLRA 23. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Oregon, Southern Part, 1991.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 20 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 20 to 30 cm (2Bt horizon).
Abruptic feature - Clay increase of about 30 percent between the A2 and 2Bt horizon.
Indurated duripan - The zone from 38 to 50 cm (3Bkqm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 20 to 30 cm (2Bt horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Oregon State Characterization Laboratory, Soils Department, OSU, Corvallis, 1967; profiles S67OR-037-001, S67OR-037-002, S67OR-037-003, and S67OR-037-004. Type location is S67OR-037-003.

NSTH 17, RECLASSIFICATION ONLY, 3/95

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.