LOCATION HEUSSER                 NV

Established Series
Rev. JFH-TM-JVC-JBF
02/2012

HEUSSER SERIES

The Heusser series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in alluvium derived from quartzite. Heusser soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 8 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 380 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Aridic Palexerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Heusser extremely gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partially covered with 35 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones.

A1--0 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

A2--13 to 30 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and few coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

BA--30 to 61 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely gravelly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 30 cm thick)

Bt1--61 to 97 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely gravelly clay, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; red (2.5YR 5/6) on exteriors of peds, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 55 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (30 to 51 cm thick)

Bt2--97 to 152 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely gravelly clay, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; red (2.5YR 5/6) on exteriors of peds, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; many thick pressure faces; 55 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; about 2.1 miles northeast of Cave Spring on jeep trail; approximately 2,670 feet south and 240 feet west of the northeast corner of section 10, T. 9 N., R. 64 E.; USGS Parker Station 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 39 minutes 9.8 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 46 minutes 15.0 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, and intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days cumulative from July through September due to convection storms; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 41 cm.
Depth to abrupt increase in clay: 30 to 76 cm.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay: 40 to 55 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of the rock fragments is quartzite.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.

BA horizon (when present)
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Clay content: 15 to 22 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 65 percent, mainly gravel.

Bt horizons
Hue: 7.5YR on interiors of peds; 10YR through 2.5YR faces of peds.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Structure: Angular or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Moderately sticky or very sticky and moderately plastic or very plastic.
Clay films: Faint or distinct.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Delmo and Floer series.

Delmo soils have horizons with secondary carbonates, gypsum, and silica and are not intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and September due to convection storms. Floer soils are 102 to 152 cm deep to bedrock and have secondary carbonates.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Heusser soils are on fan remnants. These soils are formed in alluvium derived from quartzite. Slopes are 8 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,981 to 2,591 meters. The climate is semiarid with cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers with sporadic summer convection storms. The mean annual precipitation is 350 to 400 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Badena and Wambolt soils. Badena and Wambolt soils are loamy-skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Heusser soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, blue grama, needlegrass, and muttongrass with some antelope bitterbrush. This pedon is correlated to Ecological Site R028AY088NV, Gravelly Clay 12-14 P.Z.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive with about 3,000 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part, 2004.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 61 to 152 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 61 to 111 cm (Bt1 horizon and the upper part of the Bt2 horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.