LOCATION HISEGA SD

Established Series
Rev. ACM-KEC
12/2021

HISEGA SERIES

The Hisega series consists of deep and very deep, well drained soils formed in residuum from micaceous metamorphic rocks on mountains. They have moderate permeability. Slopes range from 15 to 65 percent. Mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F, and the annual precipitation is about 24 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, micaceous, frigid Pachic Hapludolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Hisega loam - on a 30 percent convex south-facing slope under a ponderosa pine forest at 5800 feet. When described the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; forest litter and slightly decomposed forest litter. (1 to 3 inches thick)

A--1 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; many fine and medium roots; 10 percent by volume fragments of schist; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (1 to 7 inches thick)

Bw--5 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) channery loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable; many fine and medium roots; 20 percent by volume fragments of schist; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (9 to 20 inches thick)

C1--20 to 31 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very channery loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable; many coarse and medium roots; 50 percent by volume fragments of schist; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

C2--31 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) extremely flaggy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable; common medium roots along fractures and cleavage planes of the bedrock; 80 percent by volume fragments of schist oriented toward the northwest at about 65 degrees; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Lawrence County, South Dakota; about 1 mile east and 12 miles south of Lead; 660 feet east and 1240 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 34, T. 3 N., R. 3 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to consolidated bedrock typically is below 60 inches but ranges from 40 inches. Depth to fractured bedrock containing soil material and with evidence of rock structure typically is between depths of 20 and 40 inches. Content of coarse fragments of rock range from 10 to 50 percent by volume in the solum and 50 to 80 percent by volume in the C horizon. The mollic epipedon is 16 to 24 inches thick. Dark colors extend to 60 inches or more in some pedon but the organic carbon is less than 0.6 percent. The control section averages 8 to 15 percent clay. Free carbonates are below a depth of 40 inches in some pedons. The solum is slightly acid or neutral.

The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 3 to 5 and 2 to 4 moist; and chroma of 1 to 3. It is loam or silt loam with 10 to 30 percent by volume channers.

The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 4 to 6 and 3 to 5 moist; and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or silt loam with 15 to 50 percent by volume channers.

The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 4 to 6 and 3 to 5; and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam or silt loam with 50 to 80 percent by volume channers or flagstones. It ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hisega soils are steep on mountains at elevations of 3600 to 6300 feet. Slope gradients range from 15 to 65 percent. These soils formed in residuum derived from micaceous metamorphic rocks. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 34 to 45 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 18 to 27 inches.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buska, Citadel, Grizzly, Pactola, Stovho, Trebor, Vanocker, and Virkula series. Buska, Citadel, Grizzly, Pactola, and Vanocker soils are on similar landscapes as the Hisega soils. Buska soils have an argillic horizon. Citadel, Grizzly, Pactola, Stovho, Trebor, Vanocker, and Virkula soils do not have a high content of mica. Stovho and Trebor soils are on higher elevations and are colder. Virkula soils typically are on less sloping parts of the landscape.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium to very high. Permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, for recreation and wildlife, and for grazing. Native vegetation is dominantly ponderosa pine with lesser amounts of Black Hills spruce, aspen, and birch. The understory has sparse amounts of shrubs and grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Black Hills in western South Dakota. Hisega series is of small extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lawrence County, South Dakota, 1977.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of about 19 inches (A & Bw horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Sample Nos. 76PO688-91 from type location.

The mineralogy class was changed from paramicaceous to micaceous in 07/2010 by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the responsible MLRA regional office. The change was necessary based on the eleventh edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 2010. Depths were adjusted to account for the current standard of measuring O horizons. JCW 12/21.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.