LOCATION MODO                    UT

Established Series
Rev. LDS/RJL/JWB
03/2011

MODO SERIES

The Modo series consists of shallow or very shallow, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and slope alluvium over residuum from sandstone and shale. Modo soils are on mountain slopes, ledges and structural benches. Slopes range from 2 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 48 cm and the mean annual temperature is about 4.5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Haplustepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Modo cobbly fine sandy loam, on a south west facing, mountain side, 38 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 2,174 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on August 10, 2005 the was slightly moist from 0 to 15 cm. The surface is covered by 12 percent cobbles, 2 percent stones and boulders, and 20 percent gravel and channers.

A--0 to 4 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cobbly fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium, few coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent cobbles, 15 percent gravel and channers, 1 to 3 percent stones and boulders; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated (14 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 20 cm thick)

Bw--4 to 19 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium, few coarse roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 3 percent channers; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated and as few thin coats on bottom of rock fragments, (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)

BCk--19 to 24 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very channery fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure and single sand grains; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent channers, 5 to 8 percent angular gravels and 5 percent parachanners; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated and as common thin coats on bottom of rock fragments, (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 cm thick)

R--24 cm; sandstone bedrock.


TYPE LOCATION: Utah County, Utah; about .75 miles southeast of Kyune; located about 280 feet north and 1410 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 32, T. 11 S., R. 9 E, SLBM.; Kyune, Ut. USGS quad; lat. 39 degrees 48 minutes 52 seconds N. and long. 110 degrees 56 minutes 18 seconds W., NAD 83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for 90 or more cumulative days in normal years. It is moist, however, in some part either for more than 180 cumulative days per year or for 90 or more consecutive days; Ustic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 4.4 to 6.7 degrees C
Depth to lithic contact: 10 to 51 cm to sandstone bedrock
Depth to cambic horizon: 7 to 21 cm

Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content: 12 to 25 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 35 percent gravel, channers, cobbles or stones

A horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: very cobbly fine sandy loam, cobbly fine sandy loam, channery fine sandy loam
Clay content: 12 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent: gravel, channers, or cobbles; few stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline

Bw horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: gravelly loam, channery loam, stony fine sandy loam, cobbly fine sandy loam, gravelly loam or gravelly fine sandy loam
Clay content: 11 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent: gravel, cobbles, and stones
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline

BCk horizon (when present):
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: channery loam, very channery fine sandy loam, very cobbly fine sandy loam, gravelly loam or cobbly loam
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent channers and gravel, few cobbles
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
EC (mmhos/cm): 0 to 2
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Escrito and Stout series. Escrito and Stout soils lack carbonates in the profile, have soil profiles that are neutral to moderately acid and Stout soils have 5 to 15 percent clay in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: colluvium and slope alluvium from mixed sedimentary rock over residuum derived from calcareous sandstone and shale.
Landform: mountain slopes, ledges and structural benches
Slopes: 2 to 70 percent
Elevation: 1920 to 2,865 meters
Mean annual temperature: 3.3 to 7.2 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation: 40.6 to 55.9 cm
Precipitation pattern: peak periods from July to October and has even distribution throughout the remainder of the year
Frost-free period: 60 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Falcon, Helper, Pathead and Wiggler series. The Falcon soils have a mollic epipedon and are on mountain ridges. The Helper and Pathead soils are moderately deep and are on lower mountain side slope positions. The Wiggler soils are shallow to shale and are on mountain shoulder slopes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high runoff, moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Grazing and wildlife habitat, native vegetation is Salina wild rye, birchleaf mountain mahogany, blue grass, Indian ricegrass, snowberry, mountain big sagebrush and Utah serviceberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountains of central and eastern Utah; LRR E, MLRA 48A and 47B; moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Utah County, Utah, Duchesne soil survey area, Utah, 2011. The name Modo is coined.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 24 cm.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 0 to 24 cm. (A, Bw and BCk horizons)
Ochric epipedon: The zone from 0 to 4 cm. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon: The zone from 4 to 24 cm. (Bw and BCk horizons)
Lithic contact: The contact with sandstone at 24 cm. (R horizon)


The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.

Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.