LOCATION MOONLIGHT ID
Established Series
Rev. TAM/TB/CLM
06/2011
MOONLIGHT SERIES
The Moonlight series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils on concave mountain and canyon slopes. They formed in alluvium from loess and alluvium and colluvium from a variety of sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. Slopes range from 20 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 18 inches and the mean annual temperature is 38 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive Pachic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Moonlight silt loam - on a 53 percent concave north-facing slope under mixed tall mountain shrubs at 5,600 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described the soil was moist throughout.)
Oi--0 to 1 inches; slightly decomposed leaves, twigs, and grasses. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Oe--1 to 2 inches; moderately decomposed leaves, twigs, and grasses. (0 to 1 inches thick)
A1--2 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine and common coarse and medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--5 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium, fine, and very fine and few coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
AB--11 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular and common medium and fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bw1--26 to 41 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine and few medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
Bw2--41 to 56 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, fine, and very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 28 inches thick)
Bw3--56 to 62 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium, fine, and very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.9).
TYPE LOCATION: Bannock County, Idaho; about 6 miles east of Pocatello; 100 feet south of Pocatello Creek Road, 365 feet south and 650 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 23, T. 6 S., R. 35 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 38 to 43 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature without an O horizon - 53 to 57 degrees F.
Soil moisture regime - udic
Mollic epipedon thickness - 30 to 45 inches
Solum thickness - greater than 60 inches
Coarse fragments (throughout profile) - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral
Particle-size control section - 10 to 40 inches
Clay - 12 to 18 percent
Fine sand or coarser (including coarse fragments up to 3 inches in diameter) - 20 to 30 percent
A horizon
Value - 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 to 3 dry or moist
Bw horizon
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Aycab,
Cinderspring (T),
Coutis,
Earcree,
Foxvire, Gardners Fork,
Hailman,
Naz,
Razorba,
Shook,
Skyway,
Taral, and
Tosp series. Aycab soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Cinderspring soils have 15 to 30 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Coutis and Earcree soils lack B horizons and have textures of fine sandy loam or coarser in the particle size control section. Foxvire soils have mollic epipedons 16 to 25 inches thick. Gardners Fork and Hailman soils average 20 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Naz soils average less than 13 percent clay and the depth to bedrock ranges from 40 to 70 inches. Razorba soils have 15 to 35 percent (by volume) rock fragments and a moderately coarse textured control section and moderately rapid permeability. Shook soils have bedrock at depths of 30 to 50 inches. Skyway soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Taral and Tosp soils lack a cambic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moonlight soils are on concave mountain and canyon slopes and are associated with drainageways. Aspect is dominantly north and east. Slopes commonly are 35 to 55 percent but range from 20 to 60 percent. Elevation is 5,000 to 7,500 feet. The soils formed in alluvium from loess and alluvium and colluvium from a variety of sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. The mean annual temperature is 36 to 41 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation is 16 to 22 inches. The frost-free season is 30 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cedarhill, Cambelback,
Greys,
Hades,
Pavohroo, and
Valmar series. The Cedarhill,
Camelback, and Valmar soils are loamy-skeletal and frigid. In addition, the Valmar soils have bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Greys soils are fine-silty and have an albic and argillic horizons. Hades soils are fine-loamy, frigid and have an argillic horizon. The Cedarhill, Camelback, Hades, and Valmar soils are on mountain slopes with dominantly convex south and west aspects. The Greys and Pavohroo soils are on mountain slopes as are Moonlight soils. Greys soils typically have more gentle slopes. Pavohroo soils are at slightly higher elevations.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is rapid to very rapid; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for rangeland, wildlife habitat and as watershed. Important native plants are an overstory of tall mountain shrubs including Rocky Mountain maple, common chokecherry, and quaking aspen and an understory of mountain bromegrass, pine reedgrass, and sticky geranium.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountains of southeastern Idaho; MLRA 13. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bannock County, Idaho, 1983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the mineral soil surface to 41 inches (A1, A2, AB, and Bw1 horizons)
Cambic horizon - The zone from 41 to 62 inches (Bw2 and Bw3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 12 to 42 inches (part of the AB, the Bw1, and part of the Bw2 horizons)
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.