LOCATION MOUNTEDITH              MT

Tentative Series
REV. SPV-EMM
04/2011

MOUNTEDITH SERIES

The Mountedith series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in till or outwash derived from mixed igneous and sedimentary rock. These soils occur on mountain slopes and moraines. Slopes are 4 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 760 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 3 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Typic Haplocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Mountedith gravelly loam, forested. This profile was described on a 45 percent slope at an elevation of 2042 meters (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed forest litter. (2 to 10 cm thick)

A--3 to 9 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

E--9 to 22 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 45 cm thick)

Bw--22 to 92 cm; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) extremely cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; fine medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.9); gradual wavy boundary. (50 to 80 cm thick)

C--92 to 152 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) extremely cobbly loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 30 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.9)

TYPE LOCATION: Meagher County Area, Montana; located about 2,250 feet west and 3,375 feet south from the northeast corner of section 19 T 8N.,R 5E; Mount Edith topographic quadrangle; UTM 0488574E, 5141229N NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 1 to 4 degrees C.
Depth to top of cambic horizon - 9 to 20 cm
Particle-size control section - averages 10 to 27 percent clay

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: 3 to 5 dry; 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4; dry or moist
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent - 10 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.4

E horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent - 15 to 40 percent gravel, 5 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.4

Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent - 20 to 50 percent gravel, 15 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.4

C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: 4 to 6, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam or sandy loam
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent - 20 to 50 percent gravel, 20 to 50 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent
Reaction: pH 5.1 to 6.8

COMPETING SERIES:
Basaltlake (AK) - has a buried A horizon
Butchlake (AK) - does not have an E horizon
Cuberant (UT) - is moderately deep
Enentah (CO) - has an accumulation of sesquioxides
Garlet (MT) - has secondary carbonate accumulations
Gromes (NM) - does not have an E horizon
Holokukfamily (AK) - does not have an E horizon
Kegsprings (MT) - does not have an E horizon
Soakpak (AK) - has a lithologic discontinuity
Storm (CO) - driest months are May and June
Targhee (ID) - is moderately deep
Telay (AK) - has a lithologic discontinuity

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountain slopes and moraines
Elevation - 1,900 to 2,600 meters
Slope - 4 to 60 percent
Parent material - till or outwash from mixed igneous and sedimentary rock sources
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; short warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 635 to 1100 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 1 to 4 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 30 to 50 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Worock and Cowood soils. Worock soils have an argillic horizon and are on mountain slopes and moraines. Cowood soils are shallow to a lithic contact and are on mountain slopes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mountedith soils are used for forestry and understory grazing. The canopy is mainly dominated by subalpine fir and lodgepole pine with an understory of huckleberry, grouse whortleberry, elk sedge and pine grass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountedith soils are of small extent in central and western Montana. MLRA 43B.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Broadwater County, Montana, 2011. Mountedith series is named after formerly glaciated Mount Edith on the Mt. Edith topographic quadrangle.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 22 cm (Oi, A and E horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 22 to 92 cm (Bw horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 28 to 103 cm (parts of the Bw and C horizons)

Mountedith soils have a cryic temperature regime and a udic moisture regime.

Taxonomic version: Eleventh Edition, 2010.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.