LOCATION NANITA COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Lamellic Cryorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Nanita very gravelly sandy loam, on a north facing, convex, 52 percent slope in lodgepole pine at an elevation of 8,200 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on July 20, 1996 the soil was moist throughout.
The surface is covered by 15 percent stones, 5 percent boulders, and 10 percent cobbles.
0e--0 to 1 inches; moderately decomposed forest litter.
E1--1 to 10 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium roots; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
E2--10 to 23 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to medium roots; 40 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 24 inches combined thickness of E1 and E2)
E and Bt1--23 to 41 inches; 85 percent light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist (E); 15 percent few lamellae of brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist (Bt); weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; lamellae are discontinuous, nearly horizontal to diagonal, .2 to 1 cm thick and have a total thickness of 4 cm; 40 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (14 to 24 inches thick)
E and Bt2--41 to 72 inches; 80 percent light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly sand, 20 percent grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist (E); few lamellae of yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist (Bt); weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; lamellae are discontinuous, nearly horizontal to diagonal, .2 to 1 cm thick and have a total thickness of 5.5 cm; 35 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6). (16 to 36 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Larimer County, Colorado; about 0.8 miles south of the Moraine Park Campground on the South Lateral Moraine in Rocky Mountain National Park; located about 800 feet south and 1700 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 5, T. 4 N., R. 73 W.; Longs Peak USGS quad; lat. 40 degrees 20 minutes 55 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees 35 minutes 41 seconds W., NAD 1927
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: (Depths given are measured from the mineral soil surface)
Soil moisture regime: udic moisture regime bordering on ustic
Mean annual soil temperature: 36 to 40 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F
Depth to lamellae: 10 to 24 inches
Thickness of the lamellae: .2 to 1 cm, total thickness of 5 to 12 cm
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 1 to 8 percent
Sand content: 75 to 90 percent
Rock fragments: 45 to 70 percent, 25 to 40 percent gravel, 10 to 30 percent cobble, 0 to 20 percent stones and boulders
Mica content: 15 to 30 percent (by grain count)
An A horizon is present in some pedons
E1 horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly loamy sand, extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent, dominantly gravel and cobbles
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
E2 horizon:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: extremely gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly sand
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent, dominantly gravel and cobbles
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
E and Bt horizons:
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist (E)
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist (Bt)
Chroma: 2 or 3 (E); 3 to 6 (Bt)
Texture: (E) extremely gravelly sand, extremely gravelly loamy sand, extremely cobbly loamy sand, extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand
Texture: (Bt) extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent (E); 5 to 18 percent (Bt)
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent, dominantly gravel and cobbles; some thin subhorizons may be stony
Base saturation: 60 to 100 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
A BC horizon is present in some pedons.
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6
Texture: extremely gravelly sand, extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, extremely cobbly sand
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Comad(MT),
Ovando(MT), and
Rusbach(NM) series.
Comad soils have rock fragment content that is dominantly greater than 10 inches in diameter.
Ovando soils do border an ustic moisture regime.
Rusbach soils are typically dry in June and the soil and rock fragments are derived from tuff.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: colluvium and till derived from granitic rocks, gneiss and schist
Landform: moraines, glaciated mountain slopes
Slopes: 1 to 60 percent
Elevation: 8,200 to 10,000 feet
Mean annual temperature: 36 to 42 degrees F
Mean annual precipitation: 16 to 24 inches
Precipitation pattern: Wettest months: March, April and May
Driest months: September and October
Frost-free period: 40 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Catamount and Isolation series. The Catamount soils have a paralithic contact at depths of less than 20 inches and are on structural benches. The Isolation soils have a mollic epipedon and are on south-facing backslopes of moraines.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, low to very rapid runoff, moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir with an understory of common juniper, cliff jamesia, kinnikinnick, currant, and elk sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Moraines of the north central Rocky Mountains, Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 48A; this series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Larimer County, Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park soil survey area, 1999. The name is taken from a lake in the area.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Albic horizon: The zone from 1 to 23 inches. (E1 and E2 horizons)
Other features: Lamellae ranging from .2 to 1 cm thick with a total thickness of 9.5 cm
Particle-size control section: The zone from 11 to 41 inches. (E1, E2, and E and Bt1 horizons)
Previously recognized as the Newcomb series but climatic data indicates this area is dominantly ustic.
Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Series classified according to Eighth Edition, 1998.
ADDITIONAL DATA: