LOCATION OSDITCH NV

Established Series
Rev. EWB-IJR-WED-JVC
02/2012

OSDITCH SERIES

The Osditch series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from quartzite and argillite. Osditch soils are on mountains. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 600 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 4 degrees C.

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

TYPICAL PEDON: Osditch extremely stony loam--forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed plant material composed of needles, cones and twigs from white fir, Douglas-fir, and ponderosa pine; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 cm thick).

A--3 to 8 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely stony loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 30 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

E1--8 to 23 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 15 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

E2--23 to 46 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles, and 15 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 36 cm thick)

E and Bt1--46 to 79 cm; 95 percent light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely stony sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist (E part), with 5 percent pockets and lamellae of light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist (Bt part); massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial, and few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 46 cm thick)

E and Bt2--79 to 152 cm; 90 percent light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely stony sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist (E part), with 10 percent pockets and lamellae of light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist (Bt part); massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 25 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.6).

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; in Great Basin National Park about 1 mile northwest of Upper Lehman Campground; USGS Windy Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 01 minutes 30 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 16 minutes 03 seconds W; UTM Zone 11 736548, 4323098n, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter, spring and early summer, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; snow covered from November through April; upper part is saturated for about 15 to 20 consecutive days during snowmelt in April and/or May; Xeric soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 4 to 7 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to the top of the cambic: 30 to 71 cm, includes the Oi, A, E1, and E2 horizons.
Depth to base of cambic horizon: More than 150 cm measured from the mineral soil surface at the top of the A horizon.
Depth to top of albic horizon: 5 to 13 cm measured from the mineral soil surface at the top of the A horizon.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 15 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 85 percent, mainly cobbles. Lithology of fragments is quartzite and argillite.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Other features: When the upper 18 cm of the soil is mixed, Munsell soil colors are too light to meet criteria for mollic or umbric epipedons.

E horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam or sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent, mainly cobbles.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Other features: These horizons constitute both an albic horizon and part of the cambic horizon.

E and Bt horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent, mainly cobbles.
Reaction: Moderately acid through neutral.
Other features: Lamellae do not total more than 15 cm in aggregate thickness and do not qualify as an argillic horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Strawbcrek series. Strawbcrek soils are dominated by fine gravel in the particle-size control section and have fine-earth textures dominated by coarse sands.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Osditch soils are on mountains. They typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium derived from quartzite and argillite. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 2,250 to 3,350 meters. The climate is moist-subhumid, with cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 450 to 700 mm, mean annual temperature is 3 to 6 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 40 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Keyole and Topeki soils. Keyole soils are loamy-skeletal over fragmental. Topeki soils are shallow to lithic contacts and have mollic epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Osditch soils are used for forestland and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly a forest canopy of white fir, Douglas-fir, limber pine, and ponderosa pine with an understory of common juniper and Oregon-grape. This site is correlated to Ecological Site F28AY080NV, Rocky Mountain White Fir-Rocky Mountain Douglas-Fir-creeping bareberry - mountain snowberry\bluegrass-Ross' sedge.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part, 2004. The name is coined from a nearby mining town.

REMARKS: The revision of March 2008 changed the temperature regime to cryic. The revision of December 2002, adjusted horizon depths for the Oi horizon as the soil surface and verified the presence of both albic and cambic horizons. A prior revision in March 2001 updated the taxonomic classification from Loamy-skeletal, mixed, nonacid, frigid Typic Xerorthents.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (Oi, A, and part of the E1 horizons).
Albic horizon - The zone from 8 to 46 cm (E1 and E2 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 8 to 152 cm (E1, E2, E and Bt1, and the E and Bt2 horizons).
Lamellae - The zone from 46 to 152 cm (E and Bt1 and the E and Bt2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm measured from the mineral soil surface at the top of the A horizon (part of the E2, E and Bt1 horizon and part of the E and Bt2 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.