LOCATION PYLE ID

Established Series
Rev. DON/BDG/RJS
03/2016

PYLE SERIES

The Pyle series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in colluvium over residuum derived from granodiorite, quartz monzonite, quartz diorite and other related rocks. These soils are on mountain slopes and ridges. Slopes are 5 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 750 mm, and the mean annual air temperature is about 4.0 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed Lamellic Cryopsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Pyle coarse sandy loam, forest. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 3 cm; very dark brown slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and cones; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt, wavy boundary. (0 to 8 cm thick)

A--3 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and very dark brown (10YR 2/2) when moist; weak, very fine, granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 13 percent angular fine gravel; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine pores; moderately acid (pH 5.7); clear, smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

AC--8 to 20 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) when moist; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) coatings on peds; dark brown (10YR 3/3) when moist; common splotches of brown (10YR 5/3); weak, very fine, granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine pores; 15 percent angular fine gravel; moderate mica; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual, wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

C1--20 to 69 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) when moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; common medium and fine roots; many very fine pores; six, 3-mm. thick, brown (10YR 5/3), finer textured lamellae, brown (10YR 4/3) when moist; about 15 percent angular fine gravel; much mica; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual, wavy boundary. (28 to 76 cm thick)

C2--69 to 89 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) when moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; few fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent angular fine gravel, less than 5 mm. across and few larger rock fragments; much mica; moderately acid (pH 5.7); gradual, irregular boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

Cr--89 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) and very pale brown (10YR 8/3), slightly weathered, consolidated granodiorite; common light brown (7.5YR 6/4) and light reddish brown (5YR 6/3) stains; can be broken in hands; strongly acid (pH 5.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Valley County, Idaho; Forest Service road No. 407; SW1/4 sec. 4, T.11N., R.5E.; Latitude - 44 degrees, 18 minutes, 44.9 seconds north; Longitude - 115 degrees, 52 minutes, 13.1 seconds west; WGS 1984; USGS Boiling Springs, Idaho Quadrangle.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 2.5 to 6.7 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 50 cm - 12.8 to 15.0 degrees C (without an O horizon)
Soil Moisture - dry in all horizons between depths of 30 and 90 cm, or to bedrock if shallower, for 60 consecutive days in more than 7 out of 10 years.
Depth to a paralithic contact - ranges from 50 to 100 cm
Particle Size Control Section - loamy sand or coarser throughout

A horizon:
Value - 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures - coarse sandy loam or loamy coarse sand
Clay content - 2 to 15 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 14 percent gravel (mostly less than 5 mm diameter)
Reaction - 5.1 to 7.3

AC horizon:
Value - 5.5 to 7 dry, 3.5 to 5 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Textures - loamy sand, sand, loamy coarse sand
Clay content - 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent (mostly less than 5 mm diameter)
Reaction - 5.1 to 7.3

C1, C2 horizons:
Value - 5.5 to 7 dry, 3.5 to 5 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Textures - loamy sand, sand, loamy coarse sand
Clay content - 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent (mostly less than 5 mm diameter)
Reaction - 5.1 to 7.3

Note: Clay films as bridges between sand particles are in the lower part of the horizon in some pedons. More clayey bands or lamellae less than 0.3 inch thick are below depths of 50 cm. Neither clay films nor lamellae are sufficient to meet the requirements of an argillic horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountain slopes, ridges
Elevation - 1,275 to 2,150 meters
Slope - 5 to 70 percent
Aspect - all aspects with lower elevations on northerly aspects and southerly aspects at upper elevations
Parent material - colluvium over residuum derived from granodiorite, quartz monzonite, quartz diorite and other related rocks
Mean annual precipitation - 625 to 1,000 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 2.0 to 6.0 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 30 to 80 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bryan, Hanks, Ligget and Scriver soils. Bryan soils have an Umbric epipedon, contain lamellae and are on mountain slopes. Hanks soils are coarse-loamy, deep and occur on upper sideslopes, benches, saddles and ridge crests. Ligget soils have a coarse-loamy control section and are on hill and mountain slopes. Scriver soils have an argillic horizon and are found on broad ridges, benches and saddles.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well or somewhat excessively drained; very high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for forestry, recreation, grazing, wildlife habitat and watershed. On northerly slopes, Douglas-fir, huckleberry, and ninebark are dominant. The south-facing slopes support ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, elk sedge, and pinegrass. Shrub species are snowbrush, ninebark, willow, bitter cherry, and chokecherry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western part of the Idaho batholith; moderate extent. MLRA 43B.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Middle Fork Payette River Area, Idaho, 1969.

Remarks: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 20 cm (Oi, A, AC horizons)
Paralithic contact - at 89 cm (Cr horizon)
Particle size control section - from 28 to 89 cm (part of C1, C2 horizons)

Pyle soils have a cryic temperature regime and a xeric moisture regime.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.