LOCATION RADOL                   NV

Established Series
Rev. JWM/TM/JBF
06/2012

RADOL SERIES

The Radol series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone and dolomite with minor components of shale and sandstone. Radol soils are on mountains and hills. Slopes range from 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 330 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Aridic Lithic Calcixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Radol very gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 30 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones. Lithology of the fragments is limestone.

A--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, common fine and medium, and few coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; common (10 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions as disoriented coats and pendants on rock fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bk1--5 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; many (30 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions around rock fragments and pendants on the bottom of rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary.

Bk2--18 to 38 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium, and few coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 50 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; many (30 percent) secondary calcium carbonate concretions around rock fragments and pendants on the bottom of rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); very abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 20 to 46 cm.)

R--38 cm; hard limestone with many (30 percent) hard secondary calcium carbonate concretions around rock fragments and pendants on bottom of rock fragments.

TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; 100 feet north of jeep trail on Grassy Pass; USGS Dutch John Mtn. 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 23 minutes 48 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 41 minutes 59 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry summer and fall except for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July to October due to convection storms; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon: 5 to 25 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 85 percent.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent in the material less than 2 mm.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent through violently effervescent.

Bk1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent.
Texture modifiers: Very gravelly and very cobbly.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 40 percent in the material less than 2 mm, and 40 to 60 percent in the less than 20 mm fraction.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.

Bk2 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 85 percent, with some pedons containing thin sub-horizons that range to 35 percent rock fragments.
Texture modifiers: Extremely cobbly, extremely gravelly, and very cobbly.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 20 to 40 percent in the material less than 2 mm, and 40 to 60 percent in the less than 20 mm fraction.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Lodar series. The Lodar soils have a mollic epipedon that is 18 to 25 cm thick.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Radol soils occur on mountains and hills on all aspects in lower elevations and on south facing aspects in higher elevations. Elevations range from 1,783 to 2,770 meters. Slopes range from 15 to 75 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone and dolomite with minor component of shale and sandstone. The climate is dry and semiarid. Mean annual temperature ranges from 7 to 10 degrees C. Average annual precipitation ranges from 300 to 360 mm. Frost-free period is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Eaglepass, Kyler and Monarch soils. They all occur on mountain landforms. Eaglepass and Kyler soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Monarch soils are frigid.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium to very high runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity class.

USE AND VEGETATION: Radol soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation includes, bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, Sandbergs bluegrass, blue grama, black sagebrush and Stansburys cliffrose. This pedon is correlated to Ecological Site R028AY034NV, Shallow Calcareous Slope 10-14 P.Z.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Nevada. This series is not extensive. MLRA 28A and 29.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lincoln County, Nevada, North Part, 2004. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 38 cm (A, Bk1, and Bk2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone of carbonate accumulation from a depth of 5 to 38 cm (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 38 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 38 cm (the lower part of the Bk2 horizon).

Classification was changed 8/2011 from Lithic Calcixerolls to Aridic Lithic Calcixerolls, due to eleventh edition of Soil Taxonomy.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.