LOCATION WERELD                  NV

Established Series
Rev. TEB-GJS
05/2016

WERELD SERIES

The Wereld series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluviums derived from dolomite, limestone, and calcareous shale. Wereld soils are on side slopes of mountains. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Calcixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Wereld very gravelly silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with approximately 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles and stones.

A1--0 to 8 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slight sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine and few fine vesicular pores; 30 percent gravel; 5 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

A2--8 to 25 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; thin carbonate coatings on undersides of gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

Bk1--25 to 43 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; thin carbonate coatings on undersides of gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 25 cm thick)

Bk2--43 to 64 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; thin carbonate coatings on undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 64 cm thick)

Bk3--64 to 107 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; thin carbonate coatings on all sides of rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

2R--107 cm; hard, fractured calcareous shale.

TYPE LOCATION: Pershing County, Nevada; approximately 9 miles southeast of Imlay, about 1,400 feet north and 1,900 feet east of the southwest corner of section 23, T. 31N., R. 34 E.; USGS Star Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 32 minutes 34 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 07 minutes 39 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.5427778 latitude, -118.1275000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry early July through early November; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 25 to 38 cm.
Depth to the calcic horizon: 50 to 86 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 100 to 150 cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 70 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Granular or platy.

Bkl and Bk2 horizons
Value: 6 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Very gravelly loam or very gravelly silt loam.
Clay content: Average 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 40 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.

Bk3 horizon
Texture: Very gravelly loam, very gravelly silt loam or extremely gravelly loam.
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent, mainly gravel.
Carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Becreek, Deecree, Denay, Eenreed, Nirac, Pamison, Rudeen and Xine series.

Becreek, Denay and Eenreed soils are very deep. Pamison, Deecree and Eaglecone soils have more than 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent throughout the particle-size control section. Nirac and Rudeen soils are 50 to 100 cm deep to bedrock. Xine soils are 50 to 100 cm deep to a paralithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wereld soils are on side slopes of mountains. These soils formed in residuum and colluviums derived from dolomite, limestone, sandstone, chert and calcareous shale. Slopes are 30 to 50 percent. Elevations are 1,830 to 2,135 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 360 to 400 mm; mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Denay and Xine series.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly black sagebrush, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass, and Cusick bluegrass with scattered Saskatoon serviceberry, ceanothus, and Utah juniper in some areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 24.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pershing County, Nevada, East Part. 1987.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A1, A2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 64 to 107 cm (Bk3 horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bk1, Bk2 and part of the Bk3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.