LOCATION XINE NV
Established Series
Rev. CEJ-TM-JBF
05/2016
XINE SERIES
The Xine series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from limestone, dolomite and calcareous shale. The Xine soils are on mountain side slopes. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Xine gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted). The soil surface is covered by approximately 15 percent gravel.
A1--0 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)
A2--13 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)
Bk1--25 to 46 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; few fine secondary calcium carbonate threads and masses around rock fragments; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)
Bk2--46 to 84 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine secondary calcium carbonate threads; secondary calcium carbonate masses around rock fragments; 20 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 53 cm thick)
Cr--84 cm; weathered fractured calcareous shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Lander County, Nevada; in an unsurveyed area approximately 1600 feet north and 1.1 mile east of the southeast corner of section 24, T. 25 N., R. 39 E.; USGS Cain Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 00 minutes 55 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 31 minutes 01 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.0152778 latitude, -117.5169444 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in late fall through early summer, dry mid summer through mid fall; xeric soil moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm.
Depth to paralithic contact: 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to calcic horizon: 18 to 64 cm.
Carbonates: 25 to 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. (Less than 20 mm fraction)
Other features: Secondary calcium carbonate increases with depth.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly cobbles.
A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, some pedons have thin A1 horizons with dry value of 6.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Effervescent: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.
Bk horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very cobbly loam or very cobbly sandy loam.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Structure: Subangular blocky or is massive.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry, nonsticky to moderately sticky and nonplastic to moderately plastic.
Identifiable secondary calcium carbonates: Few to common threads, filaments and masses.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Becreek,
Deecree,
Denay,
Eaglecone,
Nirac,
Pamison,
Rudeen and
Wereld series.
Becreek,
Deecree and
Eaglecone soils are very deep.
Denay soils are very deep and have cambic horizons overlying the calcic horizon.
Nirac soils have a lithic contact at 50 to 100 cm and dominantly gravel in the particle-size control section.
Pamison soils are very deep, contain mottles and have silica cementation.
Rudeen soils have underlying material with less carbonate than the calcic horizon and has a lithic contact to tuff or rhyolite bedrock between 50 and 100 cm.
Wereld soils are 100 to 150 cm deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Xine soils are on mountains on backslope positions at elevations of 1,650 to 2,630 meters. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from calcareous shale, dolomite, and limestone. The climate is cool continental. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 400 mm; the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Hopeka, Hymus and
Kram soils. These soils all have lithic contacts within 50 cm.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Xine soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, snowberry, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue and scattered invading Utah juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Nevada. Xine soils are of small extent. MLRA 28B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lander County, Nevada, South Part, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 25 to 84 cm (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 84 cm (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 84 cm (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.