LOCATION ABALAN                  NV

Established Series
Rev. WM-RLB-JBF
11/2016

ABALAN SERIES

The Abalan series consists of very shallow and shallow, well-drained soils that formed in pedisediments, colluvium and residuum derived from tuffs and other volcanic rock. The Abalan soils are on rock pediments and hills. Slopes are 4 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Xeric Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Abalan very gravelly coarse sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine vesicular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

Bt--5 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine through medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

Btk1--10 to 15 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine through medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few distinct secondary calcium carbonate coats on bottom of gravel; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

Btk2--15 to 23 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine through medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few distinct secondary calcium carbonate coats around gravel; few faint clay films on faces peds; 50 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

Cr--23 to 51 cm; mottled gray, reddish brown and yellow weathered tuffs; common white powdery secondary calcium carbonate masses in bedding planes and fractures; few fine and medium roots in fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; about 0.1 mile northwest of Domingo Spring, 2,600 feet north and 1,800 feet east of the southwest corner of section 7, T. 25 N., R. 69 E.; USGS Ayarbe Spring 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 40 degrees 3 minutes 30 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 13 minutes 21 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.0583333 latitude, -114.2225000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, but moist late fall through early summer, dry late July through October except for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 8 to 20 cm.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Depth to paralithic contact: 15 to 36 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay Content: 18 to 30 percent'
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.

Bt horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Loam or sandy clay loam.
Rock fragments: 20 to 50 percent, mainly gravel.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry.

Btk horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture of fine earth: Loam or sandy clay loam.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alcan, Armoine, Berit, Bouncer, Entero, Flex, Ginex, Harvan, Penelas, Ravenell, Sedsked, Soar, Stodick, and Zyzzi series.

Alcan, Armoine, Berit, Bouncer, Entero, Flex, Penelas, Sedsked, Soar, Stodick, and Zyzzi soils lack secondary lime accumulations in the argillic horizon. Ginex lack soil moisture for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms. Harvan soils have densic materials at 30 to 50 cm. Ravenell soils have 35 to 45 percent clay in the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Abalan soils are on hills, summits,and shoulders of rock pediment remnants. These soils formed in pedisediments, residuum, and colluvium derived from tuffs and other basic volcanic rocks. Slopes are 4 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,895 to 2,170 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cold moist winters and warm Dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 360 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Eastmore, Gravier, Izar and Zimbob series. The Eastmore and Gravier soils formed in deep alluvium and do not have argillic horizons. Izar soils have a lithic contact. Zimbob soils have carbonatic mineralogy and lack an argillic horizon.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland, grazeable woodland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly black sagebrush, squirreltail, Indian ricegrass, bluegrass, and Utah juniper. Eroded phases support Utah juniper.

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

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine County, Nevada, East Part. 2004.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 5 cm (A horizon).
Argillic Horizon - The zone from 5 to 23 cm. (Bt, Btk horizons)
Paralithic contact - The contact with weathered rock at 23 cm (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section: The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm. (A, Bt, Btk horizons)

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.