LOCATION ADEK IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic Xeric Calcicryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Adek very gravelly loam--on a 16 percent west-facing slope at 7,750 feet elevation in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on October 4, 1984 the soil was moist below 22 inches.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bkq1--2 to 6 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular, and few very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel; lime and silica coatings, less than 1 mm thick on undersides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent (39 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bkq2--6 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel, 2 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 to 3 mm thick, on all sides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent (40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3) gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2Bkq3--14 to 27 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings, 1 to 4 mm thick, on undersides and sides of coarse fragments with silica dominantly on undersides; pockets of extremely gravelly material (75 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles) with lime and silica pendants, 1 to 3 mm thick, on undersides, sides, and some tops of coarse fragments; violently effervescent (50 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 25 inches thick)
2Bkq4--27 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones; visible soft secondary lime as filaments occupy 10 percent of horizon; pockets of extremely gravelly material (85 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles); fine gravel is cemented to larger fragments with lime and silica pendants, 2 to 5 mm thick; strongly effervescent (48 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 1-1/2 miles northwest of Willow Creek Summit; 1,580 feet north and 950 feet east from the southwest corner of section 28, T. 11 N., R. 21 E. Latitude - 44 degrees, 15 minutes, 10 seconds N. Longitude - 113 degrees, 59 minutes, 15 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 36 to 40 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 46 to 50 percent
Depth to calcic horizon - 2 to 7 inches
Particle-size control section (averages)
Total clay - 12 to 25 percent
Carbonate clay - 4 to 8 percent
Coarse fragments - 50 to 70 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 40 to 60 percent
A horizon
Value - 4 to 6, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Bkq horizons
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Coarse fragments - 40 to 55 percent
Reaction - slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline
2Bkq horizon
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture - GRX-L, GRV-L, CBX-L, GRV-SL, FLX-SL
Rock fragments - 55 to 85 percent
Reaction - moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bealand, Dryadine, Linpeak (T), and Piar (T) series. Bealand soils have less than 50 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Dryadine soils have bedrock at 21 to 40 inches. Linpeak soils lack Bkq horizons and are 15 to 30 inches to the calcic horizon. Piar soils are deep, lack Bkq horizons, and are 5 to 15 inches to the calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Adek soils are on convex mountain sideslopes, ridgetops, ridges and summits and are associated with areas of rock outcrop. Slopes range from 5 to 50 percent. The soils formed in slope alluvium and colluvium derived dominantly from limestone. Elevation is from 6,300 to 9,000 feet. The climate is cold and moist in winter and spring, and cool and dry in summer. The average annual precipitation is 11 to 16 inches; average annual temperature is 35 to 42 degrees F. Frost-free period is 10 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gany, Meegernot, Nitchly, Skibo and Zeelnot soils. Gany, Meegernot, Skibo, and Zeelnot soils are on mountains and have mollic epipedons. Nitchly soils are on mountains, have 9 inches of average annual precipitation, and average summer soil temperatures higher than 50 degrees F.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is mainly fringed sagebrush, low sagebrush, Hood phlox and Sandberg Bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 2 to 60 inches (Bkq and 2Bkq horizons)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of Bkq2, the 2Bkq2, and part of the 2Bkq4)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial data from NSSL. Pedon number 85P201.