LOCATION ANT FLAT UT+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Calcic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ant Flat loam--rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated).
A--0 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
BA--7 to 11 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; many very fine, discontinuous, random tubular pores; few thin clay films and peds, continuous in pores; thin continuous organic stains; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
Btk1--11 to 18 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; many very fine and few fine, discontinuous, random tubular pores, many faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; thin organic stains; 10 percent soft angular calcareous sandstone fragments, slightly effervescent, lime is laminar and veined, 6.7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
Btk2--18 to 32 inches; yellowish red (2.5YR 5/6) clay, yellowish red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong coarse blocky; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine discontinuous, random, tubular pores; many faint clay films in pores and on peds; few cracks up to 1/4 inch wide; strongly effervescent, lime is laminar and veined, 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bk--32 to 60 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine discontinuous, interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime is veined and flaky, 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Cache County, Utah; about 2 1/2 miles southwest of Anderson's Ranch, near N 1/4 corner of sec. 10, T. 9 N., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 10 to 19 inches thick. The combined thickness of the A and Bt horizons ranges from 24 to 48 inches. The depth to the calcic horizon ranges from 11 to 36 inches. Clay content of the particle size control section ranges from 35 to 55 percent. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 40 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 60 to 70 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days or more in 7 out of 10 years during the summer and are continually moist for 60 to 90 days of the 120 days following the winter solstice.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist. It is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. Organic matter content is 2 to 8 percent.
The BA horizon (an AB in some pedons) has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry, and 2 or 3 moist. It is neutral to slightly alkaline. Organic matter content is 1 to 3 percent.
A Bt horizon is present in some pedons.
The Btk1 horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 6. Below a depth of 20 inches the dry value is more than 5 or the moist value is more than 3, or moist chroma is 4 or more. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Texture is dominantly clay or silty clay, but also includes clay loam and silty clay loam containing more than 35 percent clay. It has weak to strong, medium or coarse prismatic and subangular blocky structure. It has common to many, faint to distinct clay films in pores and on the faces of peds. Organic matter content ranges 1 to 2 percent. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 1 to 7 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 35 percent.
The Btk2 horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 to 5 moist and chroma of 4 to 6. Reaction is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. It has weak to strong, medium or coarse prismatic and subangular blocky structure. Organic matter content ranges 1 to 2 percent. It has common to many, faint to distinct clay films in pores and on the faces of peds. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 40 percent.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 5 to 8 dry, 3 to 6 moist and chroma of 2 to 8. Reaction is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. It is clay loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, or clay. This horizon has weak to moderate, medium or coarse subangular blocky structure or is massive. Organic matter content is less than 1 percent. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 15 to 40 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Durkee, Geneva, Silverlake, and Soen(ID-T) series. Durkee soils are less than 40 inches to a lithic contact. Geneva soils are somewhat poorly drained. Silverlake soils have a duripan. Soen soils have hue yellower than 7.5YR in the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ant Flat soils are on fan terraces and gently rolling to steep mountain slopes. Elevations range from 4,700 to 8,200 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 45 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and alluvium from calcareous sandstone and some quartzite, conglomerate, limestone or shale. The climate is moist subhumid, with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is dominantly 16 to 25 inches but ranges from 14 to 25 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 35 to 45 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature ranges from 57 to 66 degrees F. The freeze-free period ranges from 60 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Borvant, Charcol, Clegg, Despain, Hoskins, Lucky Star, Manila, and Yeates Hollow soils. Borvant soils lack argillic horizons and have a petrocalcic horizon. Charcol and Lucky Star soils have E horizons, lack calcic horizons and the top of the Argillic horizon is deeper than 40 inches. Clegg soils have less than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizons and are gravelly. Despain soils have gravelly clay loam argillic horizons with less than 35 percent clay and 20 to 35 percent cobbles and gravel. Hoskin soils have very cobbly or very gravelly loam argillic horizons and lack horizons of carbonate accumulation. Manila soils lack horizons of carbonate accumulation within a depth of 40 inches. Yeates Hollow soils have very cobbly clay argillic horizons with more than 35 percent cobbles and gravel and lack horizons of carbonate accumulation.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium to slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and watershed. The native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, basin wildrye, native bluegrass, Columbia needlegrass, yarrow, balsamroot, lupine buckwheat, yellowbrush, bitterbrush, snowberry and mountain big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain areas of north-central Utah and southeastern Idaho. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sanpete Area, Utah, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 11 inches (A and BA horizons)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 11 to 32 inches (Btk1, Btk2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from a depth of 18 to 60 inches.
Keys to Soil Taxonomy: Series classified according to Eighth Edition, 1998.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory samples No. U631998 to U642004.