LOCATION BABERWIT NV

Established Series
Rev. GWM/TM/JBF
04/2012

BABERWIT SERIES

The Baberwit series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from rhyolite with a component of calcareous loess. The soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, carbonatic, mesic Typic Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Baberwit gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 30 percent gravel.

A1--0 to 5 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many very fine vesicular and common fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--5 to 20 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial and common fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (combined A horizons are 5 to 9 cm thick)

2Btkn--20 to 43 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; moderate fine and medium columnar structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine interstitial, and few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; very weak discontinuous secondary calcium carbonate cementation; few distinct continuous secondary calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; secondary calcium carbonate disseminated and vertical cracks between peds filled with highly calcareous soil; 30 percent gravel; strongly saline and sodic; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 14 cm thick)

2Btn1--43 to 84 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; many distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; secondary calcium carbonate disseminated; strongly saline and sodic; 75 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 50 cm thick)

2Btn2--84 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine interstitial pores; few faint clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; secondary calcium carbonate disseminated; strongly saline and sodic; 70 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0). (20 to 35 cm thick)

TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; approximately 0.15 miles east and 5.1 miles north of Tippet ranch on the Antelope Valley road; about 700 feet north and 1400 feet west of the southeast corner of section 20, T. 20 N., R. 66E.; USGS Sunset Reservoir 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 56 minutes 14 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 18 minutes 34 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry when the soil temperature is above 5.0 degrees C., moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and autumn except for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms: typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to natric horizon: 13 to 23 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, dominantly gravel.

A horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

2Btkn horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 25 to 35 percent, dominantly gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 50 percent.
Carbonates: Appear to be accumulating in and engulfing the natric horizon.
Sodicity (SAR): 46 to 90 percent.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 25 mmhos/cm.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.

2Btn1 horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 6 or 7 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 65 to 75 percent, dominantly gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 50 percent.
Sodicity (SAR): 46 to 90.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 25 mmhos/cm.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.

2Btn2 horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 65 to 75 percent, dominantly gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 30 to 40 percent.
Sodicity (SAR): 46 to 90.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 25 mmhos/cm.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Baberwit soils are on fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived from rhyolite with a component of calcareous loess in a wetter climate. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. Elevations are 1,740 to 1,925 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jericho and Armespan soils. Jericho and Armespan soils are on adjacent concave areas. Armespan and Jericho soils do not have a natric horizon. Additionally, Jericho soils are shallow to a duripan.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium to very high runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is pygmy sagebrush, gray molly kochia, Indian ricegrass, and needleandthread grass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Nevada. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 28A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

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

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 20 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Natric horizon - The zone from 20 to 152 cm (2Btkn and 2Btn horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from about 20 to 84 cm (2Btkn and 2Btn1 horizons).
Particle size control section - The zone from 20 to 70 cm (part of the 2Btkn and 2Btn1 horizons).

This is a very old soil that is presently being altered by addition of calcareous loess that are engulfing the natric horizon and forming a calcic horizon in its upper part; natric horizon feature are still distinguishable.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.