LOCATION BARSHAAD NV+CA

Established Series
Rev. OWB/WED/JVC/JBF
02/2017

BARSHAAD SERIES

The Barshaad series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum derived from basalt. Barshaad soils are on plateaus, rock pediments, and ridges. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Palexerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Barshaad stony loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 3 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin and medium platy structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

Bt1--3 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; many very fine and medium roots; common very fine and medium tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 43 cm thick)

Bt2--23 to 61 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; many very fine and medium roots; common very fine and medium tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (25 to 75 cm thick)

Cr--61 cm; fractured and weathered basaltic rock.

TYPE LOCATION: Washoe County, Nevada; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 3.5 miles north of Verdi; approximately 2,840 feet west and 2,560 feet south of the northeast corner of section 29, T. 20 N., R. 18 E.; USGS Verdi 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 34 minutes 14.7 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 59 minutes 6.7 seconds w; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 39.5707500 latitude, -119.9851944 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: These soils are moist intermittently during winter and spring, dry during summer and fall; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 12 degrees c.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 50 cm, includes the Bt1 horizon.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered basalt and similar volcanic rocks.
Reaction: Slightly acid through moderately alkaline.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 40 to 60 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Other features: There is an abrupt boundary at the base of this horizon.

Bt1 and Bt2 horizons
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist. Values of 6 dry, 4 moist, and chroma of 4 occur only in the Bt2 horizon.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 2 percent.
Other features: Some pedons are calcareous just above the bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aldape and Mahoon series.
Aldape soils are deep to duripans. Mahoon soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts of diatomite.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Barshaad soils are on plateaus, rock pediments, and ridges. They typically occur on summit positions. These soils formed in residuum derived mainly from basalt and similar volcanic rocks. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 1,535 to 2,290 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arzo, Frodo, and Tristan soils. Arzo soils do not have abrupt increases in clay at the upper boundary of the argillic horizon. Frodo soils are clayey and shallow to thin duripans over lithic contacts. Tristan soils are loamy-skeletal and deep to lithic contacts.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; very slow permeability; low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Barshaad soils are used for rangeland. The native vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, Thurber's needlegrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada and northeastern California. These soils are not extensive with about 8,000 acres of the series mapped to date. The series type location is in MLRA 22A, while the main acreage is in MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Washoe County (South Part), Nevada, 1980.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 3 to 61 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Palexerolls great group feature - The abrupt clay increase of more than 15 percent at 3 cm. (between the A and Bt1 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 61 cm to underlying weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 3 to 53 cm (Bt1 horizon and part of the Bt2 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: User pedon ID 2006NV031908.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.