LOCATION BEEHIVE MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Oxyaquic Cryofluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Beehive gravelly sandy loam, forested (Colors are for dry unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed forest litter consisting of needles, twigs and bark. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A--2 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse roots, common fine and very fine roots; 20 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
C1--5 to 20 inches; variegated extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse and medium roots, common very fine roots; 50 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 inches thick)
C2--20 to 28 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse and medium roots, common fine and very fine roots; 35 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C3--28 to 60 inches; variegated extremely cobbly loamy sand; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and very fine roots; 35 percent pebbles, 40 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Gallatin County, Montana; 2600 feet north and 400 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 34, T.6S., R.3E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 36 to 40 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 12 and 35 inches.
Depth to seasonal high water table - 24 to 42 inches.
A horizon - Value: 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent--10 to 25 percent pebbles,
5 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
C1, C2 horizon - Hue: 10YR or variegated
Value: 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: sand, coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand or sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 70 percent--30 to 50 percent pebbles, 10 to 20 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.8
C3 horizon - Hue: 10YR or variegated
Value: 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4
Texture: loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, sand or coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent--20 to 40 percent pebbles,
30 to 40 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 7.8
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - floodplains.
Elevation - 5,500 to 7,500 feet.
Slope - 0 to 8 percent.
Parent material - alluvium.
Climate - long cold winters; cool, moist springs; short summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 20 to 25 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 34 to 39 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 50 to 70 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Beehive soils are used mainly for wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation may include
lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, pinegrass, elksedge, kinnikinnick and horsetail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Beehive soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gallatin County, Montana, 1997.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT1437. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an ochric epipedon from the surface to 3 inches (A horizon); a particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches (C1, C2 and C3 horizons). Beehive soils have a cryic temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.