LOCATION BELLENMINE NV
Established Series
Rev. EWB/TRM/JVC
02/2012
BELLENMINE SERIES
The Bellenmine Series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from quartzite. Bellenmine soils are on mountains. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 450 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bellenmine extremely gravelly sandy loam--forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones.
A1--0 to 5 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots, many very fine and fine tubular and vesicular pores; 50 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)
A2--5 to 13 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)
Bt1--13 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary (8 to 13 cm thick)
Bt2--23 to 33 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 cm thick)
Bt3--33 to 46 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine through coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; 60 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
R--46 cm; hard fractured quartzite with soil and roots in fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: White Pine County, Nevada; about 0.25 miles south of Mill Creek in Great Basin National Park in the Snake Range; about 1,400 feet south and 1,300 feet east of the northwest corner of section 5, T. 13 N., R. 69 E.; USGS Windy Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 39 degrees 1 minutes 57 seconds N and longitude 114 degrees 15 minutes 26 seconds W; UTM zone 11, 737413e, 4323957n, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry; moist in winter and spring, dry in all parts at least 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice (July and August), but intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September; xeric soil moisture regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 5.5 to 7 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 30 cm; includes the upper part of the argillic horizon.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 50 to 80 percent; mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is quartzite.
A horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4; 3 chroma only in Bt1.
Texture: Averages clay loam, loam may occur in Bt1 horizons.
Clay content: Averages 27 to 35 percent.
Structure: Subangular or angular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard dry, very friable or friable moist, slightly sticky or moderately sticky and slightly plastic or moderately plastic wet.
Clay films: Common to many.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Anaud,
Celeridge,
Cleavage,
Cleavmor,
Cropper,
Gabica,
Gaciba,
Genoa,
Gerdog,
Gidwin,
Grandeposit
Granquin,
Grosschat,
Hawkridge,
Hutchley,
Loope,
Majorsplace,
Mascamp,
Melling,
Pernog,
Pernty, Raw (no description available),
Realmcoy,
Rozara,
Shalcleav,
Shalper,
Slatter,
Tractuff, and
Tweener series.
Anaud soils contain 15 to 30 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 mm to 2.0 mm fraction.
Cleavage,
Cleavmor,
Gaciba,
Genoa,
Gidwin,
Hutchley,
Mascamp,
Melling,
Pernog,
Pernty,
Rozara,
Shalcleav,
Shalper,
Slatter, and
Tweener soils are not intermittently moist in some part for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October due to convection storms.
Celeridge soils are derived from tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite have a mollic thickness of 36 to 50 cm, and have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section.Cleavmor soils have mollic epipedons 36 to 50 cm thick and have Btk horizons.
Cropper soils are slightly alkaline in the lower part of the Bt horizon and have less than 40 percent sand greater than very fine sand in the Bt.
Gabica soils are derived from volcanic rocks such as andesite or rhyolite.
Gerdog soils are 18 to 36 cm deep to a lithic contact.
Gidwin soils have less than 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section and mollic epipedons 36 to 50 cm thick.
Grandeposit soils have Bt horizons that are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Granquin soil have 15 to 30 percent volcanic glass in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction and have rock fragments of welded tuff.
Grosschat soils lack 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are 25 to 36 cm to bedrock.
Hawkridge soils have a typic xeric soil moisture regime and are derived from tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite.
Hutchley soils have mollic epipedons that include all of their Bt horizons.
Loope soils have a mollic epipedon thickness of 36 to 50 cm and are derived from tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite.
Majorsplace soils have a Bk horizon with seconday carbonates.
Mascamp soils are dominated by stones and cobbles in the control section, are influenced by volcanic glass, and have secondary carbonates coats on bedrock.
Melling soils have a typic xeric soil moisture regime.
Pernog soils have less than 50 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
Realmcoy soils are not intermittently moist in the upper part for 10 to 20 days cumulative due to convection storms between July and September.
Rozara,
Shalper,
Slatter and
Tweener soils are less than 36 cm to bedrock.
Shalcleav soils have bedrock within 30 cm, have mollic epipedons that include all of the Bt horizon and their particle-size control section is dominated by flagstones and channers.
Tractuff soils have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bellenmine soils are on mountains. They typically occur on backslope positions. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from quartzite. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. Elevations are 2,010 to 2,680 meters. The climate is dry-subhumid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 500 mm.The mean annual temperature is 4 to 6 degrees C. The frost-free period is 40 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Basinpeak and
Millan soils. These soils both have bedrock deeper than 150 cm.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Bellenmine soils are used for recreation, woodland and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is mainly singleleaf pinyon, low sagebrush, and bluebunch wheatgrass. This site is correlated to Ecological Site F28AY075NV, Singleleaf pinyon-Utah juniper/low sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Nevada. MLRA 28A. These soils are not extensive with about 1,500 acres of the series mapped to date.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: White Pine, Nevada, East Part, 2004.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 23 cm (A1, A2, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 13 to 46 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary with hard bedrock at 46 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 46 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.