LOCATION BETEMER COEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Lithic Haplocryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Betemer very gravelly loam, on an east facing, 15 percent slope in grassland at an elevation of 2,804 meters (9,200 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on November 21, 1990 the soil was slightly moist throughout.)
A--0 to 13 cm (0 to 5 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; few very fine continuous tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)
Bw--13 to 28 cm (5 to 11 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine continuous tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear irregular boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)
R--28 to 152 cm (11 to 60 inches); indurated breccia
TYPE LOCATION: Park County, Colorado; about 18 kilometers (11 miles) southeast of Hartsel; located about 500 feet south and 1600 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 17, T. 13 S., R. 74 W.; Guffey NW USGS quad; lat. 38 degrees 55 minutes 32 seconds N. and long. 105 degrees, 41 minutes, 24 seconds W., NAD 1983.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is usually dry in late spring and early summer, moist in some part in late July and August, and intermittently dry in fall; ustic regime bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 2.8 to 5.0 degrees C (37 to 41 degrees F)
Mean summer soil temperature: 10.6 to 14.4 degrees C (51 to 58 degrees F)
Thickness of mollic epepedon: 18 to 38 centimeters (7 to 15 inches)
Depth to lithic contact: 25 to 51 centimeters (10 to 20 inches)
Lithology of rock fragments: breccia
Volcanic glass content: 1 to 5 percent (estimated)
Particle-size control section (weighted averages):
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry; 1 to 3 moist
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Gravel content: 35 to 60 percent, indurated
Organic matter content: 2.0 to 4.0 percent
Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Gravel content: 35 to 60 percent, indurated
Organic matter content: 1.0 to 3.0 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Arrowpeak,
Cheadle,
Chokecherry,
Clamp,
Dalys,
Dollarhide,
Eyre,
Irigul,
Irson,
Jonlake,
Labshaft,
Mccadden,
Milling,
Poin,
Rogert,
Schwacheim,
Starley,
Topeki,
Trump, and
Udel series.
Arrowpeak and Milling soils have a udic moisture regime.
Cheadle, Mccadden, Starley, and Trump soils have accumulations of secondary carbonate.
Chokecherry, Clamp, Dollarhide, Jonlake, Labshaft, Topeki, and Udel soils have a xeric moisture regime.
Dalys soils are less than 10 inches to a lithic contact.
Eyre, Irigul, Irson, Rogert, and Schwacheim soils do not have rock fragments of breccia.
Poin soils have less than 18 percent clay.
Rogert soils have rock fragments of granitic lithology.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: slope alluvium derived from volcanic breccia
Landform: crests or side slopes of hills
Slopes: 3 to 40 percent
Elevation: 2,713 to 3,018 meters (8,900 to 9,900 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 1.7 to 3.9 degrees C (35 to 39 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 254 to 406 mm (10 to 16 inches)
Precipitation pattern: Monthly precipitation is lowest in winter and greatest in July and August.
Frost-free period: 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gebson and Lanswick series. The Gebson soils are very deep and are on pediments. The Lanswick soils are very deep and are on drainageways.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation consists mainly of Arizona fescue, Indian ricegrass, blue grama, mountain muhly, needleandthread, and western wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Colorado; LRR E, MLRA 48B; moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Park County, Colorado, Teller-Park soil survey area, Colorado, 2010. The name is coined.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Series control section: The zone from 0 to 28 cm.
Particle-size control section: The zone from 0 to 28 cm. (A and Bw horizons)
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 28 cm. (A and Bw horizons)
Lithic contact: The contact with breccia at 28 cm. (R layer)
The assignment of the cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomic Version: Classified according to Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010.