LOCATION BLULA SDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Typic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Blula fine sandy loam on a slightly concave east-facing slope of 45 percent in native grass. When described, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 6 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; many fine and medium roots; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 13 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; many fine and medium roots to 10 inches, common fine and medium roots to 13 inches; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
C1--13 to 24 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loamy fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; soft, very friable; common fine and medium roots to 18 inches, few fine roots to 24 inches; about 8 percent soft sandstone fragments; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C2--24 to 38 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loamy fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; few fine roots to 30 inches; about 8 percent soft sandstone fragments; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C3--38 to 45 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; single grain; loose; about 10 percent soft sandstone fragments; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
C4--45 to 80 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) fine sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; single grain; loose; about 10 percent soft sandstone fragments; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Todd County, South Dakota; about 3 1/2 miles west and 1 1/2 miles north of St. Francis; 335 feet east and 1,750 feet north of the southwest corner of section 22, T. 37 N., R. 31 W. USGS St. Francis topographic quadrangle; lat. 43 degrees 9 minutes 41 seconds N. and long. 100 degrees 58 minutes 45 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Carbonates are typically leached below a depth of 20 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 20 inches in thickness and extends into the Bw horizon of most pedons. The C horizon contains 2 to 15 percent by volume of soft to hard sandstone fragments that range in size from 1/8 to 3 inches is size. The fragments typically are calcareous.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is dominantly fine sandy loam but includes sandy loam, loamy fine sand and loamy sand. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has a hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It dominantly is fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand or loamy sand. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 and 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It is loamy fine sand, fine sand, loamy sand or sand. It ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Alwilda series which is moderately deep to gravelly sand.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Blula soils are generally on north and east facing back slopes and foot slopes of deeply dissected sandstone plains. Slopes range from 15 to 65 percent. The soils formed in colluvium from soft sandstone with additions of eolian sand in places. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 46 to 52 degrees F.; and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 23 inches. Growing season ranges from 130 to 160 days; growing season precipitation is about 14 to 15 inches; and growing degree days ranges from 2800 to 3000.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigwinder, Inavale, McKelvie, Peji and Yockey soils. The poorly drained Bigwinder soils, the excessively drained Inavale soils, and the somewhat poorly drained Yockey soils are on flood plains. The excessively drained McKelvie and Peji soils do not have mollic epipedons and are on shoulders and back slopes above the Blula soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Runoff is rapid. Permeability is rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for native range and wildlife habitat. Native grasses are mainly switchgrass, Indiangrass, sand bluestem, little bluestem, sideoats grama, Canada wildrye, prairie sandreed and sun sedge. Trees and shrubs are mainly burr oak, green ash, hackberry, Oregon grape, wild raspberry, skunkbush sumac, chokecherry and currant.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central South Dakota and possibly north central Nebraska. The soils of this series are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Todd County, South Dakota, 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 13 inches (A, Bw horizons).