LOCATION BRICKNER MT
Established Series
Rev. DES-JAL-EMM
09/2014
BRICKNER SERIES
The Brickner series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum derived from hard sedimentary or fine grained igneous rock. These soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 4 to 70 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches, and mean annual air temperature is about 40 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Brickner gravelly sandy clay loam, stony, forested (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 0.5 inches; partially decomposed needles, twigs, and leaves. (0 to 2 inches thick)
A--0.5 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--3 to 8 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; common faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds and bridging sand grains; 5 percent cobbles and 35 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0). (3 to 12 inches thick)
BC--8 to 12 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; 15 percent cobbles and 55 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
R--12 inches; hard fractured sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Montana; 2,550 feet north and 875 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 13, T. 1 N., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 38 to 44 degrees F.
Moisture control section - between 4 and 12 inches, or between 4 inches and the lithic contact when bedrock is less than 12 inches.
Depth to argillic horizon - 3 to 5 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches.
Rock fragments, surface cover: 0.1 to 3 percent stones
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture: loamy coarse sand, loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent--0 to 5 percent stones, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 15 to 30 percent gravel or channers
Reaction: pH 6.1 to 7.3
Colors for A horizon are lithochromatic and not mollic.
Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4 dry or moist
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam or clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent--0 to 15 percent stones, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 35 to 60 percent gravel or channers
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
BC horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4 dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 12 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 45 to 70 percent--0 to 5 percent stones, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, and 45 to 60 percent gravel or channers
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Blackleaf (MT) - has a horizon of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation.
Jagon (UT) - has horizons of secondary calcium carbonate accumulation.
Sanchez (NM) - has A & B horizons; has hues of 7.5YR and redder throughout.
Tolex (MT) - has E horizons with platy structure and skeletans; has more than 60 percent rock fragments in the argillic horizon.
Wetmore (CO) - has an E horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - hills; mountains.
Elevation - 4,400 to 6,200 feet.
Slope - 4 to 70 percent.
Parent material - residuum derived from hard sedimentary or fine grained igneous rock.
Climate - long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation - 15 to 19 inches.
Mean annual air temperature - 36 to 44 degrees F.
Frost-free period - 70 to 105 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: none listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Brickner soils are primarily used for timber production, wildlife habitat, and understory grazing. The potential native vegetation is mainly Douglas fir, limber pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, big sagebrush, and rubber rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Brickner soils are of small extent in southwestern Montana. MLRA 43B, 46 and 44B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Montana, 1998.
REMARKS: Soil interpretation record: MT3068, MT3069. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 3 inches (Oi and A horizons);
Argillic horizon - from 3 to 8 inches (Bt horizon);
Particle-size control section - from the surface to 12 inches (A, Bt, BC horizons); hard sandstone bedrock at 12 inches (R horizon).
Brickner soils have a frigid temperature regime and an ustic moisture regime.
Classification changed from Eutroboralfs in 1997.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.