LOCATION BUCKLOAF WY
Tentative Series
Rev. DMM-RJS
02/2014
BUCKLOAF SERIES
The Buckloaf series consists of moderately-deep, well drained soils that formed in slope alluvium over residuum weathered from sandstone and shale. These soils are on hills, mesas and pediments. Slopes are 1 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm, and mean annual air temperature is about 4.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Ustic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Buckloaf channery loam, in rangeland (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 7 cm brown (10YR 4/3) channery loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3), moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable, soft, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 20 percent channers; finely disseminated calcium carbonate; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)
Bk1--7 to 50 cm dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very channery loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4), moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 50 percent channers; 5 percent irregular carbonate masses in matrix; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 45 cm thick)
Bk2--50 to 90 cm light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely channery loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly hard, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 70 percent channers; 80 percent irregular carbonate masses throughout; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (35 to 65 cm thick)
R--90 cm; indurated sandstone bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Sublette County, Wyoming; located approximately 20 miles NW of Farsen; USGS Stud Horse Butte, Wyoming topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees 24 minutes 45.00 seconds north latitude and 109 degrees 39 minutes 14.00 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 4.5 to 6.5 degrees C.
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation - 5 to 15 cm
Depth to calcic horizon - 25 to 60 cm
Depth to lithic contact - 50 to 100 cm
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 4 percent
Reaction: pH 7.8 to 8.4
Bk1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5
Reaction: pH 7.9 to 8.5
Bk2 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y; dry or moist
Value: 6 or 7 dry; 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 16 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 50 to 75 percent channers
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 12
Reaction: pH 8.2 to 9.0
COMPETING SERIES:
Bronell (CO) - are very deep
Brownsto (WY) - are very deep
Browtine (WY) - are very deep
Bruja (WY) - are moderately deep to a paralithic contact
Bruman (UT) - are very deep
Vermillion (CO) - have cobbles in the substratum
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - hills, mesas and pediments
Elevation - 2,040 to 2,225 meters
Slope - 1 to 6 percent
Parent Material - slope alluvium over residuum weathered from sandstone and shale
Climate - long, cold winters; cool, moist springs; short, cool summers
Mean annual precipitation - 225 to 280 mm with peak periods of precipitation occurring during the spring
Mean annual air temperature - 3.0 to 5.0 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 50 to 75 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Buckloaf soils are primarily used for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, squirreltail, Sandberg bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, and other forbs and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Buckloaf soils are of large extent in southwestern Wyoming. MLRA - 34A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES PROPOSED: Sublette County, Wyoming, 2014. The series name is coined from a local area.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 7 cm (A horizon)
Secondary calcium carbonate accumulations - 7 to 90 cm (Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - 50 to 90 cm (Bk2 horizon)
Lithic contact - at 90 cm (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 25 to 90 cm (part of Bk1, Bk2 horizons).
Buckloaf soils have a frigid temperature regime and an aridic moisture regime that is bordering on ustic.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.