LOCATION BUNCELVOIR ID

Established Series
Rev. ALH/CLM
11/2018

BUNCELVOIR SERIES

The Buncelvoir series consists of very deep, well drained soils with slow permeability that formed in mixed alluvium.Buncelvoir soils are on tablelands and calderas. Slopes range from 1 to 6 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the average annual temperature is about 7.8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Xeric Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Buncelvoir loam -- on a slightly concave slope of 2 percent, in seeded rangeland at 1,490 meter elevation. (When described on June 17, 1980, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for air-dry soils unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 10 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

AB--10 to 18 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

Bt--18 to 38 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine angular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 36 cm thick)

Btk--38 to 48 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

2Bkq1--48 to 66 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular, few fine vesicular pores; 15 percent gravel; 10 percent durinodes; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 50 cm thick)

2Bkq2--66 to 152 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 30 percent gravel; 10 percent durinodes; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5).

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 5 1/2 miles west and 9 1/2 miles north of Grasmere; 2700 feet west and 500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 33, T.10 S., R.4 E.; USGS Wickahoney Crossing 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees, 31 minutes, 10 seconds North Latitude and 115 degrees, 59 minutes, 31 seconds West Longitude.; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 42.5194444 latitude, -115.9919444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to calcium carbonates - 25 to 46 cm.
Depth to base of argillic - 33 to 61 cm.
Average annual soil temperature - 8.3 to 9.4 degrees C.
Aridic moisture regime bordering on xeric.

A horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent
Reaction (pH) - neutral or slightly alkaline

Bt horizon
Value - 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - SICL, C, or CL
Clay content - 35 to 45 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent

Btk horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 4 through 6 dry or moist
Texture - SICL or CL
Clay content - 30 to 40 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 1 to 10 percent

Bkq horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma - 3 through 6 dry or moist
Texture - FSL, GR-FSL, or GR-SL
Rock fragments - 5 to 30 percent
Durinodes - 0 to 20 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 3 to 15 percent
Reaction (pH) - moderately or strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Diaz, Farmell, Glasgow, Lanktree, Linkletter, Oppio, Risley, Schamp, and Trunk series. The Diaz, Glasgow, Oppio, Risley, and Trunk soils are less than 100 cm deep to lithic or paralithic contact. Farmell soils are greater than 60 cm to secondary carbonates. Lanktree soils have "E" horizons. Linkletter soils have a duripan deeper than 100 cm. Schamp soils have argillic horizons 60 to 80 cm thick and solum depth of 69 to 90 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Buncelvoir soils are nearly level to gently sloping on tablelands and calderas at elevations of 1,465 to 1,650 meters. Slopes range from 1 to 6 percent. These soils formed in mixed alluvium. The climate is cool and moist in winter and hot and dry in summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 200 to 330 mm. Average annual temperature ranges from 7.2 to 8.3 degrees C. Frost-free period is 90 to 105 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arbidge, Bruncan, Chilcott, and Hardtrigger series. Arbidge, Bruncan, and Chilcott have duripans. Arbidge, Bruncan, and Hardtrigger soils have fine-loamy argillic horizons. These soils are on similar landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Buncelvoir soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Thurber needlegrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. Buncelvoir soils are of moderate extent. MLRA 25.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County Area, Idaho, 1992.

REMARKS: This revision (6/95) changes the classification from Xerollic Haplargids to Xeric Haplargids according to the 1994 edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 18 cm (A and AB horizons).
Argillic horizon and particle-size control section - 18 to 48 cm (Bt and Btk horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.