LOCATION BURCHERT IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Burchert gravelly loam, rangeland; on a 38 percent slope at an elevation of 6,300 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
AB--3 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 14 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common faint continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--14 to 22 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common faint continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 15 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Bt horizon is 13 to 27 inches)
Btk--22 to 30 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common faint continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; lime is present as thin coats on bottoms of rock and pararock fragments; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent paragravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
2Cr--30 to 60 inches; moderately consolidated tuffaceous sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 3 miles northwest of Bennington, Idaho; about 1,440 feet south and 1,750 feet east of the northwest corner of section 1, T. 12 S., R. 43 E. (42 degrees 24 minutes 41.7 seconds North Latitude and 111 degrees 22 minutes 47 seconds West Longitude)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section usually moist, dry in all parts for 45 consecutive days or more in the four months following the summer solstice. Xeric moisture regime.
Thickness of mollic epipedon 20 to 30 inches
Depth to paralithic contact 20 to 40 inches
Average annual soil temperature 42 to 46 degrees F. Frigid soil temperature regime.
Particle-size control section
Clay content 27 to 32 percent
Rock fragments 0 to 25 percent
A horizon
Value 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures gravelly loam, silt loam
Clay content 16 to 22 percent
Rock fragments 0 to 20 percent gravel
Reaction neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)
AB horizon
Value 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures gravelly loam, loam, silt loam
Clay content 18 to 22 percent
Rock fragments 0 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 3 percent cobbles
Reaction neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)
Bt horizons
Value 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures gravelly clay loam, clay loam, silty clay loam
Clay content 27 to 32 percent
Rock fragments 0 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Para rock fragments 0 to 30 percent paragravel in lower part
Reaction neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)
Btk horizon
Value 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures gravelly clay loam or clay loam
Clay content 27 to 32 percent
Rock fragments 0 to 20 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Para rock fragments 5 to 30 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent 5 to 15 percent
Reaction slightly to moderately alkaline (pH 7.4 to 8.4)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bly, Carey Lake, Dunford, Hades, Hurryback, Krueger, Lagnaf, Mahogan, Marotz, Moffspring, Nagle, Sag, Strom, and Tusk series. Bly, Carey Lake, Hades, Hurryback, Krueger, Lagnaf, Marotz, Moffspring, Nagle, Strom, and Tusk soils are very deep. Dunford and Mahogan soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Sag soils are deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: backslopes and shoulders of hills in the Salt Lake Formation
Elevation: 5860 to 7020 feet
Slope: 5 to 50 percent
Parent Material: alluvium over weakly and moderately consolidated tuffaceous sandstone and siltstone, and weakly consolidated ash.
Climate: long, cool winters; dry, warm summers
Average annual precipitation: 14 to 23 inches
Average annual temperature: 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free season: 70 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brushtop (T), Cadero (T), Redpine (T), and Whitetop (T) soils. Brushtop soils are deep to weakly consolidated ash, and have a cryic soil temperature on north-facing aspects. Cadero soils are moderately deep, have a cryic soil temperature on north-facing aspects on shoulders and upper backslopes and are formed in weakly consolidated ash. Redpine soils are moderately deep to weakly consolidated ash on the same landscape position. Whitetop soils are shallow and are formed from weakly consolidated ash on shoulders and upper backslopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for wildlife habitat and rangeland. The dominant native vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, serviceberry, snowberry, buckwheat, bluegrass, and prairie junegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The series are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Depths to diagnostic horizons and features start from the mineral soil surface. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 0 to 30 inches (A, AB, Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 9 to 30 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons)
Paralithic contact: 30 inches (2Cr horizon)
Particle-size control section: the zone from 9 to 29 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons)